‘Apostate or no, I am sorry for him; this is bloody work.’
Then the door closed and I was in the place of torment.
The room was darkened, for a cloth had been hung in front of the window bars, but its gloom was relieved by certain fires that burned in braziers.
It was by the light of these fires chiefly that I saw the sight.
On the floor of the chamber were placed three solid chairs, one of them empty.
The other two were filled by none other than Guatemoc, Emperor of the Aztecs, and by his friend and mine the cacique of Tacuba.
They were bound in the chairs, the burning braziers were placed at their feet, behind them stood a clerk with paper and an inkhorn, and around them Indians were busy at some dreadful task, directed to it by two Spanish soldiers.
Near the third chair stood another Spaniard who as yet took no part in the play; it was de Garcia.
As I looked, an Indian lifted one of the braziers and seizing the naked foot of the Tacuban prince, thrust it down upon the glowing coals.
For a while there was silence, then the Tacuban broke into groans.
Guatemoc turned his head towards him and spoke, and as he spoke I saw that his foot also was resting in the flames of a brazier.
‘Why do you complain, friend,’ he said, in a steady voice, ‘when I keep silence?
Am I then taking my pleasure in a bed?
Follow me now as always, friend, and be silent beneath your sufferings.’
The clerk wrote down his words, for I heard the quill scratching on the paper, and as he wrote, Guatemoc turned his head and saw me.
His face was grey with pain, still he spoke as a hundred times I had heard him speak at council, slowly and clearly.
‘Alas! are you also here, my friend Teule?’ he said;
‘I hoped that they had spared you.
See how these Spaniards keep faith.
Malinche swore to treat me with all honour; behold how he honours me, with hot coals for my feet and pincers for my flesh.
They think that we have buried treasure, Teule, and would wring its secret from us.
You know that it is a lie.
If we had treasure would we not give it gladly to our conquerors, the god-born sons of Quetzal?
You know that there is nothing left except the ruins of our cities and the bones of our dead.’
Here he ceased suddenly, for the demon who tormented him struck him across the mouth saying, ‘Silence, dog.’
But I understood, and I swore in my heart that I would die ere I revealed my brother’s secret.
This was the last triumph that Guatemoc could win, to keep his gold from the grasp of the greedy Spaniard, and that victory at least he should not lose through me.
So I swore, and very soon my oath must be put to the test, for at a motion from de Garcia the Tlascalans seized me and bound me to the third chair.
Then he spoke into my ear in Castilian:
‘Strange are the ways of Providence, Cousin Wingfield.
You have hunted me across the world, and several times we have met, always to your sorrow.
I thought I had you in the slave ship, I thought that the sharks had you in the water, but somehow you escaped me whom you came to hunt. When I knew it I grieved, but now I grieve no more, for I see that you were reserved for this moment.
Cousin Wingfield, it shall go hard if you escape me this time, and yet I think that we shall spend some days together before we part.
Now I will be courteous with you.
You may have a choice of evils. How shall we begin?
The resources at my command are not all that we could wish, alas! the Holy Office is not yet here with its unholy armoury, but still I have done my best.
These fellows do not understand their art: hot coals are their only inspiration.
I, you see, have several,’ and he pointed to various instruments of torture.
‘Which will you select?’
I made no answer, for I had determined that I would speak no word and utter no cry, do what they might with me.
‘Let me think, let me think,’ went on de Garcia, smoothing his beard.
‘Ah, I have it.
Here, slaves.’
Now I will not renew my own agonies, or awake the horror of any who may chance to read what I have written by describing what befell me after this.
Suffice it to say that for two hours and more this devil, helped in his task by the Tlascalans, worked his wicked will upon me.
One by one torments were administered to me with a skill and ingenuity that cannot often have been surpassed, and when at times I fainted I was recovered by cold water being dashed upon me and spirits poured down my throat.
And yet, I say it with some pride, during those two dreadful hours I uttered no groan however great my sufferings, and spoke no word good or bad.
Nor was it only bodily pain that I must bear, for all this while my enemy mocked me with bitter words, which tormented my soul as his instruments and hot coals tormented my body.
At length he paused exhausted, and cursed me for an obstinate pig of an Englishman, and at that moment Cortes entered the shambles and with him Marina.
‘How goes it?’ he said lightly, though his face turned pale at the sight of horror.