Toomai stuck his head inside the tent of the gods, asked the sleeping god permission to touch him, and shook Phillip. Timothy and Philip sat up.
“My lord,” Toomai said, bowing. “I seek your permission to touch you.”
“Yeah, it’s OK Toom,” Phillip said, rubbing his eyes, his face and his shoulders.
“Two men, on horses, approach the oasis. They are Chiqua warriors but we don’t know why they ride at the fast pace.”
Timothy and Phillip stood up, stretched, yawned, put on their headdresses; Phillip straightened Timothy’s headband, and pulled out a broken feather; Timothy checked Phillip’s headdress and told him it looked fine.
They quickly pulled on their underwear briefs, put on their white sheer trousers, snapped their battle belts around their hips and threw on their white capes. Toomai and Coolai knelt to laced the gold ankle-high boots of their gods.
Phillip noticed the concern in Timothy’s face and speculated about who the riders were and what they wanted. Phillip was uneasy about this new situation and understood that he was a stronger person because of his friend, his fraternity brother, and companion, Timothy Dexter. He stood silent staring at Timothy.
“Please, my lord, remain inside your tent until we find out who they are,” Toomai advised as he finished lacing Phillip’s hiking boot. He slapped the side of the boot. Phillip stood with his feet together, felt himself, adjusted his battle belt, and waited to be summoned. He dismissed Toomai as Timothy dismissed Coolai. Phillip observed Timothy’s body.
“This is like waiting to go on stage, in a play, right?” Phillip asked.
“Remember, that operetta? What was the name? Oh, something like ’Country Gardens’ or something like that?” Timothy asked.
“I’ll never forget it,” Phillip responded. “Our silk knickers were too tight and I thought the audience would never stop clapping and whistling.”
“I’ll never forget it. The waists were OK but my crotch bound me badly. I felt like I was being grabbed. The seam in the back went right up my crack,” Timothy said, laughing.
“You were being grabbed. We never did find out who the seamstresses were, did we?” Phillip chuckled shifting to one foot. “I think I blushed during the whole performance. It was embarrassing!”
“Like they told us after the show, Phil, neither one of us had anything to be embarrassed about...they enjoyed looking at us.”
Phillip nodded at Timothy’s comment and half listened to Timothy. Phillip shuffled his feet and said. “We must have looked like jerks. But, as they say, beauty is as beauty does, Dex.”
Toomai threw open the flap of the tent and said, “My lords, bad new from the Palaqua. Chief Polay and Chief Piqua request to speak to you.”
“What’s the problem?” Phillip asked.
“I don’t know. It’s bad, though,” Toomai responded. “They request to speak to the gods, Peiquoo and Poutak.” Toomai stood and said to his gods, “Are you ready, my lords?”
“As ready as we can be,” Phillip said.
“Shall we go together?” Timothy asked Phillip.
Peiquoo and Poutak straightened their backs, held their necks high, threw their shoulders back, and walked slowly out of the tent stopping on the red carpet, with a leaping green jaguar in the center.
Timothy and Phillip were greeted by their cadre standing in the double triangle position. Chief Toomai introduced the Chiqua chiefs; Phillip and Timothy gazed at Chief Polay and Chief Piqua, who were also positioned in the double triangle position of honorable greeting to god Peiquoo and god Poutak.
“I know Chief Polay. Do you remember him, from the Lands?” Phillip asked. “Remember him?”
“From the Lands jungle?” Timothy remarked pensively. “Yes, I do.”
Phillip nodded and gazed at Polay.
Chief Piqua stood quiet with his head bowed as Chief Polay raised his head and looked up at the gods Poutak and Peiquoo, sorrowfully. Poutak raised his arm signaling Polay to speak.
“An urgent message from the god Chitak,” Polay said, speaking slowly.
“From Richard,” Phillip said to Timothy.
From Richard, Richard Thomas, Jackson, Mississippi, blonde, straight, light, blue, 180, 6 feet, Timothy thought. He frowned and kept his gaze on Polay.
