Nexus - 0212 - New Times Magazine-pages

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they publicly beheaded him in the great square of Lima. Very soon afterwards, Valverde, Bishop of Cuzco, with the judge, Velasquez, and some other followers of Pizarro, were allowed to embark from the port of Lima. was assisting the marquess to put on his armour, ran to the _— they publicly beheaded him in the great square of Lima. outer chamber and, with the aid of two young men who were _—- Very soon afterwards, Valverde, Bishop of Cuzco, with the pages, tried to resist the attack. judge, Velasquez, and some other followers of Pizarro, were In the desperate struggle that followed, two of the assas- allowed to embark from the port of Lima. sins were mortally wounded, and Alcantara and his two helpers were badly hurt. Pizarro, giving up futile attempts to To this day, it is generally believed that Pizarro expended don his breastplate, wrapped a cloak around his arm, _his vast fortune on building his capital of Lima. But how grabbed a sword, and rushed to the outer chamber to join the —_can that be true? His building costs would have been almost affray. By now, the two pages lay dead on the floor, and _ negligible. Most of the materials, such as stone and timber Alcantara was staggering were in abundance, and backwards under a rain of freely available. There were blows, too weak from loss of - also plenty of Indian slaves blood to hold his position OD ore ecor. 7 to do all the work. any longer. Pizarro sprang forward to take his place and, despite the disadvantage of being at least twice the age of unlikely that his vast fortune his oldest opponent, fought ; was given away in gifts to his with the speed and courage Nowy evvaNé! friends, or that it was con- of a tiger. "Oh yes," he COLOMBIA = sumed in building his city of exclaimed, in the first flurry Lima. of cut and thrust, “traitors! During the years before his Have you ia = to kill me in death, Pizarro could have my own house? ; been sending large amounts Two of his adversaries fell of gold north, to the hidden to his sword. The others safety of the San Andreas drew back in dismay. Mountains. Initially, these “Well, come on," he taunt- consignments of gold going ed them. “You think I can't north would not have aroused deal with you all?" He undue suspicions, as he was lunged at them again, and the long in the habit of dispatch- conspirators fell back a few ing large amounts of gold to more paces to avoid the fury his creditors in Panama. of his assault. Later on, of course, he would "Why are we taking so have had to exercise greater long?" yelled Rada. Eager to discretion. In which case, end matters quickly, he the gold would have been grabbed hold of one of his sent north in secret, probably companions, and pushed him disguised as pig iron ingots, forward, straight onto each ingot having been treat- Pizarro's sword. In that ed with the bituminous sub- instant, before the weapon stance the Incas used for sur- could be withdrawn from the facing their royal roads, and unfortunate man, Rada darted loaded aboard empty vessels in, and stabbed Pizarro in the as ballast. In the further throat. As he reeled from the PRECOLUMMIAN CENTRAL ANDES | . interests of secrecy, the con- blow, and sank to his knees, © 3000 ILC-A.D, 1500 , veying of these consignments Rada and several others peste Empire ot hie greatest extent of gold would have had to be plunged their swords into his "Bone te entrusted to people who body. ane = could keep their mouths shut. "Jesu!" cried Pizarro, with Sila It is therefore likely that his dying breath. He lay still these same people would for a moment, then with his have been partners in the Pizarro was neither mean nor generous, but he was avaricious, and it is very finger traced a cross on the ; : scheme, having deposited bloody floor, and bent his head down to kiss it. Another their own shares of gold with Pizarro's cache. stroke put an end to him. It must be explained why Pizarro, and some of his follow- The conspirators were not in control of Lima. Their first ers, would have sent their gold north to be hidden under the step was to seek out and apprehend Pizarro's secretary, | San Andreas Mountain. The answer to this question is quite Picade, who, they interrogated as to where his master had obvious, when considering the enormous amount of gold hidden his treasure. Picado would not, or could not, tell they had to protect, they needed a safe place to hide it. them, even though they made him suffer the most excruciat- | Keeping the gold in their personal possession would have ing tortures. Unable to get the information they wanted, _ attracted every cut-throat in the New World. It has already NEXUS¢23 FEBRUARY-MARCH '93