First I was led into the sanctuary of Tezcat, the god whose
name I bore. Here was his statue or idol, fashioned in black marble and
covered with golden ornaments. In the hand of this idol was a shield of
burnished gold on which its jewelled eyes were fixed, reading there,
as his priests fabled, all that passed upon the earth he had created.
Before him also was a plate of gold, which with muttered invocations the
head priest cleansed as I watched, rubbing it with his long and matted
locks. This done he held it to my lips that I might breathe on it, and
I turned faint and sick, for I knew that it was being made ready to
receive the heart which I felt beating in my breast.
Now what further ceremonies were to be carried out in this unholy place
I do not know, for at that moment a great tumult arose in the square
beneath, and I was hurried from the sanctuary by the priests. Then I
perceived this: galled to madness by the storm of missiles rained upon
them from its crest, the Spaniards were attacking the teocalli. Already
they were pouring across the courtyard in large companies, led by
Cortes himself, and with them came many hundreds of their allies the
Tlascalans. On the other hand some thousands of the Aztecs were rushing
to the foot of the first stairway to give the white men battle there.
Five minutes passed and the fight grew fierce.
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