---

20: Caxamalca

Don Diego is in his rooms – he is reading by a fire – there is a knock on the door

Don Diego
Come in

Enter Felipe

Don Diego
Ah Felipe, thank you for coming

Felipe
Don Diego

Don Diego
I trust you are happy
Among the Conquistadors

Felipe
Yes, sir

Don Diego
Please take a seat… would you like some wine

Felipe
Yes

Don Diego
So, to business, I hear you are in love

Felipe
What

Don Diego
Love, with one of Atahualpa’s queens

Felipe
How did you, how did you know

Don Diego
I have eyes
& had you follow’d on one of your trysts
But do not panic, boy, your secret’s safe
But there is one thing I’d like you to do

Felipe
Yes
My mind is clear therefore my words are few

Don Diego
The situation is rather simple
While Atahualpa lives all of his gold
Bethroth’d only for ransom, none of which
Am I entitl’d to not being here
W,hen was that promise made, if he were dead
However, then equally divided
Would the treasures be, &, if he were dead,
His wives would not be married anymore

Felipe
You want me to murder Atahualpa

Don Diego
Of course not, Don Pizarro is no fool
He would suspect & seize the gold in lieu
No, it must be done within the bounds of law

Felipe
I do not understand

Don Diego
Listen to me
You must tell Don Pizarro you have heard
Atahualpa plotting with his men
That he is treacherously deceitful
Sends stealth-orders out to his native land
& all his other provinces to raise
An army large enough to kill us all
That now approaches daily, at its head
Ruminagui, his greatest captain, aims
For Caxamalca, & arriving soon
& swear upon the Bible all you say

Felipe
The book, you want me to swear on the book

Don Diego
In this case, he is a pagan king
Refusing still the Savior as his Lord
He is beyond redemption & to Hell
We’ll send him

Felipe
I – I

Don Diego
Think of your lover
With Atahualpa gone she shall be yours

Felipe
I shall do it

Don Diego
Good boy, good boy, more wine

Felipe
No – that was enough, thank you, I shall go

Don Diego
I suggest create the illusion of an army
Light some fires, trample, grasses,
All convincing needs …

Felipe
As soon as Atahualpa has been slain
You’ll never have to sneak around again

Exit Felipe – Don Diego pours himself another drink

Don Diego
My dear, dear friend, my dear Don Pizarro
Why should you have first plucking of the fowl
I leave me a scanty set of feathers
I have not travel’d all this way from Spain
To watch other Spaniards grow wealthy – hah,
Too long has the prodigal course remain’d
Out of my hands, wealth unproliferate
{inspects gold}
But all is changing to a golden glut.

21: Caxamalca

Atahualpa’s apartments / he is playing chess with Hernando

Hernando
What is this

Atahualpa
It is call’d the coco plant
You chew & suck the leaf – it makes you sharp

Hernando
Thank you – it is your move I do believe

Atahualpa
I check you with my bishop

Hernando
A fine move
& one as if you have conquer’d the game
A feat impossible in one short month
Nevertheless, as princes master men
They master games

Atahualpa
& writing too, I love
The way words travel forth thro space & time

Hernando
Spanish, also, you master this as well
In only three months, quite remarkable
When I return to Spain, as I will soon,
The Governor has order’d my return,
To take the King of Spain his legal share
Of your regal ransom & other gold
& when I am safely over ocean
I will send you a letter from my homes
Describing fertile Andalucía
& all the beauties of my perfect land

Atahualpa
But I shall never read it

Hernando
Why say that

Atahualpa
It pains me you’re leaving Caxamalca
I sense the moment you are departed
The fat man, with the single pitch-black eye
Whose ugly stare rolls with disillusion,
Will slay me in the cause of Incan gold

Hernando
You mean Don Diego de Almagro

Atahualpa
Yes

Hernando
But he is a good Christian man

Atahualpa
He worships not your God but only gold
Speak of the Devil & the Devil comes

Enter a furious Don Pizarro with Don Diego

Don Pizarro
How sordid can a situation swing
I’ve kept you like a prince, but in your turn,
You treat me like a swine

Atahualpa
What, me, I, I

Don Pizarro
Princes do not die accidental deaths
You’ve killed your brother to secure your throne
& furthermore armies are amassing
Approaching Caxamalca at your word

Hernando
Brother, what is happening

Don Pizarro
This traitor
Is plotting our destruction

Hernando
I object
I swear he is a good man

Don Diego
You’ve been fool’d
He’s hatched a scheme, worthy of the devil
Is that not so

Atahualpa
What plot, no, not at all
His majesty, the emperor of Spain
Has treat me well, has promised me my lands
Why would I jeopardize security
& honour, on some plot, while imprison’d
It makes no sense

Don Pizarro
I share that sentiment
So sad when I took you as a brother
Heard your inviolable promises
Sacred, indisputable, & worthless
I have heard reports

Hernando
What is reported?