“The gravest of circumstances has caused an affect on the Omu, the Fifty- First Omu.” He paused then continued, “so speaks Omu, the Fifty-Second Omu.”
Phillip turned to Timothy. “That’s Peiqua, the old Omu’s son.”
Polay continued, “Chief Pitak requests your immediate return to Palak with the greatest speed.”
Phillip and Timothy listened to the request from Richard and understood the pronouncements by Polay from Peiqua. They didn’t understand the illness surrounding Peiqua’s father, the Fifty-First Omu, but knew that Richard was requesting they return to Palak quickly. They watched Polay continue giving details about Omu, the Fifty-First Omu and understood it was difficult for him to speak. He relayed the words from Omu, the Fifty-Second Omu and lowered his head having difficulty speaking.
Toomai raised his arm and barked a command to the cadre. All of the Chiqua warriors and soldiers turned and faced away from Polay. “The Chiqua warriors and soldiers will honor Chief Polay’s grief this way,” he said, bowing to Phillip and then Timothy.
“They don’t want to see his grief: his tears,” Timothy said, to Phillip.
Phillip nodded. They listened to Polay continue with the messages from Peiqua. As Polay spoke Phillip looked high into the morning sky. He saw birds flying high overhead and wondered what kind of birds they were. He listened to Toomai’s translation of the condition of the Omu and waited for him to finish speaking.
“And the Omu, the Fifty-Second Omu, pleads an immediate response from the gods, Poutak and Peiquoo.” Polay bowed his head and became silent.
“Chief Polay,” Phillip said, in a commanding voice. He spoke slowly and sounded serious.
Toomai translated.
“Return to Palak and tell Omu, the Fifty-Second Omu that Poutak and Pequoo will start immediately for the royal city.”
“We thank the god Poutak and the god Peiquoo,” Polay said, as he and Piqua mounted their stallions. They reined their horses around, rode out of the oasis at a gallop, and disappeared down the walk-way.
Keepqua and Quipal walked slowly to Timothy and Phillip. The young men stood next to their gods and awaited orders. Phillip commanded Toomai to order the cadre into a forced march back to Palak. Toomai shouted two sounds: barked orders, the Chiqua warriors and soldiers formed fast march units, and moved quickly onto the walk-way, and rapidly marched in step toward the North.
“Sounds bad, doesn’t it, Dex?” Phillip asked under his breath. He sighed.
“Good thing, we’re finished in the South with the Inca and the Chimu,” Timothy said, grasping Keepqua on his shoulder. “You ready to ride?”
Keepqua looked at Coolai, listened and spoke. Coolai laughed and glanced at Timothy as he put on his gloves.
“What is it?” Timothy asked.
“Keepqua desires to know from the great god, Poutak, if Keepqua is going to have any food for his first meal?” Coolai said, walking with Timothy toward Grande, grazing in the green grass.
“So the kid’s hungry, huh?” Timothy asked.
“It would appear so,” Coolai responded. He took Grande’s reins and held them for Poutak.
Keepqua spoke again to Coolai, who nodded his head.
“My lord, Poutak,” Coolai started, “may I make a request from the new Inca Ambassador to the Chiqua Empire?”
“And what is that?” Timothy asked taking Grande’s reins, putting his foot in the stirrup and swinging his body upward, and straddling the saddle.
“Ambassador Keepqua would like an extra amount of the banana paste. He says he likes it.” “Of course he likes it,” Timothy laughed. “We all like it. You like it don’t you Coolai?” Timothy asked smiling.
Coolai nodded.
Timothy settled himself in the saddle and adjusted his briefs. “Tell the ambassador he can have all the banana paste he wants and also tell him to get his rear end up on Grande if he’s going to ride with me.”
