“O Lord, shed not the Inca’s holy blood for me.  Let me be given up!  Let me be given up!”

Then some spirit entered into me and I spoke, saying: 

“Lady, half of your prayer I grant and half I deny.  I will not shed the Inca’s blood; as soon would I shed yours.  Nor will I suffer you to be given up who have done no wrong, since it was I who took you away by force, as Urco would have done.  Kari, hearken to me.  Not once only when we were in danger together in past days have you said to me that we must put our faith in the gods we worship, and thus we did.  Now again I hearken to that counsel of yours and put my faith in the God I worship.  You threaten to gather all the strength of your mighty empire, and because of what I hold to be your superstitions, to destroy the Chanca people to the last babe and to level their city to the last stone.  I do not believe that the God I worship will suffer this to come about, though how he will stay your vengeance I do not know.  Kari, great Inca of Tavantinsuyu, Lord of all this strange new world, I, the White Wanderer-from-the-Sea, give you your life and save you as once before I saved you in a far land, and with your life I give you my blessing in all matters but this one alone.  Kari, my brother, look your last on me and go in peace.”

The Inca heard, and raising his head, stared at me with his fine, melancholy eyes.  Then suddenly from those eyes there came a gush of tears.  More, he knelt before me and kissed the ground, as the humblest of his slaves might do before his own majesty.

“Most noble of men,” he said, lifting himself up again, “I worship you.  Yes, I, the Inca, worship you.  Would that I might take back my oath, but this I cannot do because my god hardens my heart and then would decree destruction on my people.  Mayhap he whom you serve will bring things to pass as you foretell, as it would seem he has brought it to pass that I should eat the dust before you.  I hope that it may be so who love not the sight of blood, but who like the shot arrow must yet follow my course, driven by the strength that loosed me.  Brother, honoured and beloved, fare you well!  May happiness be yours in life and death, and there in death may we meet again and once more be brothers where no women come to part us.”

Then Kari turned and went with bowed head, together with his nobles, who followed him as sadly as those who surround a corpse, but not until they had given to me that royal salute which is only rendered to the Inca in his glory.

CHAPTER XIII

THE KISS OF QUILLA

Her women bore Quilla swooning from that ill-fated field, and sick and sad she remained until once more we saw the City of the Chancas.  Yet all this while strength and sight were returning to her eyes, so that in the end she could see as well as ever she had done, for which I thanked Heaven.

Messengers had gone before us, so that when we drew near all the people of the Chancas came out to meet us, a mighty multitude, who spread flowers before us and sang songs of joy.  On the same evening I was summoned by Huaracha and found him dying.  There in the presence of his chief captains Quilla and I told him all our story, to which he listened, answering nothing.  When it was finished he said: