"With the Supreme God as witness! I am the County Magistrate of Rivermouth in the Kingdom of the Lake, the Legion Commander personally appointed by His Highness!... The Avit God King is held in the highest esteem, and as a Mexica, I too prostrate and offer praise... But this time, please forgive me for not being able to accept the coronation..."
The sacrificial Divine Platform was a full seven or eight meters high. The cheers and shouts below the platform were like surging tides! And the confrontation and response on the platform resembled a large canoe afloat on the churning waves of a storm, facing fierce winds and lightning, always at risk of capsizing...
Monkey Kuluca bowed his head, clutching the scepter bestowed by His Highness, calmly and resolutely refusing. He responded in a deep voice, then glanced once more at Mawilo, the Chief Priest beside him, clearly indicating his intentions with his eyes.
