The Eyes of Cortés

The following journal was found in a repository room of the British Museum, translated from the original Spanish into English by the scholar Maxwell Soverington in the 18th century. The document was misplaced in a file where it remained missing until 1981. The translation is presented here, with section breaks added to distinguish separate, non-dated entries. It is unknown how this text made it to England.

13 September, in the year of our lord 1519

It is on this date that Diego and I, along with a few others, received the grace of Hernán Cortés, our master and leader upon this great expedition, to journey into the jungle and seek out a rumored freshwater spring. Diego has an ulterior motive, as he always does, and it must involve talking to the locals or he would not have sought me out as an interpreter. Soon we shall head out, at which point I’m sure Diego will inform me of his true intentions.

14 September

We went straight to the nearest village, of the Tlaxcaltecs, to the home of a medicine woman. Diego said this woman mentioned gold the last time he’d seen her for a poultice to treat sore arms. He’d been able to communicate well enough through gestures, but proved unable to draw more information from her regarding the gold. He needed a proper translator for this interrogation.

From this old woman, who was older than perhaps any other I’d met in this strange land, I heard a peculiar tale of superstition. She told me of a lost people who lived deep in the jungle by a stone road that none ever trod upon. She did not mention gold to me directly, but some of the words were what I thought meant “reward” and “forbidden” which are always good signs when it comes to finding treasure. 

Diego watched me with trepidation. I could tell he wanted to interrogate me as I was interrogating the woman, and could only just hold his tongue to wait ‘til I had the full story. He doesn’t know that my knowledge of the native languages is limited, obviously far less than Cortés’s lover and translator, Malintzin. Twas a bitter day when Cortés discovered her. For once he had Malintzin, and her endless brown eyes, and her tongue that could shift from Spanish to the native languages in an instant, he no longer needed me in his inner circle.

When I told Diego about the supposed stone path, and roughly the direction we should travel to find it, he was pleased. And in fact we headed out right then, though it was evening already. I would have rather stayed that night at the home of the old woman for the price of a button, but Diego thought it better if our footprint was quick and light.

16 September

Lorenzo is angry, and just as much at myself as Diego, for it was my story that led us so deep into the jungle. We’ve found no path after two days of hard searching in frequent rain. We have stumbled upon the occasional carved white rock that might have been a marker, but no path and no gold. Diego mentioned the possibility of returning to the town, beating the truth out of the old woman. That’s the last thing we should do.

*

Her name was Ooxchkan. The old woman from the village. I thought perhaps erasing her from this record had been bad luck for me and our expedition.

17 September

We have discovered the freshwater spring we weren’t looking for. Gaspar joked that at least we can return successful if we need to. I think our luck turns.

19 September

We found it! We found the path and it led us to a city! I should have written earlier in the day, when my mind was fresh on the discovery. It is a city of gray rock: two massive pyramids and many smaller buildings hidden among the trees. This must be like what they have in Egypt! Even now we make our camp atop one of the pyramids. We are like kings of this new world!

I cannot write long, the others want to celebrate, drink what little wine we’ve brought. At first light there is surely much more to find. There must be gold here, and who knows what else! The very pyramid we sit atop has chambers beneath we’ve yet to clear of vines. I go to join the others.

20 September

We had been frightened when first we caught sight of a pyramid through the dense foliage. Diego had to make a show of pushing ahead. He hacked through the jungle with broad strokes, held his chin and chest up. Before long we were all brave and ready to press forward.

I am reminded of this because on our first full day of exploration, we grow uneasy again. We heard the screams of great cats during the night. I didn’t sleep well.

*

Sebastian found a band of gold. Diego claimed it, promising whatever next we find. Surely there will be more. 

*

I awoke in the middle of the night thinking about the morning we started this journey. Lope Fransisco, quartermaster of Cortés, had watched us with suspicion when we left. So focused on Cortés, on whether his dark eyes betrayed suspicion, that I didn’t think to consider his lieutenants. But from the corner of my eye I saw Lope scowl at us, and that picture burned itself into my mind without me even knowing.

Lope Fransisco had always distrusted me, for he is illiterate and dislikes anything that can be accomplished through learning. And he always distrusted Diego, because no one who knows Diego should trust him.

21 September

Cristóbal fell into a pit deep in the pyramid and hurt his leg. We’d found soft earth where there should not have been and set to digging. Cristobal was too eager, dug too fast, and the floor collapsed beneath him into a chamber beyond. 

He began cursing when we propped him at the camp and went back to digging, leaving none to watch him or change his bandage. He also claimed that any gold we found in the chamber should be his, since he’s already paid for finding it. We laughed at him.

In the chamber beyond, sharp-eyed felipe found a jade statuette and I found a clay jar with a twisted lizard face. Felipe said that now we must be friends to be so lucky together. I think he wants one ally for certain.

*

Cristóbal complained that we should not leave him with the ancient ghosts of this city, and he sounded honest. A few laughed, but Diego shouted that Cristobal should not speak of such things. I hadn’t known Diego was afraid until that moment.

