Evidently Stanley was thinking fast, while Ted, dazed at his companion’s rash predictions, gazed at him wide-eyed, not knowing what to make of the situation.
“And then,” Stanley continued, pointing straight at the Inca, “while the darkness is heaviest, you shall have proof of other strange powers of which you know nothing, for in spite of your good opinion of yourself, you have the mind of a child. From out of the blackness will come a roar mightier than the loudest thunder, and more penetrating than the rumble of the volcanoes all around you. The ground under your feet will tremble, and even the stones in the great wall will hurl themselves into the air and fall with a crash. The barrier between Uti and the valley that has stood for hundreds of years shall no longer exist; and that will serve as an invitation to the evil spirits who slumber there to come back to life to complete the work of destruction. Quizquiz, the days of your glory are no more than the number of fingers on one of your hands.”
“I will listen to no more,” Quizquiz screamed, clapping his hands over his ears. “I should not have listened to anything at all.”
“Nor I,” wailed Villac Umu. “Take them away. To-morrow we start on the journey. The sentence must be carried out. Let there be no delay!”
“Poor Stanley,” Ted thought sadly as the guards seized them and hurried them away to the place of confinement, “his mind has snapped. He is as crazy as a loon. I wonder how much longer I can stand it.”
CHAPTER XIII
STANLEY’S PLAN
Stanley could hardly await the time when he could reveal his scheme to Ted. The opportunity came as they were being led away from the meeting by the guards.
“What do you think of it? Maybe I didn’t start something. They are all excited and scared to death, and will be more so, too, before the thing is over. Why don’t you say something? I need a lot of encouragement to put the thing through. You will have to help me,” he exclaimed enthusiastically.
“I am sorry,” Ted returned sadly. “Try to keep as calm as you can and do not think of the future. It will be over soon.”
“Not think of it? Why, I can think of nothing else. It will be great. Quizquiz will get the surprise of his life, and his people will wake up with a start. There will be no stopping them when they see what happens.”