“Obey! Obey!” said the Council, for curiosity had got a hold of them, and they craned their necks forward to see what might happen.
“Obey!” repeated Tikal. “But beware how you shake the Heart, lest the legend prove true and we should perish in the doom of waters.”
Then Mattai set the two halves of the talisman in their place; and as before, in the midst of an utter silence, lo! the symbol opened like a flower. Leaning forward I saw the eye within its hollow; but it seemed to me that the fire had faded from the heart of the jewel, for now it gleamed coldly, like the eye of a man who is two hours dead. I think that Mattai noted this also, for as the symbol opened he started and his hand shook.
Now, when they saw the marvel, a gasp of wonder rose from the Council, then Tikal spoke, saying:
“It seems that there was wisdom in Zibalbay’s madness, for the Heart has opened indeed, and within it is a stone eye resting upon a plate of gold that is covered with writing.”
“Read the writing!” they cried.
Displacing the eye, Tikal lifted the plate of gold and scanned it.
“I cannot,” he said, shaking his head. “It is written in a character more ancient than any I have learned. Take it, Mattai, for you are instructed in such signs.”
Now Mattai took the tablet and studied it long with an anxious face, upon which at length light broke that changed anon to wonder, or rather blank amaze, so that I, watching him, began to think, not knowing all the cleverness of Mattai, that the señor was right, and the tablet had been tampered with since we saw it.
“Read! Read!” cried the Council.