22 September

There is writing here. On pillars. In the chambers. The writing is strange, not like Spanish or English or Latin or Greek. Many of the letters are faces, twisted and turned, with big lips or a snake’s features. The Tlaxcaltec villagers don’t write. What people lived here?

Lorenzo caught me staring at one of the pillars and mocked me for it. I told him to find a donkey to have relations with. He is angry but cannot focus his anger. Soon enough he’ll find someone else to rage at.

Sure enough, he now demands wine from Diego, who says there is none left, though we still have plenty of water from the spring. Soon everyone will be mad at everyone.

*

We do not know who these people were! If they are not the ancestors of the Tlaxcaltecs, who are they? How can we be safe from them if we can’t even name them?

23 September

Sebastian is gone. And he took with him the gold band and the jade statuette, snatched them during the night. Diego rages at all of us, Gaspar especially because he was on guard duty before Sebastian and should have noticed something or not fallen asleep so fast. Gaspar joked that he assumed Diego would sleep the lightest since he’d claimed the only gold and so it was his responsibility to stop thieves. But Diego was not in a laughing mood.

We could try to track Sebastian, but could spend days on it for the paltry treasure he stole. Surely in this untouched city there is far greater wealth, hidden somewhere. Once we find it we can leave with all we can carry, get to the coast, hire a ship to take us away forever.

There is still a tunnel to follow in the hollow below, and another stone building might be just feet off the path, filled to bursting with gold, such is this dense jungle. We cannot leave until we’ve found it.

*

I had a dream last night about Cortés. It was the night we dismantled the ships. He said he had to destroy the ships so that legally we’d be soldiers and not sailors. In the dream he burned them in a bonfire. And the fire made every man stare, stock still. I looked around and saw the fire reflected in every pair of Spanish eyes, every pair of eyes except those of Cortés!

His eyes were jet black, serious as they always are. He caught me looking at him and stared back. Then he knew what I had done, and what I would do.

Now that I’m awake I don’t know if the dream is a memory or an invention of my mind. 

24 September

Felipe found a ring of silver. And Lorenzo found a golden scale, like a fish scale, perhaps from some larger piece of jewelry. Diego took both and said he will sleep atop them so that no one could make off with them during the night. Lorenzo’s eyes went so wide at this, and he demanded Diego promise him a rightful share. 

Diego is a wise talker, and was able to soothe Lorenzo, praise his sharp eyes. He assured us all that he could hardly cheat the rest of us before we’d found the treasure horde. And once we found that horde we’d all have more gold than we could carry!

*

Sebastian is dead. We stumbled upon him. I won’t say how he died but everyone is quiet now. Diego and Lorenzo searched his body and didn’t find the gold band or the jade statuette.

I think we should leave. Must leave. But I can’t say it. Diego is consumed with finding real treasure. When I close my eyes to sleep, I pray to God that I do not see the contorted face of Sebastian.

*

The Tlaxcaltecs fear our guns and our horses and most of all our canons. But they fought us and many died and now they are our allies. Cortés thinks we can destroy the great empire that lies further inland, the Aztecs.

The Tlaxcaltecs say there’s a city that floats on a lake. And the soldiers there inhale acrid smoke that makes them forget fear and pain. And they carve out human hearts as sacrifices, pluck them from willing friends and captured enemies. Everyone in our army fears these Aztecs: every Spaniard and every Tlaxcaltec. All except Cortés.

*

Cortés never laughs, you know. He would say a joke, but never laugh. Then he would say something that sounded wise, like “Better to die with honor than live dishonored.” But he was willing to blast native armies with cannons they’d never known or seen. How can there be honor in that? So many in our expedition see the devil in the natives. But I fear we brought the devil with us!

27 September

We have been gone so long now. Cortés will think we are dead or have run off. He may have sent riders after us if he was suspicious enough, perhaps at the council of Lope Francisco. 

They would not have trouble tracking us to the Tlaxcaltec town. They would not understand the old woman most likely, but if Malintzin were with them and turned her great brown eyes to finding us… they could even now be approaching the pyramid.

The howls of the big cats are silent tonight. Something cows them. Something scarier than they lurks in the jungle nearby.

*

They call Malintzin “La Malinche”, The Traitor, but they should call her the savior. She is the only person who can save anyone from Cortés. Only her endless brown eyes reflect within the black eyes of Cortés! I pray to Malintzin. Save us! Save us!

29 September

Sebastian rots in the jungle. Cristóbal’s cries stopped an hour ago. Diego absconded with all our petty loot. Lorenzo and Gaspar ran after him. Even now, Felipe calls to me, pleads with me to emerge and tell him what to do. I will not come out. I stare into the eyes of the lizard-faced jar and ask what will happen to us.

Felipe is already marked, as are they all. 

*

They think the ghosts of a lost empire are coming for them. They think the twisted gods of the natives will be their end. I know who comes for us. It is Cortés with his dark eyes that eat reflections. He will test his vengeance upon us before he turns those eyes on the Aztecs.