Then sobbing and muttering she threw her arms about him and kissed him.  Nor did he shame to kiss her in return, there before them all.

“Restore his garments to the royal Prince,” said Upanqui, “and bring hither the Fringe that is worn by the Inca’s heir.”

It was produced without delay by the high-priest Larico, which told me at once that all this scene had been prepared.  Upanqui took it from Larico, and beckoning Kari to him, with the priest’s help bound it about his brow, thereby acknowledging him and restoring him as heir-apparent to the Empire.  Then he kissed him on the brow and Kari knelt down and did his father homage.

After this they went away together accompanied only by Larico and two or three of the councillors of Inca blood and as I learned from Larico afterwards, told each other their tales and made plans to outwit, and if need were to destroy, Urco and his faction.

On the following day Kari was established in a house of his own that was more of a fortress than a palace, for it was built of great stones with narrow gates, and surrounded by an open space.  Upon this space, as a guard, were encamped all those who had deserted to him in the battle of the Field of Blood, who had returned to Cuzco from the camp of Huaracha now that Kari was accepted as the royal heir.  Also other troops who were loyal to the Inca were stationed near by, while those who clung to Urco departed secretly to that town where he lay sick.  Moreover, proclamation was made that on the day of the new moon, which the magicians declared to be auspicious, Kari would be publicly presented to the people in the Temple of the Sun as the Inca’s lawful heir, in place of Urco disinherited for crimes that he had committed against the Sun, the Empire, and the Inca his father.

“Brother,” said Kari to me, for so he called me now that he was an acknowledged Prince, when I went to meet him in his grandeur, “Brother, did I not tell you always that we must trust to our gods?  See, I have not trusted in vain though it is true that dangers still lie ahead of me, and perhaps civil war.”

“Yes,” I answered, “your gods are in the way of giving you all you want, but it is not so with mine and me.”

“What then do you desire, Brother, who can have even to the half of the kingdom?”

“Kari,” I replied, “I cry not for the Earth, but for the Moon.”

He understood, and his face grew stern.

“Brother, the Moon alone is beyond you, for she inhabits the sky while you still dwell upon the earth,” he answered with a frown, and then began to talk of the peace with Huaracha.

CHAPTER X

THE GREAT HORROR

The day of the new moon came and with it the great horror that caused all the Empire of Tavantinsuyu to tremble, fearing lest Heaven should be avenged upon it.

Since Upanqui had found his elder son again he began to dote upon him, as in such a case the old and weak-minded often do, and would walk about the gardens and palaces with his arm around his neck babbling to him of whatever was uppermost in his mind.  Moreover, his soul was oppressed because he had done Kari wrong in the past, and preferred Urco to him under the urging of that prince’s mother.