Author's Notes
(as included in the original email to the mcogold list)

"Marinche!" Mendoza bit out.

"Oh!" The children huddled together close to Mendoza.

As for Pedro & Sancho, they clung together. Being the cowards they are. "Oh, Mendoza."

Cortez sat behind a large table. Marinche walked over toward him. A young Aztec woman behind her. Tao quickly hid the Sphere.

"Well, Senor Mendoza. I have been told you are also searching for the Cities of Gold." Cortez smiled.

The children looked at Mendoza.

"Yes, Excellency," he smiled.

Cortez turned his focus to the 3 children, to the dark-skinned boy. "You must
be the one called Tao. The one who can read the ancient texts."

Marinche noticed Tao was hiding something. "What have you got there?"

"Nothing."

Esteban & Zia stood close to Tao.

Cortez motioned for the soldiers to take whatever Tao was hiding. "Hey! Stop! You can't have it!" Tao screamed.

"It's not yours!" Esteban added.

1 soldier took the Sphere, while 3 restrained the children. A couple more restrained Mendoza.

"Give it back!" Tao continued on.

The Sphere was given to Cortez, who looked at it with curiosity. Then he gave it to Marinche.

"Hmm." She looked at it. Noticing the Hieroglyphs. "Where did you get this?"

"Oh," Tao looked at Esteban.

"Well?"

Tao remained silent.

Marinche was a bit annoyed. "Then tell me what it says!"

Tao snubbed, "I won't!"

Again, Cortez motioned to the soldiers. The soldiers aimed their guns at the children.

"Oh!" the 3 exclaimed.

Mendoza tried to intervene, but was quickly silenced.

"I know you can read this. You read the Manuscripts!"

Cortez had had enough. "Shot them."

"No, wait!" Marinche intervened. "My dear, Cortez. These children can lead you to the Cities of Gold! Spare them...but separate them. Lock them up in different rooms." She smiled. "The quickest way for Tao to talk is for him to see his friends tortured."

The children looked at each other, frightened.

Mendoza was aggravated. There was nothing he could do at the moment.

"Very well, Marinche," Cortez agreed. To the soldiers, "Take them away! We will deal with them in the morning."

The soldiers each grabbed Esteban, Zia & Tao. Tearing the friends apart.

"Oh, Esteban!" Zia reached out for him.

"Zia!" He took her hand for a moment, & then they lost each others grip.

"No, Esteban."

The 3 children struggled.

"Put me down," Tao yelled. "You have not right!" He reached out to his friends. "Esteban! Zia!" Esteban & Zia did the same...

"Tao!"

"Tao!"

The 3 reached for each other but to no avail. They were drapped away.

Marinche turned to face the 3 sailors, "Lock them up below with the prisoners." Then turned to Mendoza, "As for Mendoza...chain him!"

The 3 sailors were taken below, where the slaves were held. "Get in there!" as the soldiers pushed Pedro & Sancho inside. Mendoza was dragged inside & chained to the wall. The Aztec & Mayan slaves watched in horror as the soldiers chained Mendoza. The soldiers left, all but one.

"Oh, M-M-Mendoza. How-how are we going to-to... to get out of here?"

"I don't know, Sancho." Mendoza was deep in thought. He looked around, noticing the captive Aztecs & Mayas: men, some women. Even a boy.

A young Aztec woman entered Esteban's room. "I have brought you something to eat & drink. Here," setting the tray down on the table.

"Thank you." Esteban looked at her curiously. "My name is Esteban."

She looked up, "I am Tulazema. But my sister calls me Zema."

"Your sister?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Marinche."

"Oh!" surprized. "Marinche is your sister?"

Zema nods. "I'm sorry for the pain she has caused you & your friends. She is very cruel." Saddened, "She had our parents killed & enslaved our brother & I."

She then noticed the Medallion. "Oh! I've seen that symbol before. It's like the one in the Temple of the Sun."

"Oh?"

"You must be the ones that they High Priest is waiting for!" She thought a moment. "You came with 3 Spaniards, didn't you?"

