“It is false,” cried many voices. “Such sacrilege is not possible.”
“It is not false,” answered Nahua, “and I will prove to you that the sacrilege was possible. The Heart was opened, and the false prophecy forged by my father was placed within it, where it was found by you on the night of the festival of the Rising of Waters, this day a year ago. But when the holy Heart was opened, behold! it was not empty, for in it lay another prophecy,—a true prophecy,—which was removed from it, that the lie which has deceived you might be set in its place.”
“Where, then, is that writing?” asked Dimas.
“Here,” she answered, drawing the tablet from her breast. “Listen——” and she read:
“The Eye that has slept and is awakened sees the heart and purpose of the wicked. I say that in the hour of the desolation of my city not all the waters of the Holy Lake shall wash away their sin.”
“Take it, lords, and see for yourselves,” she continued, laying the tablet on the altar. “Now, listen again, and learn how it chanced that this relic came into my keeping. After he had wrought this great sin, the curse of the Nameless god fell upon my father, and, as you know, he was smitten with a sore disease. Then it came about that, when he lay dying, remorse took him, and he wrote a certain paper which he caused to be witnessed and given to me, together with this tablet. In my hand I hold that paper, lords; hear it and judge for yourselves whether I have spoken truth or falsehood,”—and she read aloud the confession of Mattai, that set out every detail of our plot and the manner of its execution.
“Now, lords,” she added, when the reading was finished and the signatures had been examined, “you will understand how it happened that in my rage at this tidings I strove to kill yonder infant, who has been palmed off upon you as the seed of the god, and I leave it to you to deal with those who planned the fraud.”
CHAPTER XXV.
FAREWELL
Nahua ceased and sat down, and so great was the astonishment—or rather the awe—of the Council at the tale that she had told, that for a while none of them spoke. At length Dimas rose, and said:
“Maya, Lady of the Heart, and you strangers, you have heard the awful charge that is brought against you. What do you say in answer to it?”