(A hall in the temple of the war-god Haitlipochtli. In the background the great sacrificial block, altars, images of the god. On cushions laid on the stone floor sit the high priest, the first and second priests of the sacrifice, Qualpopoca, Guatemotzin and Cacamatzin, a scholar, and some men of rank. They are ranged in a circle. Night. The hall is lit by torches.)
H. Priest. Since so many friends have pleaded,
I have let myself be present
Here, to weigh in quietness
What our fatherland requires,
With the first heir of our throne,
And the brother of our king,
And chief princes of the land.
Therefore speak, Prince Qualpopoca.
Qual. Holy father, if I bade you
To take part in this our council
'Twas because I was myself
Without light and without leading.
So that I sit here far less
To give counsel than to hear it;
And I beg you, you the wisest
Of our people, to instruct me.
Did I do a wrong when I
Set myself against the strangers
Who are now guests of our king,
Counsellors and friends and brothers?
Did I wrong when I delivered
One of them to die on the block?
Am I wrong now, if I hate them,
Turn away from them, despise them,
To the last hour of my life?
H. Priest. (After a somewhat long silence.) Willingly I'd ratify
What you've done, which at its source
Was most noble, with a plain "No."
But the time gives deeper questions,
And we've still to seek an answer.
Cac. All this seems to be condensed,
To my mind, in one clear question:
Who and what are these strange men?
Are they gods or are they not?
But you're silent. Do you doubt?
H. Priest. Yea, we are doubtful: it is true!
Qual. Holy father, thy opinion
Has most marvellously altered!
Thy assembled priests in Nautla,
Where we sacrificed the stranger
Lately, acted on thy word.
H. Priest. Wrong, prince: Nautla lies too far. I first knew it after the deed.
But this much I acknowledge freely:
Never trusted I the coming
Of real children of the sun.
Qual. Yea, but now that thou hast seen them, Thou believ'st.
H. Priest. No, but I question I
Question, yea, I say't again,
And in that I say not little!
As for the high priests in the holy
Sun-god's temple in Cholula,
As you know, these doubt no more.
(He makes a sign, and the First Sacrificial Priest
begins.)
1st S. Priest. There's but one true god; in heaven
And on earth there is but one.
Quetzalcoatl in Cholula
Is but part of Huitlipochtli,
But a part of the all creator
Whom we serve, we who are here.
Therefore spreads and shines our knowledge
Wider, deeper in the godhead
Than that of Cholula's priests.
None the less our God is God.
And the part is like the whole.
Therefore we are not the foes
Of the priests of Quetzalcoatl:
But--their mind's thought must be tested.
Qual. Test it then to the foundation:
For the lie they fatten up--
This will cost our fatherland
Nothing less than ruin, downfall.
1st S. Priest. O we know well that a youthful
Sun-priest in the capital
Has the car of our great ruler!
Still, he showed the king, 'tis said,
The true head of Tonatiuh
In the temple of his god.
Qual. 'Twas not Tonatiuh. 'Twas nothing
But a mortal's severed head.
Sons of the sun I do not slay.
1st S. Priest. All these things must be made plain.
He must meet his punishment,
This young priest, if he has sinned
'Gainst the everlasting truth.
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