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"Pure madness," Rivas said desperately "The President will never listen to such absurd demands"

"He will not believe what I say?"

"No sane man would"

Rivas in his uneasiness had stepped too far

Topiltzin slowly rose to his feet, eyes unblinking, head lowered, and spoke in a toneless voice "Then I e he will understand"

He raised his hands over his head, arms outstretched toward the dark sky As if on cue four Indians appeared wearing white capes clasped at the neck and nothing else Approaching from all sides, they quickly subdued Rivas, who froze in astonishment They carried him to the stone altar sculpted with the skulls and crossbones and threw his

At first Rivas was too dazed to protest, too incredulous with shock to comprehend Topiltzin's intention When horrorstruck realization came, he cried out

"Oh, God! No! No!"

Topiltzin coldly ignored the terrified Aht in his eyes, and stepped to the side of the altar He gave a nod, and one of thethe chest

"Don't do this!" Rivas pleaded

A razor-sharp obsidian knife seemed to linted fro poised

Rivas screamed-the last sound he would ever make

Then the knife plunged

The tall column-statues looked down upon the bloody act with stone-cold indifference They had witnessed the horrible disPlay of inhuo There was no pity in their ti heart was torn from his chest

Despite the people and activity around him, Pitt was captivated by the dense silence of the cold north There was an incredible stillness about it that seemed to overwhelh he were standing in nuerator on a desolate world