Inca Elegy (Novel) "The Fall of the Inca Empire" (Volume 2) by Zhang Baotong
At three or four o'clock in the night, downtown Lima is still dark. A carriage stopped in front of the courtyard of the Alcantara residence. The servant driving the carriage from the Marquis Pizarro's family got out of the carriage and knocked on the door. Soon, the door opened, and Alcantara came out of the yard carrying a large backpack and got into the car. The car drove quickly along the eastbound street towards the port.
Alcantara sat in the car and saw two people already sitting in the car. He knew that these were the two assistants selected for him by Marquis Pizarro. Because it was dark in the car, he could not see clearly, so the three of them did not speak to each other.
The carriage drove on the road for more than an hour and arrived at the northern corner of the port. There are dozens of sailboats of various sizes parked here. These ships belong to the government and the army. No one can use these ships without the permission of the Marquis of Pizarro, the chief executive of the Lima government and the commander of the army.
They boarded a small sailboat more than 20 meters long, and four strong Indian boatmen were already employed on the boat. Entering the cabin, the lights were on, and you could see several large packages of corn tortillas and vicuña jerky, as well as two large cans of Chicha wine and two packages of gold and gold coins. Alcantara threw his backpack into the cabin, got out of the cabin, stood at the bow, waved to the servant driving the carriage standing on the shore, and said, "Okay, let's go. "
The servant waved back to him and said, "Have a nice trip."
Watching the servant drive the carriage away, Alcantara said to the four Indian boatmen sitting at the bow and stern of the boat, "Set the boat." Immediately, the boat set sail and began to sail northward with the wind.
Alcantara is 65 years old this year, only a few months older than his cousin Pizarro. Originally, he was just a farmer in the Spanish countryside. Because he was a little educated, he liked to walk around the streets and find idle people to drink and chat without doing his job, so people regarded him as an idler. He came to find Pizarro since he had made a fortune conquering the Inca Empire. Pizarro thought that he was old, smart, and good at flattering, so he didn't arrange any position for him, so he stayed by his side as a cousin and friend, and usually gambled and drank with him. He knew that Pizarro would not have arranged for him to do it if it had not been for such an extremely important and confidential matter. Therefore, he was determined to do something good and show his abilities to his cousin in order to repay his kindness to him.
Although this Alcantara has never experienced the adventure of fighting and killing, he has heard and knows a lot of history and legends, and he can also tell many stories eloquently. Therefore, he was confident that he could complete the task well relying on the stories he heard and knew.
It didn't take long for the sky to get bright and the sun to rise. It shone on the ocean surface, flashing golden waves. Because the sailboat goes downwind, the Indian boatman does not need to expend any effort. All he needs is one person sitting outside the cabin to look at the direction and hold the rudder. The other three entered the cabin and watched Alcantara and the other three gambling.
The cabin is covered with canvas and has about ten square meters of space. There was a thick layer of firewood inside, and several animal skins spread on the firewood. Three Spaniards disguised as Indians sat cross-legged on the hides and gambled with ivory dice. This is a favorite game among Spanish people. However, the bet they played was only one gold peso per game. At first, Alcantara asked for two or three gold pesos in a game, because he usually gambled with the Marquis and others for at least ten or twenty gold pesos. Sometimes, even fifty or a hundred gold pesos would be paid. It can be said that you can sometimes win thousands of gold pesos if you win one, and you can buy as big a mansion as you want in Spain.
However, the two soldiers did not have that much money and asked for half a gold peso per game. Finally, they settled on a gold peso for each round. Even a gold peso was not small for these two soldiers. Because their reward for performing this mission is one thousand gold pesos each, which is the highest reward among all previous missions. However, they must complete the task smoothly. If they cannot complete the task, let alone rewards, I am afraid they will be held accountable and severely punished.
Although Alcantara felt that such a small fight was boring and not exciting enough, in order to kill time, he started playing with the two soldiers. At noon, the three of them felt a little tired, so they stopped gambling, took out some llama meat jerky and Chicha wine from their cloth bags, and ate and drank. They brought these llama meat jerky and Qiqia wine from the military camp warehouse as dry food and drinks during their trip.
The Indian boatmen took out some tortillas and a kettle and started eating lunch. Originally, these Inca people only had two meals a day, at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. However, because they often spend time with the Spaniards, some of their living habits are already approaching those of the Spaniards.
After eating, the Spaniards lay down in the cabin to sleep. The Indian boatman was dozing off against the side of the cabin. Although the sun is very bright and hot, the sea breeze keeps blowing, which makes people feel very cool.
They worked hard, braved the wind and waves, and arrived at the port of Trujillo in only three days. The port of Trujillo is the earliest colonial settlement established by the Spanish and is located in a canyon area on the coast. There is a small stream-like river in the canyon, rushing from the mountains to the north and flowing into the ocean. There is a large open meadow in the canyon where many llamas and alpacas graze. However, these vicuñas and sheep rudders did not belong to the Indians, but to the Spanish in the colonial stronghold.
