called Titicaca,
where was an island with marvellous temples full of gold, which town lay
at a distance from Cuzco.

Then the civil war began and raged for three whole months, though of
all that happened in that time because of the labour of it, I set down
little, who would get forward with my story.

In this war I played a great part. The fear of Kari was that the
Chancas, seeing the Inca realm thus rent in two, would once more attack
Cuzco. This it became my business to prevent. As the ambassador of Kari
I visited the camp of Huaracha, bearing offers of peace which gave to
him more than he could ever hope to win by strength of arms. I found the
old warrior-king still sick and wasted because of the hurt from Urco's
club, though now he could walk upon crutches, and set out the case. He
answered that he had no wish to fight against Kari who had offered him
such honourable terms, especially when he was waging war against Urco
whom he, Huaracha, hated, because he had striven to poison his daughter
and dealt him a blow which he was sure would end in his death. Therefore
he was ready to make a firm peace with the new Inca, if in addition to
what he offered he would surrender to him Quilla who was his heiress and
would be Queen of the Chancas after him.

With these words I went back to Kari, only to find that on this matter
he was hard as a rock of the mountains. In vain did I plead with him,
and in vain did the high-priest, Larico, by subtle hints and arguments,
strive to gentle his mind.

"My brother," said Kari in that soft even voice of his, when he had
heard me patiently to the end, "forgive me if I tell you that in
advancing this prayer, for one word you say on behalf of King Huaracha,
you say two for yourself, who having unhappily been bewitched by her,
desire this Virgin of the Sun, the lady Quilla, to be your wife. My
brother, take everything else that I have to give, but leave this lady
alone. If I handed her over to Huaracha or to you, as I have told you
before, I should bring upon myself and upon my people the curse of my
father the Sun, and of Pachacamac, the Spirit who is above the Sun. It
was because Upanqui, my father according to the flesh, dared to look
upon her after she had entered the House of the Sun, as I have learned
he did, that a bloody and a cruel death came upon him, for so the
magicians and the wise men have assured me that the oracles declare.
Therefore, rather than do this crime of crim