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Guzman was the first and only non-Latin itimate son of a German Stuka pilot stationed in Spain and a Danish nursemaid in the Halcon household The pilot died in the war, and the maid committed suicide The old master raised the boy in his house and provided for his upbringing His nized that one unquestionable loyal folloas more valuable than a

platoon bound only by self-interest He gave him a new name and sent Guzman to the forest schools, where he learned to speak several languages, and to more specialized tutors who versed him in the martial arts and use of weapons Guzave him his hideous scar The old rew into a devoted aide whose natural skills for murder and mayhem proved to be a bonus

"I re that Perez was basically a simple man," Guzman said

He was a fanatical nihilist The good archdeacon formed the Brotherhood of the Sacred Sword of Truth because he felt Torquemada was too soft on heretics Fortunately," he said with a smile, "his priestly vows didn't prevent him from enjoyments of the flesh with the female novitiates Otherwise the Halcon faious zeal stop hi the property of those he condemned His beliefs resulted in the Brotherhood's prime directive"

Guz machine: "The Brotherhood's prime duty is to erase all evidence of prior contact between the Old and the New World before Columbus"

"It is still our duty, but I aes"

"Changes, sir?" The directive was holy writ in the Brotherhood

"Don't be surprised The Brotherhood has shifted direction before We evolved froanization to protect the Spanish crown We did our ell The Brotherhood staestions of pre-Columa and hence the infallibility of royal decisions By defending the belief that Columbus was the first European to travel to the New World, we kept other countries fro his deeds was a capital criFerdinand and Queen Isabella are dead Spain is no longer a great power' "

"It is not the idea itself," Guzman murmured, "it is the purity of the idea"

"My father taught you well He dru our sacred vow to carry out our original mandate can we remain an elite priesthood united in a sacred cause Under the Brotherhood, Columbus has achieved near sainthood Even today modern scholars who deviate from the premise laid down by our medieval brothers risk their careers The world wonders how Generalissimo Franco was able to remain in power to his deathbed It was because of the alliances he had forged with the Brotherhood The greatest threat to our fraternity was averted, thanks to you"

"Your father told me the object on board the ship could destroy the Brotherhood But he also wanted to show his followers that he illing to go to any lengths to preserve the raison d'etre of Los Hermanos "

"Yes, he co his ships so his followers had no choice but to stay by his side"

"Your father was a wise man"

"Wise, yes, but his obsession with the past would have led to the de more than a Spanish Mafia when I took control If the Brotherhood is to go on for another five hundred years, we er work to protect a non-existent Spanish sovereignty but to lay the foundations for a new empire Our inspiration will be Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent of the Maya, ill return in different forin a new era This time Quetzalcoatl will be reborn as a hawk"

"I don't understand"