Antonio walked around her still feet. One was poised in the act of taking a step forward. It seemed gargantuan beside him, but the cypress dwarfed it to insignificance.
Between the legs lay a nearly nude man.
Antonio knelt. "Who are you?"
The man looked in all directions with uncomprehending eyes. "I am blind. The lightning has taken my sight."
"You are fortunate. For you lie in the path of the monster. Her foot is lifted to take a step. If completed, she would have crushed you like a locust."
"I would gladly be crushed under the feet of my mother if only I could behold her one last time," the man said dully.
"Then sadness will be your eternal destiny, because that will never come to pass. Coatlicue has succumbed."
Weeping, the man crawled under the shelter of the half-lifted foot. On his back, he struggled up to kiss her heel but lacked all strength to complete the absurd action.
Antonio let him be. He was not important. As he scanned the skies, he saw that helicopters circled above, braving the rain. Strangely the lightning had ceased its dramatic striking, as if considering its job accomplished. The choppers drew closer.
They were even now broadcasting this sight to all Mexico. Well, Antonio would give them a sight to remember the rest of their days. He faced his loyal cohorts.
"My Juarezistas, approach with me. The Azteca revolution is over. Their idol walks no more. We are in command now. Let us demonstrate this to a fearful Mexico."
The Maya approached, walking as if on eggshells.
"We must topple this usurper so that she breaks into many pieces," Antonio explained. "It will be a political statement that will prove for all time the righteousness of our cause."
"How?" asked Kix. "It is so big."
"See how the monster balances on one foot? Let us push her in one direction, all of us, so that she loses her imperfect balance."
The Maya shrank from the fearful task. "Show us, Lord Verapaz. Guide our hands that we may do this."
Laying down his AK, Antonio placed both hands on the lifted elephantine foot of the Coatlicue monster. Why not? Was it not dead?
The foot was not cold as he expected. Nor was it hard. In fact, it felt weirdly fleshy to the touch. Instantly his hands recoiled.
His Maya recoiled, too.
"What is wrong?" Kix hissed.
Antonio rubbed his fingers together. They felt wet and clammy, as if they had come in contact with the cold clay of a great dead corpse. "You do it. For as a true indio, it is your honor to topple the rival god."
"But you are Kukulcan. "
"And as Kukulcan, I offer the honor to you."
Kix looked doubtful but, urged on by the others, he approached the inert thing. He laid hands upon the upraised foot. To judge by the expression that came over his face, the sensation of moist, dead flesh was very distasteful. But nothing happened to him.
Emboldened, Kix said, "Help me, O brothers."
Others gathered around. They got behind the fat ankle and attempted to push this way or that way. But the bulk of the creature was too vast, too obdurate to move. Her eyes regarded the Maya as if they were but ants at her feet.
While they considered the situation, an army utility helicopter dropped out of the sky to land at the roadside. As it drew closer, a man dangling off one skid released his grip so as not to be crushed.
REMO CALCULATED THE DROP, let go of the skid and rolled out of the way of the landing chopper.
When it settled, he opened the door. Winston Smith, Assumpta and Chiun started to get out. Remo pushed Winston back in.
"Look, let me handle this. Okay?"
Winston eyed the monster dubiously. "What's to handle? Looks like the party ended before we got here."
"You don't know what's going on."
"I can see what's going on. Nothing. That hulk is just standing there, collecting raindrops."
"Just leave this to the experts, okay? Chiun, watch them. I don't want any more problems with these two. If something goes wrong, take off."
Chiun nodded. "Be careful, my son. Take no chances."
Winston blinked. "He's your son?"
"In spirit."
And the Master of Sinanju put his face to the cockpit bubble, the better to watch his pupil.
REMO APPROACHED. The rain was still coming down. There was an adobe church beside the drooping cypress. Its white facade was streaked blackish gray with precipitated volcano ash.
From inside, a priest emerged. He carried a cross of gold. He, too, approached the monster.
Remo intercepted him. "You'd better stay clear, Padre. This isn't over."
"God has struck the monster blind and dumb, but it falls to his children to exorcise the demon that motivated it."
"Just the same, leave this to the professional monster slayers."
The priest fell in behind Remo. Considering the circumstances, he didn't seem very frightened.
A handful of Juarezistas blocked the way. Remo knew they were Juarezistas because in their brown polyester uniforms and black ski masks, they looked like the Serbian Olympic ski team.
"Come no closer," one of them commanded in good English. "We are about to blow up the demon Coatlicue for all the world to see."
"Over my dead body. He's mine."
"This is our monster. We have vanquished him. And it is a she, by the way."
The speaker was taller than the others. A shortstemmed pipe was clenched in his teeth. He also had green eyes.