“Did you tell them about the modern inventions?”
“Anything said about radio?”
Mr. Hampton and Don Ernesto threw up their hands.
“One at a time, one at a time,” protested Mr. Hampton. “And, perhaps, you had better let us tell this in our own way. No, Jack, there was nothing about radio. Prince Huaca cautioned us not to speak of it. I don’t know—but I think he wants to hold that back for some purpose of his own. And I, for one, am perfectly willing to abet him. For, after what we learned today, it looks as if we would need a friend.”
“That is right,” agreed Don Ernesto.
“Why, Dad,” asked Jack, anxiously, “What do you mean?”
“Well, it looks as if there were two parties at court. In fact, really three.”
“What, Dad? What are they?”
“Well, first I must tell you we did not see the Inca, but only the Council. Two parties are for starting out of this isolation and conquering a lot of land, in order to make room for the growing population, which, despite all efforts of the State—such as keeping many young women from raising families by putting them in the Convent of the Vestal Virgins—is becoming a problem. One of these parties is blindly confident the world has not advanced and that the Inca’s armies can assert their power. The other recalls the history of the coming of the Spaniards to old Cusco, which caused their forefathers to flee thither, and believes it must arm itself with white man’s knowledge first. This we learned from Prince Huaca.”
“But what is the danger to us in that? We know how foolish either project would be?”