The padre directed his conversation to Ka-yemo, while the secretary set down the claiming of Yahn as the first official act in council of His Excellency Don Ruy de Sandoval.
At the scratching of the quill, his excellency looked over the shoulder of the lad, and read the words, and smiled with his eyes, while his lips muttered dire threats––even to discharging him from office if the records were kept in a manner detrimental.
“Detrimental to whom, my lord?” asked the lad, who saw well the restrained smile. “Your ‘Doña Bradamante’ of the scarf is not to set eyes on these serious pages,––and the Don Diego will certainly exact that I keep record of how near our company falls in the wake of the Capitan Coronado’s––their troubles began about a wife––thus it is well to keep count of fair favorites––and this one who tells you plainly she is no wife, looks promising. Helena of Trois might have had no more charms to her discredit!”
Don Ruy said no more, for he saw that Yahn was straining her ears to catch at their meaning, and they were all losing the words of council. It appeared plain that all the chief men were quite willing that the Po-Ahtun-ho should meet the men of iron as was the padre’s wish––but that no one could command it.
“Through what power is one man more supreme than others?––Yet you say you have no king!”
“No––no king. The Governor is made so each year by the men in council––only one year––then another man––the Governor gets no corn in trade for his time,––and no other thing, but honor, if he is good! Tahn-té has talked to us in council of 149 kings,––thus we know what a king does. We have no king.”
“But while a man is the governor does he not rule all the people?”
“No––it is not so. He works for the people. He has a right hand man, and a left hand man to talk with of all things. But when it is a big thing of trouble or of need, at that time the council is called, and each man speaks, and in the end each man put a black bean or a white bean in a jar to say for him ‘yes’ or to say for him ‘no.’ That is how the law is made in all the villages of the P[=o]-s[=o]n-gé valley. There is no king!”
“We are of a surety in a new world if rulers work only for honor––and get not any of that unless they are good!” decided Don Ruy. “Make record of that novelty, Chico––our worthy Maestro Diego will find no equal of that rule in all Europe!”
“It is well for civilization that it is so!” decided Juan Gonzalvo. “Who is to advance the arts and knightly orders except there be Courts of Pontiff and of Royalty?”