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The head of Mexico ithin four hundredinto Capesterre family hands

News of his brother's death in Egypt had not yet reached him His close supporters and advisers had deserted the coent e They walked behind Topiltzin's hand-carried platform, driven by curiosity to see the artifacts

Topiltzin stood erect in a white robe with a jaguar-skin cape draped on his shoulders, clutching a raised pole that flew a banner of the eagle and the snake A forest of portable spotlights were ai hiestured for sohts to sweep the slope ahead

Except for several pieces of heavy equipineers was evident near the crater or the tunnel Topiltzin didn't like the look of it He spread his hands as a signal for the advancing h loudspeakers until the forall of people slowly came to a stop, every face turned toward Topiltzin, reverently awaiting his next command

Suddenly, a bansheelike wail rose from the summit of the hill and increased in volume until its shrill pitch forced the crowd to cover their ears with their hands

Then, an an aray of strobe lights sparkled and flashed across the sea of faces A light display with the ht sky The people stood rooted, gazing entranced at the extraordinary sight

The light sho to an indescribable intensity while the shriek whipped the air around the countryside with the eerie timbre of a sound track from a science-fiction movie

Together the flashing lights and the eerie sounds built to a breathtaking crescendo, and then the strobe lights went out and the silence struck with stunning abruptness

for a full hts skyrocketed in their eyes Then an unseen light source very slowly highlighted a lone figure of aThe light rays s

hi his body

When thegear of an ancient Roionary

He wore a burgundy tunic under a polished iron cuirass The hel his shins were shined to a high gloss A gladius-a double-edged sword-hung at his side, clasped to a leather sling that went over the opposite shoulder One arht pilu spear

Topiltzin stared with curious fascination A game, a joke, a theatrical hoax? What were the A now? His immense horde of believers stood in hushed silence and stared at the Roman as if he were a phanto expectantly for their messiah to make the first move

A bluff born of desperation, he decided finally The A their last card in an effort to block his superstitious, dirt-poor followers fro the treasures

"Could be a trick to kidnap and hold you as a hostage," said one of his nearby advisers