The Visionary Mayan Queen: Yohl Ik'Nal of Palenque (30 page)

“Kan Mo Hix and Sak K’uk?” He was aggrieved that he could think of nothing better to say, but his mind was blank.

“Just so. Yohl Ik’nal and I have been thinking much of the correct match for our daughter. This is especially crucial as our son Aj Ne Ohl Mat has no children although married for over four tuns. It is possible the succession will be through children of Sak K’uk. We desire a broad basis of support for her children, and forming a union with your family will accomplish that. You are a greatly respected leader in Lakam Ha, have a wide circle of courtiers, many alliances within and outside our polity, and your lineage descends from our founder, Kuk Bahlam. Yours is a family of initiative and resources. Such a union would serve us both well, I believe.”

Yaxun Zul’s mind was racing, now in an entirely different direction. Marriage with the royal family! All his scheming to expand his power, to move his family closer to rulership, was co-opted by this amazing proposal. Hun Pakal was laying in his lap the very goal of his machinations, without his needing to risk his life or fortune, or even lift his hand! Except to signal agreement. Which immediately he did.

“Immense is my honor, Lord Hun Pakal. Such a union offered by the royal family is more than I could have imagined. You will forgive me if I appear surprised, indeed I did not anticipate such an event. Of course, I completely agree with you, this will be most advantageous to both our families. My son Kan Mo Hix will be honored, of this I am certain, with this great privilege and delighted to become husband of your most able and charming daughter.”

He bowed while clasping both shoulders, the sign of ultimate respect and honor.

Hun Pakal smiled sardonically, adding:

“Kan Mo Hix is a young man of strong personality, and such a man is necessary for Sak K’uk. They will be a good match.” He surprised himself with this spontaneous comment, realizing that he actually did mean it. Perhaps Yohl Ik’nal’s idea was the ideal choice in any case.

“It is best that we proceed with this marriage without delay,” he continued. “There has been some unrest within our polity, and the union of our families will do much to quell those ahauob who have become disgruntled with our dynasty. You are no doubt aware of these stirrings, for you are well-connected and have many information sources.”

Yaxun Zul swallowed, his throat dry again. How much did Hun Pakal know? And if he knew, what motivated this move? New concerns rushed into his mind: how to disengage from the planned attack and keep himself removed from further plotting. Confusion filled him as he struggled to remain calm.

“That is so,” he said, further confounded by which “that” he was referencing. “The marriage arrangements shall proceed at once. This day will I speak to Kan Mo Hix and secure his agreement. Of which I am certain that he will be in accord.”

“We will prepare the bride gifts with all due speed,” replied Hun Pakal. “These will be most rich in keeping with the status of our royal daughter. Your family will see how great is the benefit of this royal alliance.”

Even in his distracted state, Yaxun Zul did not miss the irony. Here was Hun Pakal offering him gifts, wealth and power while he had been worrying about losing both his fortune and his life. Was that a taunting glint in Hun Pakal’s eye? If so, he was enjoying the game.

“So it is accomplished,” Hun Pakal concluded. “We shall expect to receive you and your son tomorrow morning at the palace. Then the final agreements and plans for the marriage will be decided between our families. For our K’uhul Ahau, I express appreciation at your concordance with these proposals.”

The ruler’s consort rose to his feet, quickly followed by Yaxun Zul. Exchanging bows, the men’s eyes met once again. Hun Pakal smiled briefly, then turned and was ushered out by the steward.

Yaxun Zul dropped heavily onto the nearest stone bench. Conflicting emotions and clashing thoughts raced through him. Could he abort the attack? No, the plans were already in motion, the time chosen, the strategies mapped. Should he tell his followers that he was withdrawing his support? They would surmise as much when the marriage was announced. How could he handle the consequences if anyone revealed his involvement? To this he had no answer. Even though the group had decided to keep out of direct action, some of the younger men were hotheaded and might join the battle, especially Kab’ol, the brother of Ek Chuuah. Any captives could expose the plot and implicate him as ringleader. By all the deities, what could he do?

