Disclaimer—I do not own Pastwatch The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus.
A/N
Sorry about this but I sorta had to split the first chapter into 2 parts. I felt that it was too long to be in one chapter so I had to put it into 2 parts so yeah. Sorry about that. I doubt that I will do this again. Also this part may also sound like the book also. But like I said before it is hard to write some of the story without using some of the things in the book. But I am truly sorry that I had to split it up into 2 parts. I hope that you like the story so far.
Chapter One Part 2: The Telling of Information
Hunahpu walked threw the streets of Juba as if the naked children running around and playing was the most natural thing in the world. He did not ask why they were not wearing shoes when they were playing. Diko never had a visitor that did not ask any question about the village and did not comment on anything. They barely talked the whole way to the station.
When they reached the station Hunahpu immediately sat down and began to call up files to the terminal. He did not ask if he could use it or if he was even allowed to use it. But of course he could use it with out asking. Wasn't that what he was here to do? To tell her about what he found out about the ancestors?
As he was bringing up the files Diko wondered "Could this very calmness and stillness mean that he is terrified out of his mind? Well maybe if he was not scared he would be more tense and making jokes and laughing."
"Tell me what do you already know?" Hunahpu asked turning around to look at Diko, "I don't want to go over things that you already know and waste time."
"I know that the Mexica reached their imperial peak with the conquest of Ahuitozotl. He proved the practical limits of the Mesoamerican empire. The lands he conquered were so far away that Moctezuma II had to recounquer them, and they still would not stay conquered!" Answered Diko.
"And do you know why those are the limits of the Empire?" Hunahpu asking another question to see how much Diko knew about what he researched his whole life.
"Transportation" Diko said, "It was too far, and too hard to supply an army. The greatest feat of the Aztec arms was making the connection with Soconusco, far down the Pacific Ocean. But that only worked because they didn't take sacrifice victims from Soconusco, they traded with them. It was more of an alliance than a conquest"
"Those were the limits in the space," said Hunahpu, "What about the social and economic limits?"
Diko felt as if she was being examined. But he was right—if he tested her he would know how deeply he could delve into the materials that mattered, the new findings that he thought were going to answer the great questions on why the interveners had given Columbus his important mission to sail west.
"Economically the Mexica cult of sacrifice was counterproductive. As they kept conquering new lands they were able to take enough of the captives from the warfare from near by lands that they were able to maintain enough of a work force so they could have food. But as soon as they were coming back from war with 20 to 30 captives instead of 3,000 captives they were in a bit of a dilemma. And if they started taking sacrifices from lands that they have already controlled they would have a lower food income, which would be bad. But if they left the men on the land they would have to cut down on the sacrifices that they make. Which would mean that they would have less power, and they would have less favor from the state god—what was his name again?" Diko eventually asking a question.
"Huitzilopochtli." Hunahpu answering Diko as if she should know this.
"Anyway, they choose to increase their sacrifices to show their faith. And production fell and people became hungry. And the people that they ruled began to get more and more upset by the taking of the sacrifices, even though they all were believing in the sacrificial religion, because in the old days before the Mexica with their cult Witsil… Huitzil—" Diko forgetting what that god's name was. Even though to Hunahpu it came so easily.
"Huitzilopochtli" Hunahpu said to help Diko out. Who seemed to him was having a hard time pronouncing that god's name and remembering what it was.
"There'd be only a few sacrifices at a time, comparatively speaking. Usually after a ceremonial war, or even after star war. And after the ball games. The Mexica were new, with their profligate sacrifice. The people hated it. Their families were being torn apart, and because the sacrifices where happening so often and so many people were being sacrificed it was not a sacred honor any more."
"And within the Mexica culture?"
"The state thrived because it proved social mobility. You rose if you distinguished yourself in war. The merchant classes could buy their way into nobility. You could rise. But that all ended after Ahuitzotl, when Moctezume nearly ended all possibility of buying your way from class to class. When failure in war after war meant that there was little chance of rising through great courage and facing danger in battle. Mocezume was holding a pattern, and that was causing great damage, sine the entire Mexica social and economy structure depended on expansion and social mobility."
Listening to what Diko said Hunahpu nodded his head slowly as if thinking of what she said.
"So," said Diko as if she was trying to get on a better note with Hunahpu because she was not sure what was going threw his head. "Where do you disagree with what I said"?
"I don't disagree with any of it." He answered
"But the conclusion comes of this is that, even without the Cortes, the Aztec empire would have collapsed in years."
"Actually within months." Hunahpu corrected saying more. (I the author am to lazy to say what he said and if you read the book you know what else he said so on with the story^_^)
"Yes… I know, I read your paper."
The conversation went on like this for a while longer and than Hunahpu finally started going into what he really wanted to talk about. When he was telling what he found out to Diko more and more people came over to listen to what he was saying. They seemed to be really interested. Also as he was talking he began to be animated and confident. About 30 minutes after he started his whole thing about what he found out Diko said, "Alright let me tell Mother and Father."
"But I am not done yet" Hunahpu objected.
"I was only looking threw your presentation to see if you were worth spending time on. And you are. There is defiantly more to these places than people thought."
All of the sudden Hunahpu's animated and confident disappeared, and he became calm like he was before. Diko thought: he must be afraid again.
Diko trying to sooth Hunahpu said, "Don't worry they will be just as enthused as I am."
Hunahpu nodded, "When will they hear what I have to say"
"Tomorrow. You should go to your room and sleep. The hotel restront will feed you, but they might not have that of the Mexican food so I hope standard intentional cuisine will be fine. Now everyone you can come to it so go back to what you were doing before."
"Wait a second! This makes no sense why don't you want to see this before your parents. Most people would want to see something before the people above them do." Hunahpu said very confused.
Diko shrugged and said, "Well the everyone is treated as equals here."
A/N
Zimmy1300—sorry that the ending is sorta bad. I was finishing this up during lunch and I wanted to finish it because it was taking me such a long time to finish this. I finished the book. And that was after I finished the second chapter but I might change some things in it so yeah.