More Beautiful than a Lightning Bolt?
When they arrived at the temple in the clouds, Tezcatlipoca was sleeping.
“That jaguar is huge!” Manauia whispered.
Martín agreed. And actually, Tezcatlipoca looked bigger now than the last time they’d seen him.
The jaguar opened his yellow eyes and rose. He stretched, arching his long back. He yawned, showing off all his glinting teeth.
“You came back.” He looked at Manauia. “Is this the thing more beautiful than a lightning bolt?”
“No,” Martín said. “That is.”
He pointed at the necklace in Manauia’s hand. The image Manauia had carved seemed to move in a pool of colors on the shell.
The jaguar tilted his head. “Bring it to me.”
Manauia took a deep breath and stepped cautiously toward Tezcatlipoca. He bowed as he held the necklace out.
“Manauia made it,” Nelli told the jaguar. “Specifically for you.”
“Hmmm,” the jaguar replied. “And who else has a thing such as this?”
“Nobody,” they all cried out.
“Only you,” said Martín.
“Put it around my neck,” Tezcatlipoca commanded. He lowered his head, and Manauia draped the necklace on him.
Martín was no expert on beauty. Still, he couldn’t help but think this really was one of the most beautiful things he’d ever seen. He hoped Tezcatlipoca felt the same way.
Fortunately, the jaguar seemed to agree.
“I like it,” he purred. “Very much.”
“More than the lightning bolt?” Martín asked. He crossed his fingers behind his back.
Tezcatlipoca turned to the lightning bolt still wedged into the stone floor. “Certainly more than that ugly stick.”
“Wonderful!” Emma sighed.
“So you’ll let us take it back to Tlaloc?” Nelli asked.
Tezcatlipoca laughed. “Tlaloc can have his dull old staff. It is of no use to me.”
They ran to the lightning bolt and began tugging at it, trying to lift it out of the ground. But the bolt was wedged in very deep.
“We can’t get it out!” Nelli cried.
Tezcatlipoca slowly walked over to them. He wrapped his tail around the staff and, with one swift yank, pulled it out of the stone.
“And now… you’d best be going before I get too hungry.” The jaguar licked his snout and narrowed his eyes.
“Right,” Emma said. “We’re leaving.”
As they got ready to leave, Martín looked back at the jaguar, who was grinning as he admired himself in his obsidian mirror. He was glad to see Tezcatlipoca a little less sad.
“To Mount Tlaloc,” Emma called.
The mountaintop was calm and peaceful. The sky was full of stars, and there wasn’t even the tiniest breeze. But that was because they were in the eye of Tlaloc’s storm. On the outside, the storm was in full force. Giant gray-and-black clouds rolled around the sky. The rain looked like metal sheets crashing to the ground.
“Tlaloc!” Emma called out.
“We have your lightning bolt,” Martín said.
“Tlaloc, where are you?” Nelli asked.
“There!” Manauia pointed at the face carved into the side of the mountain. Its googly eyes stared back at them.
They ran up to the carving, and Nelli set the lightning bolt on the ground before it. But the face did not respond.
“Tlaloc!” Nelli said. “You need to wake up.”
“What’s wrong with him?” asked Manauia.
“I don’t know.” Emma shrugged. “He said he got his energy from the lightning bolt.”
“So… maybe he’s out of energy,” Martín added. “That’s it!” He snapped his fingers. “Maybe Tlaloc has to be charged up!”
“How do we do that?” Nelli asked.
“Look for somewhere we could insert the lightning bolt,” Martín instructed. “Like a big crack or a hole in the ground.”
They all began searching.
“What about this?” Manauia asked. He was standing next to a round stone slab on the ground with a large slit carved into it.
“Exactly!” Martín cried.
The lightning bolt fit into the slit perfectly. Instantly, it lit up and began glowing brightly. Electricity crackled in the air around it, and they all stepped back. The wind began to gather into a giant swirl above them. It was so strong that it kept pushing them into one another.
“I don’t like this,” Nelli said.
A blast of light shot out of the lightning bolt and straight into the dark clouds.
“Run!” Emma yelled. The air around them crackled. Martín could taste metal on his tongue, and something smelled like it was burning… or about to burn.
“In there!” Manauia pointed at a cave, and they all ran for cover.
From their hiding spot, they watched as the lightning bolt sucked in all the clouds storming over Mount Tlaloc. As it did, the bolt grew brighter and brighter.
And the sky grew clearer and clearer.
“Look!” Nelli pointed at the ground near the lightning bolt. It, too, was glowing.
“What is that?” Martín pointed at the thin gold line spreading out from the hole where the bolt was buried. It raced toward the stone face carved into the mountainside.
The light traveled up the wall and filled in all Tlaloc’s features, as if it were coloring him in. And then Tlaloc opened his eyes.
At the same time, a bright flash exploded across the sky.
Martín fell backward, covering his eyes with his hands.
“Ha!” Tlaloc’s gravelly voice broke through the silence.
Martín peeked through his fingers.
The sky was a beautiful blue with eagles circling a golden sun. There was not a cloud to be seen anywhere.
“Come, children,” Tlaloc said.
Martín and the others cautiously climbed out of the cave.
“You brought back my lightning bolt?”
They nodded.
“Thank you,” Tlaloc said. “I am in your debt. Please tell me, what can I do for you?”
“We just wanted the rain to stop,” Nelli said. “And it did.”
Everything around them glistened with droplets of water.
“Indeed it did,” Tlaloc said. “But I will do more than that. I am a giver of life, but my rage has created much destruction. To repay you, I will guard your village with special care. You shall always have rain to nourish your crops, cool air to temper the heat, and warmth when the Earth grows cooler. Texcoco will be rebuilt, and it will flourish. It will become a city of legends.”
Nelli and Manauia bowed their heads. “We are grateful, and our people will forever thank you.”
“And you.” Tlaloc addressed Martín and Emma. “I have something for you as well.”
“You do?” Martín asked.
“Place your hand in my mouth.”
“Ummm… No thank you,” Emma said, and Martín stepped back.
Tlaloc laughed a grumbly, rumbly sound. “I won’t hurt you; I promise.”
“What do you think?” Emma asked. “Together?”
Martín grabbed her hand and nodded.
They reached into the big stone mouth. Martín’s hand found a cool, smooth stone. When he pulled it out, he realized it was a carved replica of Tlaloc. Emma had one too. They were similar to the statue Nelli’s grandmother had given Emma, but they were carved in jade stone and a lot more detailed.
“This is so you don’t forget me,” Tlaloc said.
“Oh, we’ll never forget this!” Martín said.
“Never,” Emma agreed.
“Good. Then it’s time you all went home.”
“Thank you for your help!” Nelli gave Martín and Emma a big hug.
“I’m glad it worked out,” Emma replied.