Chapter Thirty-Two: “WE HAVE KILLED MALINCHE!”
[After an absurdly long bout of inexcusable procrastination, Chapter Thirty-Two of The Jade Steps in finally here. There are only two more chapters to go: The Sowing of the Whirlwind, and La Malinche, followed by an Epilogue. The end is in sight!]
The Jade Steps
Chapter Thirty Two: "We Have Killed Malinche!"
Cortez lay awake in his bedchambers at his headquarters in Tepeaca. He and his forces had returned from Huaquechula in time to celebrate All Saints Day and pray to those who had achieved the beatific vision in heaven that this "ultimate end of human existence" might possibly be granted to them when they die.
That was yesterday. Today, they held the Feast of All Souls Day, to pray for those departed Christian souls being cleansed of their sins in purgatorium. For some reason, he had felt an unusual uneasiness during the prayers at Mass, which he expressed to Doña Marina. Now he was even more uneasy, for where was she? Gone on one of her evening learning expeditions. This one was taking too long. He wished that she was next to him right now.
Suddenly she was. She had burst wordlessly into the room, quickly removed her dress, and snuggled up to him in their bed. A look into Cortez's eyes told her what he had been thinking.
And when he looked back into hers, he knew something was wrong. He waited for her to tell him.
