Naamah's Blessing - Jacqueline Carey [171]
“You are no warrior, old man,” I retorted.
“Yes, I am old! Too old to work in the fields!” Eyahue said in a querulous tone, holding up one skinny arm. “Look at me!”
I jerked my chin at the fine wool of his tunic. “You steal from us. Now you wear good clothes. Did you trade stolen things for them?”
“Let me explain, lady,” he wheedled. “I will explain in Nahuatl. Easier for you to understand, yes?”
Once again, I folded my arms sternly. “Go ahead.”
Taking a deep breath, Eyahue shuffled his feet. “The Jaguar Knight says that you’ll get nowhere trying to turn this tide,” he said, rapid and cajoling. “The Quechua men are eager for this battle, eager to use their new weapons in the service of the mad Ant-Lord. Prince Manco believes that one will appoint him Regent.”
“Who’s Prince Manco?” I asked.
Cusi glanced over with a flicker of interest.
Eyahue coughed into his fist. “Sorry, didn’t mean to use names. You’re a clever lass; tell the maid some lie if she asks. He’s the fellow your Ant-Lord deposed here. Stepped down willingly to serve the mad god, looks to be appointed to rule in his stead. He’s the fifth son of the Emperor, and reckons this is his best chance at getting near the throne. One way or another, this battle is coming.”
I raised my brows. “And the secret of the ancestors?”
Eyahue held out his hands palm upward and gave a helpless shrug. “No man knows, only that it is rumored to exist. It is a secret the Maidens of the Sun keep, and not even I could pry it loose.” His voice took on a hint of genuine indignation, one hand forming a fist to thump his sunken chest. “And you know how skilled I am in the ways of women!”
Gazing at the wiry old fellow, I bit the inside of my cheek in an effort to stifle a laugh. “Aye, I do.”
He drew himself up with dignity. “Do you mock me?”
“No.” I shook my head. “No, my lord Eyahue. It is clear to me that your goddess Xochiquetzal has blessed you, and you take joy in it. I laugh because it is true, and because it is better to laugh than weep.”
He bared his mostly toothless gums in a rueful smile. “True words, lady.”
I sighed. “I do not know what to do, Eyahue.”
“And I do not know what to tell you.” He patted my arm. “Do not lose heart, child. You have come too far to fail. Surely the gods are not done with you yet.” He shifted back to speaking Quechua, wheedling once more. “So, lady? Do I have your forgiveness?”
“Aye,” I said. “You do. Now go.”
Bowing, he went.
“He is no good, that one!” Cusi said fiercely after Eyahue had departed. “He asks too many questions, questions he should not know to ask! You should not forgive him, lady. He is a danger to you.”
I had the sense of a chasm looming between us.
I had promised Cusi I would not lie to her, but I had. I had deceived her twice over, first with Temilotzin, now with Eyahue. More than once, I had plotted to her face, dissembling and relying on tongues she did not speak.
And yet she sought to protect me.
A promise was not the same thing as a binding oath. But it should be. There should be no difference between the two.
None.
My diadh-anam flared in agreement. In memory, I saw the look of profound acceptance and approval in the eyes of the Maghuin Dhonn Herself. It was time to cast caution to the winds and leap into the chasm.
“Eyahue does but seek to aid me,” I said simply. “Temilotzin, too. All else is pretense.”
Cusi drew a sharp breath, studying my face. “Truly?”
I nodded. “Truly. And now you hold their fate in your hands, Cusi. Lord Pachacuti will not harm me if you tell him. He needs me. But he will punish Eyahue and Temilotzin, mayhap put them to death. The choice is yours.”
Her expression turned to one of dismay. “I do not want it! It is too big for one such as me.”
“I know,” I murmured. “The gods use their chosen hard, Cusi, and it seems yours have chosen you for this burden. Whatever secret it is you keep, whatever the secret of the ancestors may be, you’ve guarded it well. You keep telling me it is not for you to say, that you are not old and wise enough. Are you sure