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for the man who so enraged him, the half-brother who stood with his
army between Orqo and the maskapaycha, the insignia of the Inka, Qosqo's
rightful ruler.
He could see figures on the bank high above, silhouetted against the
stone-gray sky, but he could not say which might be Kusi. Only one was
unmistakable, the tall form of Roqa, their older brother. He had slung the
stone that caught Orqo in the throat. Orqo raised and shook his mace. Let Roqa
see that. Let him tell
Kusi, Orqo is not defeated.
A handful of stones pelted the water between him and the watchers. He turned
and kicked, swimming hard, for his defiance would come to nothing if he
lingered, or let the river swallow him, or went ashore too soon.
For a time his anger powered his body, and he swam as if he raced the fish.
This is not right, he complained to himself as he churned through the water. J
am the chosen heir. My father, the eighth Inka, Wiraqocha, named me to follow
him. Why do the gods scorn the Inka's will and side with Kusi?
He paused once more to look back; he could no longer see the
river-bank at Yukay, where he had fallen, nor was anyone in sight. For
the moment, he could breathe. But how long would it take Kusi to
follow and find him? He gazed up at the green, implacable mountains, the
rocks that tumbled down their sides and spilled into the river. The gods
knew every crevice and current. Was any place safe?
Orqo's feet hit rock. He put out a hand and caught himself on the suddenly
shallow bottom, then stood.
He cupped one shaking hand around his mouth, and with the other held
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his mace aloft. Its star-shaped bronze head glistened. "Speak to me!" he
screamed to the mountains. "Tell me! What must I do?"
And he waited, breathless, in case the gods finally broke their silence. But
the stillness swelled and grew until he felt himself sinking in a bottomless
river of it.
Orqo's shoulders sagged. He pulled off his heavy, sodden tunic, which made it
hard to swim, then threw himself back into the freezing water wearing only his
loincloth.
So. He fought alone, or nearly so. Kusi had most of Qosqo on his
side, the generals, the pururawka-kuna
the warrior stones and the gods. He, Orqo, had only himself, his mother, and
an aged father whose grasp on power was slipping, and whose judgment had
already proved disastrous.
Father, Father, we should have stayed in Qosqo and fought the Chankas, Orqo
thought. We should have defended the city with Kusi. No matter how fierce
the enemy. Did you think the people would love us better for
deserting them to save ourselves? Did you truly believe they would accept your
peace treaty at the cost of their freedom?
No, Orqo mused bitterly, we should have fought. And if Kusi had
died heroically in battle, of course then there would have been no question
about who would succeed Inka Wiraqocha as ruler of
Qosqo.
Damn you, Kusi! Orqo thought again. And then, Damn you, too, Father. Damn you,
damn you.
The news from Qosqo had reached the fortress of Hakihawana in the morning,
suddenly.
"Kusi is coming! With his army!" The messenger skidded into the Inka
Wiraqocha's private courtyard, pulled off his sandals, and bowed hastily.
Orqo dropped his half-eaten maize cake and looked sharply at the intruder.
His mother, Qori Chullpa, who leaned against her son's back as she ate,
stiffened but said nothing. Orqo glanced from the panting messenger to
his father, and finally to Waman Waraka, the Chanka envoy who shared their
morning meal.
The envoy slowly set his plate on the blanket that was spread over the ground.
The evening before, he and
Wiraqocha had concluded a peace treaty between the Inka people and the
Chankas, providing, of course, for a great deal of tribute to go to
the Chankas. But, Orqo thought, if Kusi had accomplished the
unthinkable, and successfully driven the Chankas from Qosqo
A contingent of guards dashed in, grabbed for the messenger, and shrugged in
apology, but Wiraqocha stilled them with a gesture. The man bowed again, but
his eyes were still wide with the enormity of his news. "The Chankas
are defeated," he gasped. "A great victory. Qosqo is saved. Even the stones "
He stopped and looked at Waman Waraka. The Chanka man's face had paled, but he
stood up quietly.
"I think this message is not for my ears. I will return to my apartments." His
mantle flapped as he left the courtyard.
Orqo unfolded his legs and rose slowly. "The stones what?
Go on."
Wiraqocha touched Orqo's foot and whispered to him to sit down, but Orqo
straightened and folded his arms. The messenger threw himself to the ground.
"The stones themselves. The
¦pururawha-huna.
Kusi commanded them. They became warriors, fierce warriors, men and
women, and they fell upon the
Chankas like wild animals. I saw them, lords."
A dusty silence settled. Orqo felt the guards staring at him. He leveled his
gaze at the nearest one until the man looked away.
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"So Kusi marches from Qosqo?" Wiraqocha's voice was quiet, dangerously quiet.
"Yes, my lord."
"How far is he from here?"
"Half a day's march from Hakihawana, lord."
"Then we must prepare for his arrival." Wiraqocha held out a hand to Qori
Chullpa, who helped him to his feet. He moved stiffly, but his back
remained straight and proud, Orqo noted. When Kusi arrived, Wiraqocha
would remind him who was Inka, still. And who was to become Inka.
"How fares Mama Runtu?" Qori Chullpa asked. "I know she stayed in Qosqo, at
her son's side." Orqo looked at her. Why would she ask about Wiraqocha's
official wife?
"The Qoya is well, and still at her home in Qosqo."
"Well, it is good news, is it not? Qosqo remains in our hands, and the Qoya is
unharmed." Qori Chullpa's smile rebuked Wiraqocha and Orqo for not pretending,
at least, to be glad for the victory. Orqo flushed.
His mother poured a cup of aqha and handed it to the messenger, who gulped the
fermented maize drink greedily. Then she gathered up the breakfast things. "I
will see to the preparations for the feast," she said, and she disappeared
into the shadows.
Orqo waited for his father to say something, but Wiraqocha just stared
into the sky over the fortress walls. The guards shifted nervously.
Finally the Inka gave them his attention. "You may go," he said. "Find this
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