Timothy watched Keepqua as he listened to Coolai. Keepqua listened intently, then he smiled at Coolai, then he looked up at god Poutak and raised his arm. Timothy took Keepqua’s hand and pulled him up behind him on the long soft, alpaca leather saddle. Timothy grabbed Keepqua from behind and pulled him close. “How’s that?” Timothy asked.
Coolai frowned as Keepqua responded to Timothy’s question.
“What did he say?” Timothy asked.
“Coolai does not want to say the words, my lord Poutak,” Coolai said, in a soft tone. He lowered his head as if in shame.
“What did he say?” Timothy asked in a loud tone.
“My lord Poutak must not be offended,” Coolai pleaded.
“No. I won’t be,” Timothy said, feeling Keepqua’s hands on either side of his hips.
“He said it like there are two gods riding on Grande, my lord,” Coolai said.
Timothy thought about what his response would be to Keepqua’s comment. Phillip listened and tried hard not to smile. Quipal held Phillip close. He spoke with authority. “Tell my little brother that he is not a god and he had better pay more respect or I’ll spank his ass.”
Coolai’s eyes opened wide as Timothy spoke. He translated to Keepqua.
Phillip offered, “You meany.” He urged Peaches forward.
Timothy kicked Grande, Grande snorted and started to trot. Keepqua grabbed Timothy’s hips and shouted back at Coolai.
“Now what did he say?” Timothy asked.
“My lord, Poutak,” Coolai shouted. “He said he likes the idea of being your brother better than being a god,” Coolai shouted.
Timothy moved Grande into a gallop. Grande and Peaches raced up the hard surface of the horse path to the right of the walk-way.
“Hang on you little prick,” Timothy said to Keepqua. “We’re going to fly like the wind. And that doesn’t need a translation.”
Keepqua held Timothy tightly and noticed that Quipal was holding onto Peiquoo too. Something very bad in Palak. Something very bad, he thought.
He shouted at Timothy as Grande galloped and the sand dust swirled up around them. “Don’t forget my banana paste,” he shouted to Poutak.
“Later,” Timothy shouted back at Keepqua slapping him on his leg. Wonder what he said to me?





Timothy noticed that the dessert was slowly changing to jungle as the walk-way led down into the large valley that was the Palaqua. Keepqua had become silent and held Timothy with only one hand. Keepqua had gained confidence that he would not fall off the large Chiqua horse.
Timothy looked up into the sky and saw distant dark clouds around a thunderstorm. He saw lightning streak in different directions and felt the rush of colder air alternate with the steamy heat from the Palaqua jungle. He smelled a mixture or water in the air, grass, jungle palms, banana trees and occasionally the distinct smell of a jungle cats, tree bears, monkeys or sloths. He smelled the jungle and he smelled Palak.
Phillip saw the cadre ahead of him march toward the right and seemingly away from the thicker stand of jungle palm trees. He summoned Toomai. Toomai assured him that they were taking the shortest path to Palak. “It’s important that we don’t waste time,” Phillip said, in a commanding tone. “I feel that we’re very close to the Palaqua.”
“We are, my lord Peiquoo,” Toomai said, and continued to march beside Phillip’s horse.
“How much longer, Toomai?” Phillip asked. He reached his hand behind him and felt Quipal. “You OK, pal?” he asked.
“Quipal is fine, he says,” Toomai responded.
A thunderous bass sound rolled through the valley and was augmented by echoes in the distance. Phillip reined Peaches to a halt and turned to listen. The cadre had all stopped marching. They looked in different directions trying to determine the origin of the loud noise. Phillip stood up in his stirrups, turned around and faced Timothy and shouted at him. “Hey, Dex,” he yelled closing his hands around his mouth, “what in hell was that?”
“Sounded like a big cannon, somewhere, Phil,” Timothy said. He heard a second bass boom, and listened as it echoed through the Palaqua. He watched clutches of different species of birds scatter from their nests and tree limbs, squawk and fly high in large circles over the jungle canopy. Some of the cadre covered their ears. Others stopped crouching and stood quietly in the position of the double triangle.