Don Pizarro
Tell me of your captain, Ruminagui,

Atahualpa
He is a fine warrior, cool of head
What of him

Don Diego
He marches with an army
On Caxamalca where he doth intend
The deaths of every Christian he sees
In order to release your royal spine
From this incarceration

Atahualpa
If he does
Tis not at my command he cometh here

Don Pizarro
Independent Incas do not exist
They are your words that draws him to this place

Atahualpa
Ha-ha! this is your Spanish mockery
That’s always making jokes at my expense
How could I & my people possibly
Cause anxiety to valiant men
You must be silly-talking, just as jest
My children in the jungle playing ball
If there was such an army drawing near
I would know every detail of the march
Such eyes & ears do Incan kings possess
Nobody will ever move in this land
Unless the word I’d given – look at me
A prisoner of the bearded White Ones
You have nothing to fear

Don Pizarro
But your escape

Don Diego
I think he should be kill’d

Hernando
But why, he is sufficiently guarded
Only a fool would attempt a rescue

Hernando
How do we know he is telling the truth

Don Diego
Who

Hernando
Your source for Rumanagui’s attack

Don Pizarro
We cannot waste time investigating
When balancing upon on a razor’s edge
& all this points to a singular choice
Being a bar to the permanent peace
Tho’ most noble, Atahualpa must die

Atahualpa
Die! But why should I die?

Don Pizarro
It has to be
Pain & strife assembl’d are, while horror
Paves a pathway to us while you are living

Hernando
Death thro’ false testimony is sinful
Thou shalt not bare false witness

Don Pizarro
Enough

Hernando
But the town is defendable
Surely twould better be to wait & see
If Rumangui does truly approach us

Don Pizarro
& if he does our safety compromised
No, Athualpa has to die, & soon
When halls of morn from mists unfolded seen

Atahualpa
I beg you, Don Pizarro, let me live

Don Pizarro
Enough – men put a chain around his neck
Tight-fasten’d so he utters no more lies
Captain De Soto gather in a host
& take with you a hundred horse, relay
To every part that Atahualpa’s slain
Such news might sting enough to end the cause
We should maintain a careful watch meanwhile
All thro’ the night our cavalry shall tour
The outer walls, patrolling the ramparts

De Soto
Yes sir, I shall tell all the men at once

Hernando
But brother

Don Pizarro
This is no concern of yours
& besides, your horses are now ready

Hernando
My horses
Don Pizarro
I have ended the terms of the ransom
All that we now possess have smelted down
To distribute among my warriors
According to their station & service
As does befit an army’s valiance
& you shall take the quinto to the king
Four boats approach San Miguel
To carry thee, via Panama, home
There’s one hundred thousand pesos of gold
& twenty thousand marks of silver pack’d
In saddlebags, with handsome figurines

Hernando
You are painting me out of the picture

Don Pizarro
There is nobody else that I could trust
So, brother, say your farewells to the King
{to Atahualpa}
You have twenty minutes
{to his soldiers}
Make sure he comes

Exit Don Pizarro

Hernando
I do not know what to say

Atahualpa
Say nothing
You have been a very good friend to me
I wish all White Ones were noble as thee

Hernando
Likewise, I wish all kings could share thy grace
Embrace me
{they embrace}
Farewell King Atahualpa

Exit Hernando – the soldiers chain Atahualpa

---

22: Caxamlaca

Don Pizarro’s apartments / Don Pizarro is at a desk with Valverde, Gonzola & Captain De Soto – Atahualpa is brought in

Valverde
This court shall now convene, the prisoner
Shall now pronounce his name – tell us your name

Atahualpa
I am Atahualpa

Don Pizarro
Where are you from

Atahualpa
From?

Don Pizarro
Your place of birth

Atahualpa
Its call’d Caranqui

Valverde
In the name of his majesty King Charles
These are the charges Spain brings against thee
Incest, idolatry, heinous plots
Against your Christian captors, & the
Murder of your brother, King Huascar

Don Pizarro
How do you plead

Atahualpa
What

Don Pizarro
How do you plead

Arahualpa
Plead

Don Pizarro
There is no need for pleading, all your sins
Shall be accounted for when put to death

Atahualpa
Buy why want to kill me

Don Diego
Not want, but must
Trusting the ways of justice among us
In the name of his Divine Majesty
King Atahualpa here condemn’d to die

Atahualpa
Die ! No ! No ! double my fetters & guards
& wait until you see there are no plots
To challenge thy authority absurd
For I am in your power, bound with chains,
If you think men come without permission,
You misunderstand the obedience
Commanded by my power in this land
If I do not wish it, no bird will fly,
& not a leaf will stay upon the trees

