The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1896-04-22
CHAPTER Xxx.
THE COUNCIL OF THE HsART.


On the following day the attendants
who set our meals brought with them
clean robes for each of us, scented and
wonderfully worked, and for Maya
certain royal ornaments. In these we
arrayed ourselves before evening and.
waited. The hours passed, and at
length the copper gates were opened |
and band of mobiles and guards pre-
sented themselves before us, saying |
that they were commanded to lead us
to the sanctuary.
We answered that nothing would
please us better, and in few minutes
found ourselves walking up the stairs
toward the crest of the pyramid.
We reached it and saw-the stars shin
ing above us and felt the breath of
heaven blowing in our faces, and never
have the sight of the stars or the taste
of the night air seemed more sweet to
me. Leaving the watchhouse we
walked to the great stair across the
lonely summit of the pyramid and be-
gan to descend it's side.
At the foot of the stairway we turned
to the right till we came to double
door of copper, beautifully worked,
built in the center of the western face
of the pyramid and guarded by small
body Of soldiers, who saluted and ad-
mitted us.
Entering our guides went without fall
tering, turning now to the right, now
to the left, and now seeming to retrace.
their footsteps, till at length they
halted to open a door covered over
with plates Of beaten gold on the fur
ther side of which lay the most sacred
spot, save one, in the City of the Heart,
! that served the threefold purpose OF a
| Judgment hall, church wherein the
mobiles attended worship, and burial
place of the departed caciques OF the
city.
Here in this vast and awful vault,
each Of them set in his own niche,
stood the bodies of every king-priest
who had reigned in the holy city, in
closed in cofIins of solid gold fashioned
to the shape and likeness of the corpse
within and having the name, age, date
of birth and brief account of the good
or evil that the man had done cut in
symbols on his breast
For moment Maya paused to look
upon the bodies of her parents, then
with sigh and an oboisance she passed
on, saying to me:
See. this Hall of the Dead is
full: there is no place left for
me or my descendants. and surely
that is an evil omen. well" she added
with a sigh, what does it matter
where they set us when we are deadT
Then we went on deiling before the
silent company of the golden dead,
till passing through hall, we stood IN
front of little door over which burned
great lamps. This door was guarded
by two priests with drawn swords
which they pointed towards us sigr
that we should halt. Then the priests
who had escorted us so far fell back be
hind, and we were left alone.
"Give the sign, keepers OF the gate,
said Maya. .,
Thereupon one of the men will
drawn swords did so, and after a few
moments delay the doors opened ant
we entered the sanctuary.
In front of the altar was an opel
, space, and beyond it's circle, each wear
| ing the orders of his spiritual rank, sa
, the Brethren of the Heart, according
r to their degree, to the number OF thirty
; six.
Led by Maya, we advanced into tn
D open space before the altar, and stoo
r there in silence. At length one OF tn
= brethren, he who sat nearest to tn
r door, rose, and, addressing Tikal, sale
"Keeper of the Heart, one who claim
0 to be of our company stands before yol
r and with her two for whom she vouche
q Be pleased to prove them by the voic
t of their sponsor, that their mouths ma
d be opened and their prayers come
r the ears of the council"
r At his words two of the brethre
Il rose and blindfolded the senor and m,
Z. self lest we should see the sacred sign
i with all of which, indeed, l was well a
r. uuainted; but Maya they did not blint
;. fold. Then we heard TilSal asking:
!, "How are you named who are stran{
9 to our eyes?" and the voice OF Maya
70 our ears cautioned us to be silent
"We are named the Son OF the 81
70 and Ignatio, the Wanderer," answert
y the voice of Maya.
n "Son of the Sea and Ignatio the Wa
!, derer, why come you here" ask'
y Tikal, Through the gate on which
u written, Death to the Stranger"
q ! because we have prayer to ute
i an offering to make, and because,
\, though we dwell in far land, we a
III the servants of the Heart" answer
"a Maya.
~ Then the various signs of the ritu
10 were made by Maya.
tLe "Strangers, said Tilsal, "your mout
" ~ are opened in the sanctuary accordil
u to the ancient form, and it is lawful
VI the council to listen to your pray
Speak then without fear" Then
an az spoke, saying:
~ ~, "Brethren, for so will dare to C
w you, seeing that l also, though strs
ho ger. am of the Brotherhood OF
II. Heart, as l can prove to you II need
av. and higher in rank than any pr
70 ent here, unless it be you, 0 Keeper
, y the Heart. On my own behalf, on
y half of my brNther, who also is OF
ho company, and behalf of Maya, I
an Lady Of the Heart, daughter OF b
od who puled YOU, and heiress to his pc
an er, Speak and make my prayer to y
~ ~ att would seem that we. three,
nT r,1 pether with Zibalbay, who is dead, a
@ ,@se therefore beyond your Judgment, hi
violated the laws of this city, we
re- daring to enter its gates, and Ilball
ret and the Lady Maya by leading, us
at those gates. For this crime we sho
he. have peen puD 10 eeaVn eiSho .I !,
Maya claimed right to have our ca
,l,e laid before this high tribunal. In
,aS case, and in that of her father, this
nes conceded, and pray now that
an. same clemency may be extended to
I'VE and to my brother"
,at Upon what grounds do you eli
|