Article suitable for Top Juniors and above

‘The Sinister Road: the Nine Levels of Mictlan’ by Gonzalo Zacaula Velázquez (3)

16th Apr 2023

Mexicolore contributor Gonzalo Zacaula Velázquez

Chapter 3...
The NOTES explain how the story fits - or doesn’t fit! - the illustrations and documented stages.

The guide commented quietly ‘Well, we’ve finally passed the river of death. This was the first stage, I hope it’s not too tough for you, you’ve shown bravery; we must press on, it’s dangerous to stay still.’
‘River of death? You should have called it the River of the Plague. I’ll never forget that stench, it was disgusting.’
‘Well don’t worry, we’re past it now, we must carry on. See those hills in the distance? All I can tell you is that they don’t stay still… The going will get more dangerous as we go; best to get a move on, you can still hear those dogs – that means they’re trying to cross the river and there are places where it’s easy for them, so let’s get going…’
The guide began to walk, paying no attention to Package’s questions. The latter had no choice but to follow. They walked all afternoon up a never-ending incline. The poor individual feared that if he faltered he would fall and roll back down to the start, on the banks of the revolting river.

At last they came face to face with the two enormous peaks. The only way through was a path that zig-zagged between the two. Package was exhausted, desperate to sit down and rest from the long walk. The guide paused for a moment, listening closely to the direction of the wind. He suddenly ran off, shouting ‘Run! Quick! Don’t stop! It’s now or never. Run! Just get down when I tell you to. Go, come on, go!’
Package watched how the guide stuck closely to the path, following instinctively, forgetting his tiredness. His body responded more out of fear than anything else. The route was smooth and flat, his heart beat faster in the rush to get ahead. Suddenly a movement on the ground made him wobble.
‘Run, don’t stop! Try to keep your balance.’
Something warned him to crouch down, as a massive rock passed near where he had stood. Unbelievably he felt the mountain sliding dangerously towards him. Instinctively he ducked, as the side of the other peak threatened to hit him. ‘What the…? Good god, what’s going on? The ground itself is moving!’ he thought, terrified. ‘Keep running, don’t stop. Duck if you feel the mountain’s going to squash you, but don’t stop.’

Snaking their way along the zig-zag path, they carried on running. Rocks of all sizes rolled down dangerously close to them. At any moment Package felt he would be squashed to death. The track seemed endless. Gradually the tremors grew weaker; they reached a green slope where the path stopped abruptly. The guide sat down, calling Package to rest. After what seemed the briefest of stops, he heard the other call ‘On we go, the hardest is yet to come…’
‘What do you mean the hardest is still to come? Tell me, friend, where are we going? Do you think I haven’t got money enough to pay you? My family would pay a small fortune to rescue me.’
‘Do you really think money is the most important thing in life?’ snapped his guide, ‘that your gold and possessions will save you? The only thing that matters here is the desire to win through. Listen…’
Package could feel his skin beginning to crawl, as he listened to the distant howls and baying of the hounds. He said nothing, leant forward, and continued in silence.

NOTES:-
In this chapter Gonzalo’s story matches exactly both the animated illustration and the ethnohistorical sources - yippee! In Nahuatl the place is called Tepetl Monamictia or Tepetl Imonamiquiyan.

Picture sources:-
• Image scanned from our own copy of the Codex Vaticanus A/Ríos, ADEVA facsimile edition, Graz, Austria, 1979
• Main illustration by Steve Radzi/Mayavision for Mexicolore
• Illustration of the Templo Mayor by and courtesy Felipe Dávalos
• Photo downloaded from https://geology.com/articles/yosemite-rockfall.shtml.