There is a large village on the edge of the valley, all of which are covered with Spanish-style bungalows or European-style houses. There is a straight street in the middle of the village. There are more than ten beautiful hotels on the street, which provide food and accommodation for Spaniards who come from far away.
Alcantara placed the four Indian boatmen on the shore of the port and asked them to stay on the boat and be on standby without contact with anyone. Then, he led his two accomplices towards the street. He was still familiar with this place because he had been here half a year ago. In order not to attract attention, Alcantara took the two people to a small hotel called "Happy House" at the head of the village.
When the hotel owner saw that they were Indians, he arranged the cheapest and lowest-end rooms for them. However, Alcantara told the shopkeeper in pure Spanish, "We want the best room." As he said this, he dropped three gold pesos on the counter.
Seeing how generous Alcantara was, the boss looked at them for a while and then said, "So you are Spanish." Then he gave them the three best rooms on the third floor.
Alcantara took the key to the room and asked the boss, "When will the Mayflower from Spain arrive?"
The boss said, "I'm afraid it will take another two or three days." Then he said to them, "Do you want girls? They are all young and docile Indian girls, and the prices are fair."
He hesitated for a moment, but the two accomplices next to him encouraged him and said, "Why not?"
He thought about it and felt that the task to be performed this time was very important. There could not be any oversights or mistakes, let alone leaks. So, he said to his two accomplices, "Forget it, let's not do it this time. Wait." After finishing the matter, I will find some more girls for you." With that, he led them to the third floor.
In order to avoid going out and being recognized, the three of them stayed in the room and gambled all day long. When they got tired of gambling, they quietly went out to the port to see the scenery, inquire about the news, or just take a look. The four Indian boatmen. Fortunately, the Indians were obedient and stayed on the boat. However, they sometimes took a gamble, but the stakes were very small. Because their income is low. They could only earn three gold pesos a day during this trip, and no matter what storms and dangers they encountered, they had to bear the responsibility themselves.
In the evening of the third day after they arrived at the port of Trujillo, the "Mayflower" finally arrived at the port. The sailing ship was very luxurious and spacious, like a behemoth parked at the port on the coast. About two hundred people disembarked from the ship, but most of them were immigrants from Spain who came to settle in Peru. There were also some soldiers and a small number of officials.
The three of them were still dressed as Indians and stood about fifty meters away from the port, watching the passengers lining up to disembark from the ship on the plank. The first thing they saw was the two Chilean soldiers, who accompanied a 40-year-old Spanish nobleman off the sailboat. The Spanish nobleman was well-dressed, arrogant, and full of official air. They immediately realized that the Spanish nobleman was the judge sent by the king named Baca de Castro. So Alcantara asked Garcia to follow them to see which hotel they were staying at. He and Rodriguez continued to wait for Chavez.
After a while, Chavez and several accomplices also got off the boat. Each of them was carrying a cloth bag. They looked dark and thin, with dusty and dusty faces, as listless and dejected as if they had just lost a battle. Alcantara and Rodriguez were right behind them.
Chavez and the others stayed in a relatively luxurious hotel. However, Alcantara only wanted to see Chavez alone and did not want anyone else to recognize him. So he gave the hotel clerk a gold peso, asked for a room in the hotel, and asked the clerk to call Chavez.
After a while, Chavez knocked on the door and came in. He was surprised to see Alcantara and Rodriguez dressed like this. Then, the three people sat together. Alcantara informed Chavez of the Marquis's instructions and arrangements, and asked Chavez and the others to cooperate secretly, mainly to lure away the two Chilean gang soldiers, and then let them secretly deal with the judge. Things had to be done tightly and seamlessly, and the matter couldn't be known to Chavez's associates to avoid gossip and leaks.
Chavez told Alcantara that the "Mayflower" would stop in Trujillo for two days and would set off at 8 a.m. on the third day. The next stop would be in Puerto Valme and then go straight to Lima. . Therefore, he suggested that the judge must be attacked between Trujillo and Porto Valme. Then he told Alcantara the location of the cabin where the judge lived and some of his habits. In his narration, he specifically mentioned that the judge liked to go out alone on the deck at night to watch the night scene, and suggested that Alcantara and the others would best use this time to attack the judge. Once successful, the judge was thrown from the deck of the sailboat into the sea. The vast ocean is boundless. No matter how good your water quality is, as long as you fall into the sea, you will be dead.
Alcantara thought this method was reliable, so he discussed the details with Chavez again. Then, they told Chavez the address of the hotel where they were staying and asked him to come to the hotel to find them if he needed anything.
On the morning of the third day, the three of Alcantara also bought tickets and boarded the "Mayflower". Before that, he had ordered the Indian boatmen to drive the boat and follow the big ship closely. Because people thought they were Indians, they were placed in third class. It was two floors away from the first-class cabin where the judge and Chavez were traveling. However, Alcantara and the three of them stayed on the deck on the third floor of the ship, closely monitoring the judge's movements.