Phillip looked down at Toomai as Timothy rode up beside Phillip’s horse and stopped Grande. “Toomai?” Phillip asked.
Toomai looked up at Phillip and then at Timothy. “Our Omu is dead,” he said, bowed his head and stood reverently in the position of the double triangle.
The young gods waited and remained silent on their mounts. Keepqua and Quipal understood that sadness was in the Chiqua Empire. Neither the young Inca, Keepqua, or the young Michu, Quipal understood the sadness. They stared at each other and remained silent.
Toomai raised his arm and shouted, “Forward!” to the different groups of cadre in front of Phillip and Timothy and behind them. The column started to move rapidly and Phillip looked ahead and saw many Chiqua guards, their bodies painted with streaks of blue and red stain, wearing only white headdresses, white battle belts, with long knives and canteens, and white sandals, standing in front of a large gate that looked like thick jungle growth. The gate opened wide as the yoiung gods approached it.
“Looks like jungle growth to me,” Timothy said.
“Another secret gate...amazing!” Phillip added
Phillip reined Peaches to a gallop and Timothy followed up to the gate. The many guards bowed their heads to Phillip and Timothy. Their leader told the young gods that Omu had died and stopped talking as another loud boom echoed throughout the Palaqua. He informed them at the god, Chitak, was waiting for them in his palace headquarters, and that Toomai and Coolai must take Poutak and Peiquoo directly to the god Chitak.
Toomai and Coolai walked rapidly in front of Grande and Peaches through the gate as the horses followed the Chiqua Chiefs up a ramp onto the main esplanade. The swollen sound of the big drum drowned out other local sounds. They walked across the esplanade as the bass boomed in a slow cadence. Phillip and Timothy frowned at each other while Quipal told Toomai the sound hurt his ears. Toomai advised Prince Quipal to cover his head. Quipal put his head back under Phillip’s cape, pressed his head against Phillip’s back, held on with one arm, and covered his other with his free hand.
Keepqua frowned and said to himself, this will never happen when I am a god. He listened to his words and covered his ears. He was proud that he could stay on the large horse without holding on. He grabbed the horse tightly with his legs.
Phillip heard Grande’s and Peaches’s hooves echo on the marble and granite surface of the esplanade. He caught sight of warriors, elders, soldiers, towns people, and tradesmen walking quickly attending to different tasks. Some carried gold objects. Others carried material: all carried white material. Phillip’s body swayed to and fro as Grande loped behind Toomai’s guiding hand. Phillip looked in the direction of Omu’s throne and saw all ten Att standing in the position of the double triangle, their heads bowed toward Omu’s throne. They stood silently, like tall shimmering green and white statues: white bodies, white faces, covered with pale green shimmering body suits.
Phillip turned toward Timothy and pointed to the Att. “Their heads are stained white?” Phillip asked.
Timothy acknowledged that he saw them and said, “It looks that way.” The Att, Timothy thought. Those strange, beautiful Att. Grande continued sauntering, led by Coolai, his stride jostling Timothy’s body first in one direction then another. Keepqua’s body swayed in unison with Timothy. Timothy reached behind him to make sure that Keepqua was riding comfortably and still straddling Grande. Keepqua held Timothy tighter in response. Lightning flashed in the Eastern Palaqua and cool air raced through the open space of the esplanade. It tilted their flat-brim hats, and flapped their white long trousers and capes. Coolai and Toomai guided their god’s horses across tile patterns, scenes of Chiqua life, in the marble and granite floor of the esplanade. Timothy looked at the floor of the esplanade down beside Grande and watched different scenes pass beneath him. He recognized them: the birth of a baby, a teacher and child, a little girl becomes a woman, a boy becomes a man, a marriage, a farmer, an artisan, an engineer, an architect, a chief, and many depictions of Omu and the leaping jaguar. What is the leaping jaguar?