Now many voices called upon Maya, and she stood forward and spoke, with downcast eyes.
“What shall I say?” she began, “except one thing, that my will is the will of the gods, and if it is fated that I should be given to the white man in marriage, why, so let it be. For many years I was taught to look elsewhere, but he who was to have been my husband—” and she pointed towards Tikal—“chose himself another wife, and now I see that he did this not altogether of his own will, but because it was so decreed. One thing more. I, who am but a woman, have no desire to rule or to take the place that the Lady Nahua holds. The writing says that in a day to come, a far-off day, some child of mine, if indeed I am that ‘daughter of a chief whose name is the name of a nation,’ shall rule in truth. Let him then come in his hour and take the glories that await him, and meanwhile, Tikal, do you sit in your place and leave me to rest in peace.”
“The Lady Maya speaks you fair, Tikal, and my daughter,” said Mattai, “and if the people will have it, you may do well to accept her offer, leaving the future to shape itself. She says she is ready to take the white man as a husband, but we have not yet heard whether the white man will take her as a wife. It may be—” he added with a smile—“that he will rather choose to die; but at the least we must have an answer from his lips,—that is, if you accept this prophecy as sent from heaven. Say, do you accept it?”
“We accept it,” answered the Council almost with one voice.
“Then let the white man, Son of the Sea, be brought before us,” said Mattai.
CHAPTER XXI.
THE MARRIAGE OF MAYA
Presently the door opened and the señor was led into the Sanctuary, as he thought to his death, for I saw that his teeth were set and that his hand was clenched as though to defend himself. But as he came the most of the Council rose and bowed to him, crying:
“Hail to you! Son of the Sea, Favoured of Heaven, Father fore-ordained of the Deliverer to come!”
Then he knew that the plot had succeeded, and he uttered a great sigh of relief.
“Hearken, white lord,” said Mattai, for Tikal sat still and scowled on him in silence; “the gods have spoken by their oracle. As Zibalbay thought, so it is, and your feet have been led for a purpose to the gates of the City of the Heart. Listen to the words of the gods,”—and, taking the tablet, he read to him the false prophecy. “Now choose, White Man. Will you take the Lady Maya to wife, or will you be put to death in that, having wandered to the City of the Heart, you refuse to obey the command of its gods?”