The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-18
HEART OF THE WORLD.
By II. D
CHAPTER XVI.
FAREWELL.

Nshua ceased and sat down. and 90 great Va,
the astonishment, or rather the awe, Of the
council At the tale that she bad told that for q
while none Of them spoke. AT length Dimss rose
and said:
Maya, Lady Of the Heart, and you. strangers,
you have heard the awful charge that is brought
against you. What do you say In answer :"
I'VE say IL Is true,' answered Mays. I'VE
we're forced to choose between our lives and the
doing Of this deed. and we chose to live. IL was
Natal who Matched the plot and executed the
forgery, and now II seems that we must suffer
for his sin as we'll as for our own. One word
more. Ignatio here did not enter into this plot
willingly, but as forced into IL by my husband
and myself. and chiefly by myself"
Dimas made no answer. bat at q sign the two
priests who guarded the altar with drawn
swords came forward and drove us into the
passage that led from the Sanctuary to the
Hall OF the Dead. where they shut us in between
the double doors, leaving us in darkness.
Here, az all was finished. ! knelt down 70 offer
my last prayers to heaven. while Maya wcpt In
her husbands arms, taking farewell of him and
OF her child.
"Trulv." lie said, you were wise wife. when
you urged us not to enter this Country OF the
Heart. Still, what IL done cannot be undone,
and. having been happy together for a little
space. let Ms die together ns bravely ms we may.
hoping that still together we may awake pres
entity In some new world OF peace"
Willie he spoke the door was opened and the
priests with drawn swords led us back into the
Sanctuary. As Maya crossed the threshold first
Of the three of us. she was met by Tikal. who,
with II sudden movement. but without rough
ness, took the child from her arms.
Now we saw what was prepared for us. for the
stone in front Of the altar had been lifted. and
at our feet the black shaft yawned, from which
assembled " sound OF waters. They placed us
with our backs resting against the altar, but
Tlkal stood in front, and between him and us
lay the mouth OF the pit.
Maya. daughter OF Zlbalbay, white man, Son
OF the Sea. Ignatio the wanderer, and Natal
the priest, whom. being dead in the body, we
summon in the spirit, !" began Dimas, in n cold
and terrible voice. you by your own confession
are proved guilty OF the greatest crimes that
can be dreamed OF in the wicked brain OF man,
and executed by his impious hands.
YOU have broken your solemn oaths. taken
in the presence OF heaven and your brethren;
you have offered insult to the god we worship.
and violated his Sanctuary. and you have palIned
of as their heaven-sent Prince. upon the people
who trusted you, a bastard and n child Of sin.
For all these and other crimes which you
have committed. why we know not, II Is not In
our power TO meto out to you a just reward: that
must be measured to you elsewhere, when you
have passed our judgment seat and your names
are long forgotten upon the earth.
This is the sentence Of the Council of the
Heart: That your name, Natal, be erased
from the list OF the officers of the Heart; that
your memory he proclaimed accursed; that
your dwelling place be burned with fire and the
site Of 1t strewn with salt; that your corpse be
torn from Its grave and laid upon the summit of
the pyramid till the birds of the air devour II,
and that your soul be handed over to the tor
mentors OF the lower world. to deal with accord
ing 10 their pleasure forever and for aye.
This lie the sentence of the Council of the
Heart upon you, Maya, daughter of Zibalbay,
white man, Son Of the Sea- and Ignatio the
wandcrer: That your names be erased from the
roll OF the Brethren OF the Heart, and pro-
claimed accursed In the streets of the city: that
ed living To the walls OF the Sanctuary, and
there left before the altar of the god which you
shall ~overtake you; that your corpses be laid
upon the pyramid as a prey TO the birds Of the
tormentors OF the under world to deal with ac-
cording to their pleasure forever and for aye.
be done. hut first. since this bastard babe is too
young to sin and suffer punishment. let him be
n MAN deal in With 1nf Si Knt apeeorG d sst to sq III. i PiSas sne goo
As the words passed his lips, and before we
they the te snasr Of our AWFUL doom, T * stepped wsSs T forl
ward. and-eyen now shudder when | write. OF
,, t.ns SaGs. IN, q w. pSG a. t ,RSfsn.Si Which wiiS ps a. t oh ie an
over the mouth of the pit, suddenly let II fall
into the depths beneath,
the walls q the ns, holy y. place ss,s and before T. had
like a puma across the open well, and gripped
Tikal 10y the throat and waist, He gripped him.
and. rage giying him strength, he lifted him
dread ful place, where the child had gone before.
With u huarse scream Tikal vanished. and for
. moment there was silence. 1t was broken by
the voice OF Maya crying aloud in accents Of
madness and despair:
Not all the waters of the Holy Lake shall
wash away our sin, yet may they serve TO avenge
US upon you, o. murdersrs OF a helpless child!"
self, Who / think alone Of iii the Company
guessed her mad purpose, Maya ran round the
symbol of the heart which lay upon 1t.
ForbGar!" cried the voice OF Dinas, but she
could reach her. draggIng at IT with desperate
strength she had torn, the ancient symbol from
It's bed. and. with II loud and, mockinG laugh.
cast it down upon the marble floor. where It
shattered into fragments.
From the altar there came a sound as OF harp
strings breaking, that was followed by another
and more awful sound, the sound Of the roar OF
"ssFiy: ty!' cried a voice. THE floods are
loosed and destruction is upon us and upon the
MN the Council rushed one and all toward
the door OF the Sanctuary; but j. lgnatio, by the
the secret door through which We had entered,
that the priest had left aiar
and SELLING Maya by the arm dragged her with
me int the psssage' When az three Of US were ere
s6To ssR an .S aTfSt :! sis dae'e o sas Of f fSs mouth Saa Is o i sns
Dit before the altar sprang a vast column or
water, which struck tho roof OF the Sanctuary
with such fearful force that already the massive
marble blocks began to rain down upon
the crowd of iugitlvesi who struggled
cape Into the Hall of the Dead. One other thing
Isaw; II was the corpse Of Tikal yomited from
the depth into which the seiOr had hurled him,
. shapeless mass ascending and descending with
the column OF water as alternately 1t struck and
rcbOunded from the roof.
Then, before the flood could reach It. | closed
the door, and, possessing myself OF the bunch
of Keys that still hung la the lock, we fed up the
passages and stairs till We came TO the hall
where We had been imprisoned. Here, however.
We dared not stay, for already strange, gurgling
sOunds struck upon our ears, and we felt the
nrtghCy fabric OF the pyramid shake and CULVER
beneath tho blows OF the Imprisoned waters as
they burst their way upward and outward.
Selling lamps. VS. ran TO the copper gates At
the end OF the hall, and not. without trouble
time 10 spare, for as We left Il the water rushed
IN at the further end OF the hall, n solid wave
six r. eiUlt feet