Valverde
Whate’er you say this verdict shall not change
& flames shall be thy fate, to ash & bones
Your flesh reduced, you shall accepting
Jesus as Savior, the heretic dies
In agony, stake-tied, melting in flames
& there’s no afterlife for bodies burn’s
As is your freakish custom, Christians
However, do enjoy a swifter fate,
When if in Jesus’ name ye’ll be baptized
Death’s fire will be dows’d, how chooseth thee

Atahualpa
I-I

Valverde
You must call your fate this moment

SAVE YOUR SOUL

You, you, you know its true
The Azrael wont come for you
& the Holy Ghost comes into view
when Jesus Christ in you renews
King of the Jews

Yes, you, you who are to blame
It’s not too late to cleanse your shame
If you don’t want Satan’s hated flame
Baptise yourself in Jesus name

Save your soul my son
Save your soul O special one

You, you, know what to do
The everlasting avenue
Of Christians shall pray for you’
our paradise on earth is due

King of the jews

Yes, you, you I do proclaim
Ever since the saviour to us came
We’ll never let Satan stake his claim
Baptise yourself in Jesus name

Save your soul my son
Save your soul O special one

Valverde
So who shall it be, Jesus or Satan?

Atahualpa
Jesus

Don Pizarro
Fray Vincente de Valverde
Bring his soul’s sheep into our happy fold
Take him away, the execution tim’d
For two o clock, the sooner the better

Exit Atahualpa & Valverde

Gonzola
Don Francisco, I urge thee, change thy course
We are hierarchical in our bones
& regicide astonishingly wrong
I know the King of Spain will not approve
When executioners of low estate
Slaying a veritable Suleyman

Don Pizarro
‘Tis pity he must die, but die he must
I cannot keep him more my prisoner
The center of fermenting hopes
His life brings vigor to his warriors
His being dead all obstacles are gone
That bars our forward passage to the realm
If he were old then fain I’d let him live
But he is young & well, with strength endow’d
The only answer’s Atahualpa’s now
Condemn’d to death’s cruel necessity

Gonzola
Mercy, God’s first & final attribute
This would be the worst deed we’ve committed
In this entire empire of the Indies

Captain de Soto
Subjects & sovereigns are not the same
To kill him would be wrong, even a sin

Don Pizarro
Enough, it is decided, no more talk
I love you brother but now you must leave
But be pregnant in your preparation
At two o’clock the King of Inca dies

---

23 : Caxamalca main square

Atahualpa is brought out & tied to a stake – De Valverde comes with a bible

Valverde
The Bible tells us we are God’s children
& belong in the Kingdom of Heaven
May your Holy Spirit surround us, Lord
& welcome this new child into thy church
So your son may dwell in his heart though faith
& the grace of Jesus Christ throughout him flow
Being rooted and establish’d in love,
Fill’d with the measure & fullness of God
By the authority vested in me
In the name of the Father & the Son
& the Holy Ghost, I baptize thee Paul
As was the name of the first apostle
Paul, do you acknowledge God’s love this day
Already works within thee

Atahualpa
Yes I do

Valverde
Then, as Jesus took children in his arms
& bless’d them, so now we ask God’s blessing
Heavenly Father, we praise this child’s birth
Surround him with your blessings, so he’ll know
Your love, & know your goodness all his days,
As are your faultless ways Amen

All
Amen

Enter Felipe & Cuxamiray hand-in-hand / straw thrown over Atahualpa & lit / he is garrotted

Valverde
So end the days of a man so cruel

Enter Pedro with Ciquinchara

Pedro
No

Don Pizarro
What is it
{They speak in silence / Don Pizarro points to Felipe}
Arrest that man

Felipe
What is this

Don Pizarro
Now you’ll share your Inca’s fate
While you are now censur’d to share his fate
I know, Felippilo, what you have done

Felipe
Done, what do you mean

Don Pizarro
You betray’d your king
Told disgusting lies of phantom armies
Sent Indians to trample grass & build
Camp-fires of deceptive regiments,
All for to make Queen Cuxamiray yours

Felipe
It is not true

Don Diego
Yes, it is, I recall
Hearing something with that gist from his mouth
Now it all makes sense

Don Pizarro
Never traitors trust
Take him away, tear his body apart
With horses roped to every limb

Felipe
Wait, no!

Valverde
Let Felipillo forever
Be the name of a traitor in Peru

Cuxamiray wails

Don Diego
& now, if there are no more Incan kings
There can’t be any queens, she’s lost her rank
Do what you will with her, please shut her up

Conquistador 1
Who’s the first lads

Conquistador 2
Allow me

Conquistador 3
Hold her down

Cuxamiray is raped while Atahualpa is taken down from the stake by Valverde / Atahualpa’s grieving wives hang themselves