The judge just ate some bread under the arbor on the deck during breakfast, drank a glass of milk, looked at the scenery for a while, and then went back to the room. Moreover, the two soldiers from the Chilean Gang were with him from beginning to end. Afterwards, we were on deck again during lunch. After that, he never appeared on the deck again. Chavez was told that they had been staying at the casino. However, Indians are not allowed to enter the casino.
I originally thought that the judge would come to the deck at night to watch the night scene, but Alcantara and the three of them waited on the deck until eleven o'clock and did not see the judge coming. At this time, Chavez secretly ran to the deck, came to Alcantara and said to him, "The judge is still gambling with others in the casino, and the two Chilean gang soldiers have also been staying there. By his side.”
Alcantara asked, "What should we do?"
Chavez said, "Otherwise, you can put on Spanish clothes, go up to the casino and watch and wait. As soon as he goes to the bathroom, you can follow him, lock the door in the bathroom, and then Attack him. The bathroom is just next to the boat, and the sea is below. As soon as you succeed, throw him from the window into the sea. But you have to be quick. "
Alcantara thought for a moment and asked, "Is this reliable?"
Chavez said, "I guess there won't be a problem. I've already inspected the bathroom. The lock of that bathroom can be locked. After the matter is done, you leave quickly, go back to the room, and put on your Indian clothes." .That way, there won’t be any problems.”
Alcantara said, "Okay, let's change and go to the casino."
After breaking up with Chavez, Alcantara waved, and Rodriguez and Garcia followed him back to their room. The three of them lived in a room, which was small and dirty. It seems that this is the only way to be consistent with the identity of Indians. They put on Spanish dresses and top hats, completely looking like the attire of aristocrats and rich people. Alcantara even carries a cane. In order not to be recognized by the two Chilean soldiers, they kept their hats low.
The three of them entered the casino on the second floor one after another. The casino has about two hundred square meters of space. Although it is not very big, it is luxurious enough. As soon as they entered the casino, they saw the judge gambling with a few rich people, while the two Chilean gang soldiers stood watching. Chavez and the others were at the gambling table next to them, and the four of them gathered around to gamble. The two Chilean soldiers were facing them and watching them.
Alcantara and two accomplices sat at a gaming table close to the bathroom. The three of them gambled while secretly monitoring the judge. The judge drank coffee while gambling with two rich men. About half an hour later, the judge put down his cup and walked towards the bathroom. So Alcantara said to Rodriguez, "Here comes the guy."
Rodriguez put down the dice in his hand and walked towards the bathroom. After the judge entered the bathroom, Garcia also entered the bathroom. Alcantara stood guard outside the bathroom. At this time, a well-dressed rich man was about to enter the bathroom. Alcantara suddenly spilled the coffee in the cup on the rich man's clothes. The rich man got angry and cursed at Alcantara. Alcantara apologized and took out his handkerchief to wipe the rich man's clothes.
At this time, Garcia had entered the bathroom and saw the judge standing by the urinal urinating, so he locked the bathroom door. Seeing Garcia locking the door, the judge said, "Why are you locking the door?"
At this time, Rodriguez, who was standing nearby and urinating, pulled out a wooden stick from his clothes and hit the judge on the head. The judge heard a scream and fell to the ground. The two people quickly lifted the judge from the ground and placed it on the window sill. Then they pushed hard and saw the judge flash in the air and then fall into the sea. Rodriguez threw the wooden stick on the ground out of the window, opened the door and walked outside with Garcia.
Seeing his two accomplices come out of the bathroom, Alcantara didn't want to tangle with the rich man anymore, so he put five gold pesos in the rich man's hand and said, "I'm sorry, this is just a matter of course." It’s compensation for you.”
I don’t know how many pieces of clothing the rich man could buy with five gold pesos, so when the rich man took the money, he was naturally filled with joy and easily forgave Alcantara. So Alcantara quickly left the casino.
Returning to the third-class cabin where they stayed, they saw Rodriguez and Garcia changing clothes. Alcantara asked, "How did things go?"
"It's done," Rodriguez said. "That damn guy was left in the ocean to feed the fish."
Alcantara said happily, "Great. We are going to disembark at dawn." As he said that, he took off his Spanish clothes and put on the original Indian clothes.
Sleeping until midnight, someone suddenly knocked on the door. It turned out that two policemen came to check. A policeman holding a baton shouted at them, "Check the tickets."
The three of them showed them the tickets, and then asked them what their names were, where they came from, and where they were going. They answered in Indian language. However, the Spanish policeman did not understand the Indian language. He just cursed at them and left.
The next morning, the ship arrived at Chimbote Port. A small number of passengers would disembark and a small number of passengers would board. Alcantara got off the boat with two accomplices. The small boat driven by the four Indians was already waiting for them at the port. They got on the boat, entered the cabin, and fell asleep. Because they didn't sleep well last night.
The four Indians began rowing, and the boat sailed against the wind and soon overtook the huge Mayflower.
