Part 17 (1/2)
Chapter 9: Life In A Palace.
”Now,” the young king exclaimed joyously, as soon as the party he had invited had a.s.sembled, and the silk hangings at the entrance of the door had been closed: ”Now we can talk at our ease. In the first place, what can I call you?”
”My name is Roger Hawkshaw, your Majesty.”
The king repeated the name.
”It is two words,” Roger said. ”With us, people have two names--the one which is common to all the family, the other which is given particularly to each person. The name of my family is Hawkshaw, my own name is Roger. Your Majesty can call me by either one, or by both.”
Long names were common in Mexico, and Roger Hawkshaw seemed by no means long to the king.
”Roger Hawkshaw shall be your name in public,” he said. ”It has a strange grand sound, and will impress the people; but I will call you Roger. This is my queen and first wife, Maclutha. This is my sister, Amenche. These are two of my oldest and ablest counselors--both are great n.o.bles, and have led the armies of my father to victory. These four young men are, as you see, my friends--they are the sons of four of my chief n.o.bles, and have been brought up with me since we were children. Now, tell us more about yourself and your people.”
The whole party took their seats upon the couches, half sitting, half reclining. Attendants brought in cocoa of many different flavors, confections, and tobacco. Roger took the cocoa, but refused the tobacco.
”We do not know this herb in our country,” he said.
”That is a grave misfortune for you,” the king remarked. ”It is known and used by all peoples that we know of, here. It was used by the people we found here, when we came from the far north, and all the tribes there used it also.
”First, tell me what induced you to make this long journey across the sea.”
Roger had been expecting this question, and as he had already determined that he would, in all matters, adhere to the truth, he did not hesitate in his reply.
”Your Majesty will understand that all the white peoples who dwell on the borders of the sea journey much in s.h.i.+ps, which is the name we give to the floating castles. We do trade with many peoples. For example there is, far to the south of us, a great land wholly inhabited by people who are quite black.”
A general exclamation of astonishment broke from the party.
”They must be frightful!” the young queen exclaimed.
”They are very ugly,” Roger said, ”with very wide mouths and very thick lips, and flat noses; and instead of having long soft hair, they have only a short, curly sort of black wool on the top of their heads.”
”Have you seen them yourself?” asked Cacama, rather gravely.
”I have seen some of them, Sire,” Roger replied. ”I was in a s.h.i.+p that was attacked by others, manned by a people who live on the northern coast of this land, and who are themselves not black but yellow; and they had with them several of these people of whom I speak, who were frightful in their ugliness; but who, to do them justice, fought bravely, though we managed at last to beat them off.
”I pray your Majesty not to doubt any facts that I may tell you, for in my country it is considered disgraceful to lie; and however extraordinary some of the things I may say may appear to you, I can a.s.sure you that they will all be absolutely true. They may seem to you hard to believe, but you must remember that things which are strange to us always seem wonderful. My own countrymen, for example, would find it hard to believe that there could be a people who took delight in drawing in the smoke of a burning vegetable, and puffing it out again.”
”I will not doubt what you say, in future,” Cacama said. ”Now, continue what you were telling us.”
”The white people are divided into nations, as are your people on this side of the water. Some, however, are much more powerful than others. While in times of peace all the ports of different countries are open to the s.h.i.+ps of the others, there are two countries that claim the right over great seas, although as yet untraveled and unknown.”
”But how can they claim such a right as that?” one of the two chief counselors asked.
”Partly by the right that they have been the first to try to make discoveries in those seas; secondly because one of these countries is the strongest, at the present time; and thirdly, because they have been confirmed in their claim by the pope, who is the chief priest of the religion that is held in common among all white people. To the Spaniards was a.s.signed that vast s.p.a.ce of water lying towards the setting sun.”
”You do not belong to that nation?”
”No. My country is called England. It is a great island divided into two kingdoms, of which ours is the larger.”
”Are your people great fighters?”