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Chapter XIX - The Queen's Story
In the meantime Bertha Kircher was conducted the length of the plaza toward the
largest and most pretentious of the buildings surrounding it. This edifice covered
the entire width of one end of the plaza. It was several stories in height, the main
entrance being approached by a wide flight of stone steps, the bottom of which
was guarded by enormous stone lions, while at the top there were two pedestals
flanking the entrance and of the same height, upon each of which was the stone
image of a large parrot. As the girl neared these latter images she saw that the
capital of each column was hewn into the semblance of a human skull upon
which the parrots perched. Above the arched doorway and upon the walls of the
building were the figures of other parrots, of lions, and of monkeys. Some of these
were carved in bas-relief; others were delineated in mosaics, while still others
appeared to have been painted upon the surface of the wall.
The colorings of the last were apparently much subdued by age with the result
that the general effect was soft and beautiful. The sculpturing and mosaic work
were both finely executed, giving evidence of a high degree of artistic skill. Unlike
the first building into which she had been conducted, the entrance to which had
been doorless, massive doors closed the entrance which she now approached. In
the niches formed by the columns which supported the door's arch, and about
the base of the pedestals of the stone parrots, as well as in various other places
on the broad stairway, lolled some score of armed men. The tunics of these were
all of a vivid yellow and upon the breast and back of each was embroidered the
figure of a parrot.
As she was conducted up the stairway one of these yellow-coated warriors
approached and halted her guides at the top of the steps. Here they exchanged a
few words and while they were talking the girl noticed that he who had halted
them, as well as those whom she could see of his companions, appeared to be, if
possible, of a lower mentality than her original captors.
Their coarse, bristling hair grew so low upon their foreheads as, in some
instances, to almost join their eyebrows, while the irises were smaller, exposing
more of the white of the eyeball.
After a short parley the man in charge of the doorway, for such he seemed to be,
turned and struck upon one of the panels with the butt of his spear, at the same
time calling to several of his companions, who rose and came forward at his
command. Soon the great doors commenced slowly to swing creakingly open, and
presently, as they separated, the girl saw behind them the motive force which
operated the massive doors--to each door a half-dozen naked Negroes.
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