"Yes. Mendoza...Pedro...& Sancho," Esteban conformed as he ate. "Zia & Tao...are they alright? Are they safe?" he added.

She nodded, "For the time being. I must go. I will tell your friends you are safe."

"Mm-hmmm," Esteban nodded.

Zema turned & left the room.

Pedro & Sancho sat there, bored. "Oh, n-n-now what will we do? We'll ne-never find those ci-ci-cities of gold!"
Pedro groaned. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Oh, it's just not fair!" Sancho wined.

"Sufferin' silos! Will you two stop complaining!" He looked up to see a young Aztec woman decending the stairs with food & drink.

Pedro gleamed. "At last! I'm famished!"

Sancho's mouth watered. "Oh, fo-fo-food! Boy, am I hun-hungry. I could eat...eat a h-horse!" But instead of giving the food to them, she gave it to the soldier. Pedro & Sancho groaned. She glanced at the Aztec boy & at Mendoza. Then returned upstairs as soon as the soldier finished. Soon, the guard fell asleep.

Mendoza struggled with the chains. "By the Purple Plague, I can't break free!"

"Ah-shh...oh, Me-Me-Mendoza. Sssomeone's coming!"

Mendoza saw it was the Aztec woman that was just here. She noticed the soldier asleep on the floor. She smiled, rushed over & took the keys.

The Aztec boy ran up to the gate. "Zema! The other Native prisoners rushed up to the gate.

"Shhh!" She raised the gate. She rushed up to Mendoza. "My name is Tulazema. If you help us, I can help you," she begged as she freed him. "My sister will stop at nothing to find the Cities of Gold!"

At last, Mendoza was free. He rubbed his wrists.

"Will you please help us?"

Mendoza peeked around the corner "We have to get the children. Zema...you & the Aztecs create a diversion. Sancho, Pedro & I will get the children.

She shakes her head, "I know where they are. And I can show you a way out of here that Marinche & Cortez no nothing of."

"I'm coming, too, Zema," the boy said. He was no older than Esteban, Zia & Tao.

Mendoza stares at her. "Alright. Come on."

Zema quickly tells one of her people the plan, he acknowledges, then indicates to the others to follow him.

Quietly, Zema leads Mendoza to Esteban, Zia & Tao. One by one, the 3 children are freed.

"I don't undrestand," Cortez paced furiously.

Marinche stood on the opposite side of the table. The Doctor & Teteola close to her. "My dear Cortez. This boy, Tao, can lead you to the Cities of Gold! And I am positive that this Sphere holds the key," holding up the Sphere. "I know he can read these Hieroglyphs!"

"Hmm."

The Doctor added, "They have the Manuscripts. They know the way to the Cities of Gold."

"Excellency!" A soldier rushes in.

"What is it?"

"Excellency. The prisoners have escaped! All of them!"

"What?!" Marinche said, stunned. "The children?"

The soldier nodded. "Yes. Somehow, they escaped!"

"Mendoza!!" she growled.

"Find me this Mendoza & the children immediately! AND BRING THEM BACK!!!" Cortez slammed his fist down on the table. "NO ONE will keep me from MY gold!!!"

"Yes, Excellency!" The soldier nervously saluted & hurriedly left the room.

Zema led the group through the Palace corridors. Rounding a corner, they come to a halt. "Oh!"

"There they are!" A soldier exclaimed. "After them!"

"This way!" Zema pointed. They quickly backtracked & ran down another staircase.

The soldiers not far behind. "Halt! I order you to halt!" The stairs leveled out into a long corridor, leading them to a dead end.

"Oh, a dead end!" Esteban declared.

"We're trapped!" Zia added.

"Ah, Me-Me-Mendoza!"

"Now where do we go?" Pedro paniced.

Zema rushed up to the wall in front of them & pushed on a stone. The wall opened to reveal a passageway.

"Oh!" they exclaimed.

"A secret passage!" Esteban was amazed.

"Come on. Hurry!" Zema urged.

One by one, they rushed through the passage opening. Then the stone wall closed behind them.

The soldiers stopped short of running into the wall. "Oh!"

"What the-?"

"They just disappeared!"