The fields stretched ahead, black in the glow of the moonlight
He stopped at the edge of the nearest field and scanned the entire area. His breath came in short, agonized spurts as his eyes swiftly moved from field to field.
A tall figure was standing far across the field, looking over the land. The moonlight touched a reddish-gold beard and a strong nose.
It was Erik!
Neil tore across the field, leaping over the young plants. Erik’s name tore from his lips, and the Norseman looked up curiously.
Neil covered the distance rapidly and stood panting before the blond giant.
“Erik,” he gasped. “Hurry. Tela. Sacrifice. Hurry, please.”
Erik grinned and playfully mussed Neil’s hair.
“A little at a time, my friend. And slowly.”
Neil tugged on Erik’s arm. “Please, please! We’ve got to stop them.”
“Stop who? What’s happening?”
“A sacrifice. A blood sacrifice. We’ve got to hurry.”
Erik grinned, and a horrible dread ran through Neil’s body as the Norseman spoke. “What’s wrong with a blood sacrifice?” he asked.
Neil’s mouth fell open. “Wh… wh… what’s wrong? What’s wrong?” He gripped Erik’s arms, ready to carry the Norseman if he had to. “Don’t joke, Erik,” , he said in a dull voice. “Don’t joke.”
“You’re getting excited about nothing. In my land we often sacrifice animals. There is nothing wrong with…”
“This isn’t an animal,” Neil shouted, almost frantic now. “It’s a girl, Tela. They’re going to throw her into the well.”
Erik’s brows shot up. “What?”
“The girl, the girl,” Neil said. “Tela. Hurry, Erik, please.”
Erik tore off in the direction of the city, Neil following behind him. The big Norseman had long legs, but Neil kept up with him all the way. They didn’t say a word as they tore through the quiet, moon-splashed streets.
Erik stopped suddenly. “Where?”
“That way.” Neil’s voice was tense as he pointed.
They ran noisily down the street leading to The Sacred Cenote.
The Mayas were bowed in prayer, their backs rounded into little humps as Talu stood on the temple steps and spoke.
Neil and Erik drew up breathless, paralyzed for a moment by the solemn scene before them.
The platform had been replaced on the wooden logs, and Tela rested there, her eyes still closed, her hands folded on her chest. The cenote yawned darkly before the platform, and Tela’s head faced the watery chasm.
“… that you may know our thankfulness,” Talu was saying, “and that you may cause not our enemies to attack again, O gods…”
“We’re just in time,” Neil said in a whisper.
“… we offer a sacrifice. It is nothing, O gods, and worthless in your eyes, but we offer it in humbleness and sincerity, and…”
Erik’s voice sliced through the solemn air. “Stop!” he bellowed. He ran through the sea of bowed figures, followed by Neil, and leaped to the temple steps.
Talu turned inquisitive eyes toward his guests.
“You disturb the ceremony,” he said, faintly puzzled. “Why?”
“This is wrong,” Erik said.
Talu’s white brows lowered over his eyes. “What is wrong, my friend?”
“This girl. You must not offer her to your gods.”
“Why not?” There was a slight edge to Talu’s voice, and the Mayas around the cenote began to lift their heads and stare at the figures on the steps.
“The gods do not approve of murder.”
“This is not murder. The gods demand a blood sacrifice. We are giving them blood.”
“But you are killing the girl.”
“She will not die. We do not kill her.”
“But to give blood?” Erik said, his face puzzled.
Talu was becoming angry now. “The blood is warm. The girl goes into The Sacred Cenote alive. She does not die.”
“But it’s sixty feet down to the water,” Neil protested. “And the water is that deep too. You can’t expect her to survive that.”
Talu set his lips stubbornly. “She will not die,” he said. “The gods are waiting.”
“Let the gods wait,” Erik said, and an angry murmur went up from the Mayas.
Talu turned on Erik. “My friend, this is not your affair.”
“I want to know more,” Erik said.
“There is no time,” Talu answered.
“Your memory is short,” Neil said quickly. “I recall a snake poised to strike and…”
Talu sighed in resignation. “There is no need for an explanation,” he said. “What must be…” he paused and shrugged his shoulders, apparently remembering his debt to Erik. “Tela will be sacrificed to The Sacred Cenote,” he began.
“You mean she’ll be dropped into the well to die,” Neil interrupted.
“She will go into the well, but not to die.”
“Will she come back?” Erik asked.
“No. But she will live. When the waters are calmed again, we will fire the sacrificial platform. There will be another prayer, then. A prayer for the gods, and a prayer for Tela.”
“And you insist she will live?”
“Yes,” Talu said. He turned again to his people. “We will pray,” he said, “to the gods, in thankfulness.”
His voice began intoning the ritual, and the Mayas bowed low again. The well looked black and hungry. and a Maya with a torch stood behind the platform.
Erik hurriedly took Neil aside and whispered something into his ear. Neil nodded, his eyes brightening.
“Hurry!” Erik shouted, and Neil ran off as Talu’s voice went on and on. He darted down the steps and across the silent city again.
When he returned, it was to an angry mob that bellowed and stormed below the temple steps. Erik held Talu tightly in his arms, and his ax was drawn.
“Touch the girl,” he was bellowing, “and your priest follows her.”
Neil rushed up the temple steps, almost stumbling under his burden.
“Erik,” he shouted. “I’ve got them.”
He climbed the steps rapidly and dropped his load at Erik’s feet. Erik held Talu with a stout arm and reached down for the basket at his feet. It was full of ripe, red tomatoes, fat, red plums, flowers brilliant in various shades of red and pink. There were red beans, and red roots, and a variety of red leaves. The basket seemed to overflow with a sea of redness.
“You wanted blood,” Erik shrieked, his voice ringing out over the open well. “Here is your blood. Look at it! Blood red, and grown with your hands and the approval of your gods. This is the blood they want. Offer it to them.”
Talu struggled in Erik’s grip.
“The gods will refuse,” he said. “The gods will refuse this sham sacrifice.”
Below, the mumble of the crowd rose menacingly.
“Offer it and see,” Erik roared. “Your gods do not desire the fruit of your womanhood. They desire the fruit of your land. This is their sacrifice. This is all they demand of their faithful grandchildren.”
“No,” the crowd shouted. “No!”
And suddenly, Neil stepped before Erik and raised his voice over the shouts below him.
“Yes! Yes! Your gods only demand this. Throw it into The Sacred Cenote. Allow Talu to offer this basket to the gods. If they approve, the sacrificial platform will burst into flame. The gods will have given you a sign.”
“No!” the crowd shouted in return.
“Try it,” Neil roared over their voices. Quickly, he lifted Tela from the platform and stood before her. He gestured for Erik to release Talu.
Erik’s arm left the priest’s neck, and Talu stepped forward to lift the basket of bright red fruit and flowers, beans, roots, leaves.
A silence hung over the crowd, like the silence before a summer storm.
“You should not have promised that,” Erik whispered. “The platform cannot possibly…”