He could deny everything. That is what he would do. Even as part of his mind doubted its effectiveness, simply having a plan comforted him. For now, he had many things to accomplish. Drawing a deep breath and straightening, he barked to the steward:

“Summon Kan Mo Hix to me immediately. Prepare a list of updated assets. Bring the finest weaver and headdress maker here tomorrow afternoon; new clothing must be made. Speak not of this to the household until after the meeting with the royal family tomorrow, and so instruct all present. Many large changes are afoot.”

5

The rains of the uinal Uo, month of the ground frog, were gradually decreasing. Uo ushered in spring, awoke the frogs from their winter sleep, nudged plants to send up new shoots. Low-lying land between mountain ridges was swampy. The rivers coursing through Lakam Ha flowed rapidly, swollen by rains and crashing loudly down cascades. Across the broad north plains, the K’umaxha River spread from its banks and deposited rich silt on farmlands. The river channel ran deep and swift, treacherous to navigate. Soon, however, the drier season would begin with its humid sunshine, blossoming flowers and easier travel.

In her reasoning mind, Yohl Ik’nal took these seasonal characteristics into consideration and surmised that the attack on Lakam Ha would occur after the rains of Uo. Try as she might, she received no further guidance from dreams or visions. Frustrated, she consulted her calendar priests, the Ah Kins about calendar auguries in the next few months. Taking the most advanced priests into her confidence about the planned attack, she requested their interpretations. Each kin sign, uinal sign and their numeric coefficient produced different combinations fraught with meaning. To that was added the moon phase and lunation sequence, ruled by one of nine Lords of the Night. It was such a complex set of calendrics that the Ah Kins had to study many tuns before attaining mastery that enabled them to make predictions.

The priests informed her that Uo, the Frog was characterized by magic and emergence, calling forth patience, serenity and understanding. It was most unlikely that aggressive or violent events would occur then. The next uinal, Zip, the Red Conjunction, honored the god of hunting and called forth bloodletting ceremonies. It augured ripeness, availability and completeness. This seemed to them a more likely time for the attack. Unless, of course, the enemy awaited the next uinal, Zotz, the Bat, associated with vision in darkness, intuition and clairvoyance. If they planned to attack at night, this would be a good uinal.

All of which Yohl Ik’nal found exceptionally unhelpful. With so many possibilities in each 20-day uinal, narrowing the time was impossible. One thing the priests said was significant, however: The day-sign Kimi held serious portent. Kimi meant “death” and was associated with the owl. The day of Kimi was a time for something to finish, change, remove or disappear. Its traits could be violent and vengeful, although also strong, tenacious and skillful.

She reflected much upon calendric meanings, her mind only partly focused on the numerous activities required for planning the marriage of Sak K’uk and Kan Mo Hix. The date and time for this momentous ceremony was set by the Ah Kins, who chose the month Mol, still five uinals away. Mol supported leadership and control, was a time for uniting and group activities. The chosen day sign, Lamat, had strong associations with success, good fortune, fertility, harmony and cultivation of the earth – things expected of a royal couple.

Amid the hubbub, a premonition arose on the fringes of Yohl Ik’nal’s awareness that the attack would take place on the day of Kimi. There were twenty day signs that made up the Maya month, with 18 of these 20-day months in a 360-day tun. Since the solar year lasted 365 days, they added a short 19
^th
month of five days at the end, called Uayeb. These five “days out of time” could be unpredictable and dangerous; usual activities were curtailed and no significant business conducted or decisions made then.

Another factor was the numeric coefficient of each day sign. Numbers also held important meanings and gave qualities to the day. The sacred Tzolk’in calendar used to plan ceremonies had 13 numbers; these flowed in continuous sequence through the solar and agricultural Ha’ab calendar with its day and month signs. Therefore the combination of number, day and month signs continued for 18,980 days (52 solar years) before returning to the original configuration. Within these 52 years, each configuration was unique.

As Yohl Ik’nal reflected on the day of Kimi, she calculated that it would occur three times in the near future, once in each month of Uo, Zip and Zotz. Some other clue was needed to help her determine which Kimi occurrence was the crucial one. Ever alert to messages from nature as well as the cosmos, she began to notice a recurring theme of four: When walking through an orchard, she saw four doves fly together from the underbrush. A
chik
-coatimundi mother crossed her path with four babies trailing behind. Four ripe figs were placed before her as an afternoon snack. One evening a grouping of four stars hung above the horizon, the brightest she recognized as Noh Ek-Venus, often associated with warfare.

