‘These gates opened four days since for Papantzin, my sister; how long, I wonder, will pass before they open for me?’
As he spoke, the white shape upon the grass which I had seen and he had not seen, stirred like an awakening sleeper. As the snow shape upon the mountain had stirred, so this shape stirred; as it had arisen, so this one arose; as it threw its arms upwards, so this one threw up her arms. Now Montezuma saw and stood still trembling, and I trembled also.
Then the woman–for it was a woman–advanced slowly towards us, and as she came we saw that she was draped in graveclothes. Presently she lifted her head and the moonlight fell full upon her face. Now Montezuma groaned aloud and I groaned, for we saw that the face was the thin pale face of the princess Papantzin–Papantzin who had lain four days in the grave. On she came toward us, gliding like one who walks in her sleep, till she stopped before the bush in the shadow of which we stood. Now Papantzin, or the ghost of Papantzin, looked at us with blind eyes, that is with eyes that were open and yet did not seem to see.
‘Are you there, Montezuma, my brother?’ she said in the voice of Papantzin; ‘surely I feel your presence though I cannot see you.’
Now Montezuma stepped from the shadow and stood face to face with the dead.
‘Who are you?’ he said, ‘who wear the shape of one dead and are dressed in the garments of the dead?’
‘I am Papantzin,’ she answered, ‘and I am risen out of death to bring you a message, Montezuma, my brother.’
‘What message do you bring me?’ he asked hoarsely.
‘I bring you a message of doom, my brother. Your empire shall fall and soon you shall be accompanied to death by tens of thousands of your people. For four days I have lived among the dead, and there I have seen your false gods which are devils. There also I have seen the priests that served them, and many of those who worshipped them plunged into torment unutterable. Because of the worship of these demon gods the people of Anahuac is destined to destruction.’
‘Have you no word of comfort for me, Papantzin, my sister?’ he asked.
‘None,’ she answered. ‘Perchance if you abandon the worship of the false gods you may save your soul; your life you cannot save, nor the lives of your people.’
Then she turned and passed away into the shadow of the trees; I heard her graveclothes sweep upon the grass.
Now a fury seized Montezuma and he raved aloud, saying:
‘Curses on you, Papantzin, my sister! Why then do you come back from the dead to bring me such evil tidings? Had you brought hope with you, had you shown a way of escape, then I would have welcomed you. May you go back into darkness and may the earth lie heavy on your heart for ever. As for my gods, my fathers worshipped them and I will worship them till the end; ay, if they desert me, at least I will never desert them. The gods are angry because the sacrifices are few upon their altars, henceforth they shall be doubled; ay, the priests of the gods shall themselves be sacrificed because they neglect their worship.’
Thus he raved on, after the fashion of a weak man maddened with terror, while his nobles and attendants who had followed him at a distance, clustered about him, fearful and wondering. At length there came an end, for tearing with his thin hands at his royal robes and at his hair and beard, Montezuma fell and writhed in a fit upon the ground.
Then they carried him into the palace and none saw him for three days and nights. But he made no idle threat as to the sacrifices, for from that night forward they were doubled throughout the land. Already the shadow of the Cross lay deep upon the altars of Anahuac, but still the smoke of their offerings went up to heaven and the cry of the captives rang round the teocallis. The hour of the demon gods was upon them indeed, but now they reaped their last red harvest, and it was rich.