The Rose Demon

feet of his captors. Now and again the Caniba came and stared down at him. Others arrived, chieftains by their gaudy, multicoloured headdresses and the necklaces of polished coral slung round their necks. Matthias was dragged to his feet and pushed back into the valley. He stopped in amazement: the valley floor was now thronged with the Caniba army. They were camped in small groups along the hillside. Of the Spaniards or their women, there was no sign. Every corpse had disappeared, all weapons had been collected. Only a splash of blood on the grass, a piece of clothing or scraps of armour bore witness to the desperate fight which had occurred there.

    Matthias, his arms held gently by the Indian chieftains, was pushed along the edge of the brook. They passed a group of Caniba who were busy raping one of the Indian women they had captured. The woman had been gagged, her body stretched out on the ground and her conquerors were taking it in turns to kneel down between her outstretched legs. Again Matthias smelt the stench of burning flesh. He saw at the far end of the valley long columns of smoke rising from cooking fires. He thought the chieftains would be taking him there but, pulling him by the sleeve, they led him up a gentle slope into the jungle, along a path which led into a glade. All the weapons of Guitirres’ column were piled here: crossbows, swords, daggers, spears, armour, clothing, boots and war belts. At the far end of the glade, beneath the outspread branches of a palm tree, sat the cacique Canabo enthroned on a small, wooden chair. On either side of him, sitting cross-legged, were his chieftains. Matthias was pushed across and made to kneel before the cacique. Canabo was a young, thickset warrior. His face was long, sharp-nosed, with black, unblinking eyes: unlike the rest, who sat in ominous silence, he wore no war paint, and only a single white plume adorned his headdress. The tooth of some animal hung on a piece of cord round his neck, and on either side of his nose was a small nugget of gold on a pin.

    ‘Where are my companions?’ Matthias spoke in Spanish. ‘Why were we attacked?’

    Canabo shifted in his seat. He stared at Matthias and smiled. The chieftain’s face relaxed, lips parted, his eyes, studying Matthias carefully, were now not so lifeless.

    ‘Are you really concerned about them, Creatura bona atque parva ?’ The cacique spoke in Spanish. ‘What are they to you, Matthias?’ Now he spoke in English.

    Matthias heard gasps from the chieftains around him. They gazed in wonderment at their leader, who could not only defeat the ‘men from Heaven’ in open battle but even speak their tongue. Canabo got up. Like the rest, he was naked except for a loin cloth around his waist. He lowered his firm muscular body down, sitting cross-legged, indicating that Matthias do the same. The chieftains watched solemnly. They could not understand their cacique showing such honour to a defeated man but, over the past few weeks, they had been astonished by the transformation in their leader and if he wanted the life of this white man, then so be it. Matthias settled himself. Canabo issued an order. A small gourd was thrust into Matthias’ hand.

    ‘Drink, Matthias,’ Canabo ordered. ‘We took it from Guitirres’ body.’

    Matthias tasted the wine. It was delicious, cleaning his mouth and throat, warming his belly. Canabo accepted a similar gourd and sipped at it carefully, his eyes never leaving Matthias.

    ‘So, we have come to this, Matthias.’ He took the gourd from his lips. ‘You have come a long way.’

    ‘Why?’ Matthias asked. ‘Why have you pursued me? Who are you?’

    ‘I am the Rosifer,’ Canabo answered. ‘Pure spirit, intelligence and will.’ His eyes took on a faraway look, reminding Matthias of the hermit sitting in the church at Tenebral. ‘Before the world ever began, Matthias,’ Canabo continued, ‘before matter came into being, only the angels existed. Only they occupied Paradise and looked upon the face of God. That was in the beginning. Aye, Lucifer, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, all of us archangels and leaders of the heavenly hosts. Then a new creation was planned.’ He paused and smiled. ‘I am going to use the language of your books because the human heart does not comprehend the beauty that once existed. God created His own image in flesh. We were to serve these and then the divine plan unfolded. God Himself intended to take flesh and become one of