That was the date: 4 Kimi, the 19
^th
day of Uo. It was only four days away.

Baktun 9, Katun 8, Tun 5, Uinal 13, Kin 6 – of the Long Count (April 19, 599 CE)

She sensed there would be something unusual about the attack, an unexpected twist. Calling Hun Pakal, close advisors and the warrior leaders together, she revealed these latest insights. Scouts had not seen any unusual activity in Usihwitz or strange travelers on the rivers. But, they respected her abilities as a seer and increased surveillance along routes leading into Lakam Ha. The Nakoms alerted their warriors to be prepared for action at any moment, but to conceal their preparations. Runners were stationed between the scouts in the field and the ruler’s quarters. Observers hid near homes of the Lakam Ha plotters.

One final order was given to the warriors: Take no captives – kill all the plotters, their men and all Usihwitz attackers.

Sunrise on 4 Kimi 19 Uo spread fiery fingers across low-lying clouds on the eastern horizon. The city of Lakam Ha awoke to its usual morning activities, although intuitive residents might sense pervasive tension. The K’uhul Ahau and her contingent met in council, making final preparations. Yohl Ik’nal had slept little, and Hun Pakal even less during the ominous night. Warriors gathered along the two main entry roads into the city that followed the courses of the Tun Pitz and Ixha Rivers. Concealing themselves in the dense forests bordering these raised pathways, they settled quietly into readiness and waited. A small force of warriors occupied the ridges at the eastern edge of the city. From this vantage point, they looked over the undulating rises of heavily forested hills through which plunged two large rivers and several tributaries. The steepness of terrain, multiple cascades in rivers, and lack of substantial paths made this area unlikely for enemy invasion, but it must be watched. To the south and west, the mountain range lifted high toward the sky, rocky and virtually impassable.

As the sun progressed westward, breaking occasionally through billowing clouds, the ruler and her defenders waited. From time to time scouts came to the palace to report, but saw no unusual activity. Light food and drink were taken to sustain energy, but with little appetite. Hun Pakal had sequestered his son and daughter in one of the least accessible palace rooms, its only entrance heavily guarded. Assassination of heirs could be one objective of an attack aimed at the ruling family.

Shadows lengthened across the plazas of Lakam Ha. In courtyards of residential complexes, succulent aromas spread from cooking fires as the evening meal simmered. Some warriors slipped away from their stations, wearied of waiting and lured by smells of bubbling stew and roasting maize. When the setting sun peeped through clouds hanging just above the western mountains, a frustrated and worried group assembled at the palace.

Yohl Ik’nal sat in council with Hun Pakal, Tilkach, Itzam Ik and other trusted advisors, and several Nakoms including her father’s friend Chakob. Questions were raised about the accuracy of her intuitions, phrased as politely as possible. The ruler was discouraged and puzzled; making inner inventory of all that the deities and natural forces had communicated to her, she could find no errors. The men discussed whether to recall the warriors and return to relying on scouts and observers. Night was about to fall, making attack most improbable. With only torches to navigate difficult terrain and unfamiliar city structures, invading forces would be ineffective against natives.

But, reasoned Yohl Ik’nal, 4 Kimi 19 Uo was not yet over. The day sign did not change until the next dawn. She listened to their reasoning against night attack, but did not defer, insisting the warriors remain in position. Food would be sent to them from the palace, which she ordered. As the Nakoms prepared to send their captains to keep warriors in place, Buluc Max the royal steward ushered in a breathless farmer. He gasped out his message while bowing:

“Warriors advance through the west orchards, bearing the standard of Usihwitz. There are many, I know not the count.”

Chakob understood immediately:

“Their forces went west on the Chakamax River by night, crossed the hills and quickly traveled east on the Michol River, where we would never expect them.”

The Michol River flowed toward the west, the opposite direction from Usihwitz. Those maneuvers, combined with a late afternoon attack, were designed for maximum surprise.

The Nakoms leapt into action, shouting commands to their captains, bowing briefly to the ruler and rushing to the lines of defense. Hun Pakal had the foresight to send a runner to residential complexes to summon any warriors having dinner. He sent word to the guards of his children to intensify security measures.