Before me went heralds and priests,
after me followed pages and nobles, and ever as we passed the multitudes
prostrated themselves till I began to understand how wearisome a thing
it is to be a god. Next they carried me through the wall of serpents and
up the winding paths of the mighty teocalli till we reached the summit,
where the temples and idols stood, and here a great drum beat, and the
priests sacrificed victim after victim in my honour and I grew sick with
the sight of wickedness and blood. Presently they invited me to descend
from the litter, laying rich carpets and flowers for my feet to tread
on, and I was much afraid, for I thought that they were about to
sacrifice me to myself or some other divinity. But this was not so.
They led me to the edge of the pyramid, or as near as I would go, for
I shrank back lest they should seize me suddenly and cast me over the
edge. And there the high priest called out my dignity to the thousands
who were assembled beneath, and every one of them bent the knee in
adoration of me, the priests above and the multitudes below. And so it
went on till I grew dizzy with the worship, and the shouting, and the
sounds of music, and the sights of death, and very thankful was I, when
at last they carried me back to Chapoltepec.
Here new honours awaited me, for I was conducted to a splendid range of
apartments, next to those of the emperor himself, and I was told that
all Montezuma's household were at my command and that he who refused to
do my bidding should die.
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