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Quetzalcoatl (Classical Nahuatl: Quetzalcohuātl [ketsaɬˈko.aːtɬ])
is a Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and has the meaning of "feathered serpent".
The worship of a feathered serpent deity is first documented in Teotihuacan in the first century BC.
Samuel McCord had a duel of spirits with this entity aboard the cursed Demeter in 1853:
http://www.amazon.com/RITES-OF-PASSAGE-ebook/dp/B004XQVPYM
{McCord has entered a strange cavern within the depths of the ship to keep an old man from being tortured.}
I glared up at the darkness and said, “What the hell is going on? Is every demon from my past coming to haunt me at once?”
“Come in and we will discuss it,” a deep voice from the shadows said with an emphasis on the S's in 'discuss.'
“Only if you promise freedom to Aziza and her people.”
“The end of a Great Cycle is upon us, and all you can see are gnats. Have your precious vermin that would kill you at first sight. Now, are you satisfied? Come in!”
Tucking in Solomon’s knife, I bent down and picked up my Stetson, putting it on, and smiled, “Well, since you asked so nice.”
I started towards the yawning mouth of the chamber, then slowed. Like mists from hell, black fog boiled out slowly. It curled and creamed in the humid, hot air like an unspoken fear trying to form itself on the edge of my consciousness.
I smiled weary. I had to stop reading those letters from William James before I turned in.
Only I would have heard the crunch of the gravel under my boots as I walked in the huge, dark chamber. The smells of a rooster’s den and snake pit mixed unwelcome in my nose.
A faint click of large stretching scales sounded above me. Something big was moving along the ceiling. It moved off to my right, down the wall, then back up. A deep voice trailed from the movement.
“Your senses are good to pick up my body.”
“Something tells me I’m not in the Gulf of Mexico anymore.”
“Yes and no.”
“The story of my life.”
“Yes, the sipapu you stepped through is still aboard the Demeter. But, no, your body and mine are several ice ages back in the stream of consciousness.”
As he talked, he flowed along the ceiling right to left, down then up. “You like making me dizzy?”
“I would like to continue existence.”
“Why?”
“An excellent question, mammal. And its answer is you.”
“Not so I notice.”
“But that is the very beauty of it, that you do not comprehend it. Yes, I have gotten bored with building one empire, only to see it destroyed from within.”
Pepples dislodged by his passing above me hit my shoulders and Stetson. “And I’m the answer to that?”
“At first, I thought the Teotics would suffice. But they were consumed with bloodlust and petty rivalries. Then, I chose the Spanish. But they were too hot-blooded and easily led to endure. I toyed with the French. The British are just too insuferable. But you American mammals have just the right mixture of greed and cleverness to play the proper endgame to this last of Cycles.”
“I’m not much of a joiner.”
“Which is why you are perfect to tear down the empire I propose to build.”
His chuckle was hollow. “I am bored with others pulling down the civilizations I engineered. But it occurred to me that building one, then tearing it down myself might prove amusing.”
“Everyone should have a hobby.”
“Every race at the end refuses to see it, thinking foolishly that life will go on eternally as before. Did it not do so for that boy out there?”
I sighed, “Reckon you might be right. But thinking like that isn’t going to help me catch Rachel’s murderer, is it?”
I couldn’t catch a clear glimpse of Quetzalcoathl. Not that I was complaining, mind you. But it was unnerving to talk to a shifting shadow in the darkness that sounded as if it weighed a ton.
“You do know that several ice ages back in time as you are, not even the formidable Elu can reach out to you through his bond to your spirit.”
“Then, I guess I’ll just have to make do on my own. It’s why I get paid all of a hundred and fifty dollars a month.”
Right then, he sounded sad. “I would not have expected it. But I find I like you.”
“Like me enough to tell me who killed Rachel?”
“I like you enough to ask you to let that one question go. It will destroy you.”
“And if I’m destroyed, I can’t very well be your catspawn, can I?”
“Oh, you will not be able to help yourself there. It is your very nature to be the kind of man that will act the catalyst for my plans.”
“And what’s my nature?”
“Decency. Simple decency. I had not thought to find an adult mammal capable of such character.”
“And decency will destroy the world?”
“And you with it, I am afraid.”
***
is a Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and has the meaning of "feathered serpent".
The worship of a feathered serpent deity is first documented in Teotihuacan in the first century BC.
Samuel McCord had a duel of spirits with this entity aboard the cursed Demeter in 1853:
http://www.amazon.com/RITES-OF-PASSAGE-ebook/dp/B004XQVPYM
{McCord has entered a strange cavern within the depths of the ship to keep an old man from being tortured.}
I glared up at the darkness and said, “What the hell is going on? Is every demon from my past coming to haunt me at once?”
“Come in and we will discuss it,” a deep voice from the shadows said with an emphasis on the S's in 'discuss.'
“Only if you promise freedom to Aziza and her people.”
“The end of a Great Cycle is upon us, and all you can see are gnats. Have your precious vermin that would kill you at first sight. Now, are you satisfied? Come in!”
Tucking in Solomon’s knife, I bent down and picked up my Stetson, putting it on, and smiled, “Well, since you asked so nice.”
I started towards the yawning mouth of the chamber, then slowed. Like mists from hell, black fog boiled out slowly. It curled and creamed in the humid, hot air like an unspoken fear trying to form itself on the edge of my consciousness.
I smiled weary. I had to stop reading those letters from William James before I turned in.
Only I would have heard the crunch of the gravel under my boots as I walked in the huge, dark chamber. The smells of a rooster’s den and snake pit mixed unwelcome in my nose.
A faint click of large stretching scales sounded above me. Something big was moving along the ceiling. It moved off to my right, down the wall, then back up. A deep voice trailed from the movement.
“Your senses are good to pick up my body.”
“Something tells me I’m not in the Gulf of Mexico anymore.”
“Yes and no.”
“The story of my life.”
“Yes, the sipapu you stepped through is still aboard the Demeter. But, no, your body and mine are several ice ages back in the stream of consciousness.”
As he talked, he flowed along the ceiling right to left, down then up. “You like making me dizzy?”
“I would like to continue existence.”
“Why?”
“An excellent question, mammal. And its answer is you.”
“Not so I notice.”
“But that is the very beauty of it, that you do not comprehend it. Yes, I have gotten bored with building one empire, only to see it destroyed from within.”
Pepples dislodged by his passing above me hit my shoulders and Stetson. “And I’m the answer to that?”
“At first, I thought the Teotics would suffice. But they were consumed with bloodlust and petty rivalries. Then, I chose the Spanish. But they were too hot-blooded and easily led to endure. I toyed with the French. The British are just too insuferable. But you American mammals have just the right mixture of greed and cleverness to play the proper endgame to this last of Cycles.”
“I’m not much of a joiner.”
“Which is why you are perfect to tear down the empire I propose to build.”
His chuckle was hollow. “I am bored with others pulling down the civilizations I engineered. But it occurred to me that building one, then tearing it down myself might prove amusing.”
“Everyone should have a hobby.”
“Every race at the end refuses to see it, thinking foolishly that life will go on eternally as before. Did it not do so for that boy out there?”
I sighed, “Reckon you might be right. But thinking like that isn’t going to help me catch Rachel’s murderer, is it?”
I couldn’t catch a clear glimpse of Quetzalcoathl. Not that I was complaining, mind you. But it was unnerving to talk to a shifting shadow in the darkness that sounded as if it weighed a ton.
“You do know that several ice ages back in time as you are, not even the formidable Elu can reach out to you through his bond to your spirit.”
“Then, I guess I’ll just have to make do on my own. It’s why I get paid all of a hundred and fifty dollars a month.”
Right then, he sounded sad. “I would not have expected it. But I find I like you.”
“Like me enough to tell me who killed Rachel?”
“I like you enough to ask you to let that one question go. It will destroy you.”
“And if I’m destroyed, I can’t very well be your catspawn, can I?”
“Oh, you will not be able to help yourself there. It is your very nature to be the kind of man that will act the catalyst for my plans.”
“And what’s my nature?”
“Decency. Simple decency. I had not thought to find an adult mammal capable of such character.”
“And decency will destroy the world?”
“And you with it, I am afraid.”
***
Wow, Roland! How do you do it? You found such a novel word for Q! You are amazing! -- schizoid Roland
ReplyDeleteYour comment amused me.
ReplyDeleteIronic a good quality is what will destroy the civilization.
And I chuckled at the "Everyone needs a hobby" line.
I liked the hobby comment, too.
ReplyDelete- Eric
That McCord has such class... "Tucking in Solomon’s knife, I bent down and picked up my Stetson, putting it on, and smiled, '“Well, since you asked so nice.”'
ReplyDeleteYes, I liked the line "Well, since you asked so nice" too.
ReplyDeleteQuetzalcoatl? I haven't seen his name since high school Spanish class!
ReplyDeleteI like dissociative Roland's comment above, hee hee. *points*
Alex:
ReplyDeleteThe voices in my head never let me be lonely for long! I thought of how so much grief in this world is caused by people meaning well that decency could well end up destroying the world as much as any negative factor!
Eric:
Sam can't help but put a pin in the ego's of the villains he's facing. Glad you liked the comment as did Alex, Roland
Candilyn:
Sam just tipped his Stetson to you for the class remark. How is that shoulder he asks. Me, too. :-)
Claire:
Sam has a dry sense of humor much like Humphrey Bogart ... but in a Stetson! :-)
Jennifer:
Quetzalcoatl likes that you haven't heard his name since high school. The obscurity allows him to move his pawns so much easier for the end game nearing its fruition on Deceember 21, 2012. Oooh, scary. LOL.
And dissociative Roland is never lonely! The voices keep him company! LOL.