Turning, Chac-ha once more knelt before her lady. Glancing upward, she admired the braided gold circlet ringing her head, splendidly set off by her shoulder-length raven hair. At the front of her slim neck was a gold clasp holding the short cape of scintillating green quetzal feathers that covered her upper back and shoulders. In front, nothing but a slim jade pendant interrupted the sleek contours of her elegant breasts, prominently capped with nipples that had been rouged by Chac-ha. Lowering her eyes, Chac-ha admired the slim lines of her mistress' waist and bronzed abdomen, which flowed gracefully downward to her upper thighs. Nestled between them was her silky pubic fleece, which reminded Chac-ha of the gossamer threads of a spider web. She bent forward to kiss it reverently. Accenting her mistress' hips was a narrow band of jaguar fur, which flared outward behind to barely cover her well-formed buttocks. Below this splendid display of womanhood was the uninterrupted expanse of her sleek legs, gracefully terminated at her feet by anklets of gold chain. Her feet were shod in soft deerskin sandals, and Chac-ha thought that she had never seen anyone so beautiful.
Kissing Chac-ha affectionately on top of her head, she moved towards the doorway, telling her to watch the game from there. As the conch shell trumpets resounded around the court, she stepped forward into the bright sunlight and the hushed murmur of approbation from the crowd below. The scene presented was dazzling, with the white stucco of the pyramids contrasting with the bright blue and red colors of the ball court. Lining both sides were the several hundred spectators from among the common people, while around her and at the opposite end were the privileged nobility. Taking her place on the jaguar-skin covered dais at the edge of the platform, she arranged herself so that her admiring subjects could view her fully. She had only to wait a few moments before additional conch trumpets sounded from the pyramid at the opposite end, signaling the arrival of their lord. He glided regally from the Temple of the Ripe Corn, coming to a halt at the edge of the platform where his striking form could be seen by all. He was clad solely in a magnificent cape of jaguar skin, which stopped at his waist to leave open to view his impressive genitals. Two pendulous testicles hung below his black pubic bush, from which protruded a slumbering penis of kingly proportions. From first-hand experience, she knew that fully erect it was as long as her forearm.
She leaned forward with interest to immerse herself in the game. Initiated many years ago by his grandfather, Bolon Wits, the corn sowing ceremonial ball game was in answer to the slaving depredations carried out by their neighbors to the west. For years and years many of their most promising young people were carried off by war parties, while many more were killed in defense of their city. Bolon Wits, or 'Nine Mountains' was afraid that his people would ultimately die out as a result of this population drain, so he initiated this ceremonial ball game in an attempt to increase the birth rate among his people. The ceremony had evolved slowly through his and his son's reign, but had only reached its full potential with the accession of his grandson to the throne. Looking at him standing at the opposite end, she was aware of his obvious virility, the object of unabashed pride from his admiring subjects. Suddenly the crowd fell hushed as the game's contestants filed onto the court from opposite ends. Nine maidens from each end, each cloaked only in a pure white cotton shift, came to a stop in the center and turned to face each other. As they turned their head to view their lord, he addressed them.
"You have been chosen by our leaders to represent our people in the corn sowing ceremony. Each of you has made an impression through your virtue and beauty, and each of you is considered worthy to carry our prayers to our gods. To the winners of this game will go the honor of becoming one with the gods. Those of you who do not win will know no shame, but rather return to your lives to carry on the important work of raising families and increasing our wealth as a people. Prepare yourselves for the game, and may Yach Balam be with you."
With their lord's command, the eighteen contestants stepped out of their shifts to reveal themselves in their virginal beauty. The crowd murmured in approval, as assistants came forward to prepare the young women for the contest. Each was fitted about the waist with a set of leather pads which rested on their hips, and they were rubbed from head to foot in palm oil. Once this was completed, the hard rubber ball was brought into play. Months of training had brought the contestants to the peak of physical prowess, and their energy was boundless. Part of the reason for the game was to stimulate the spectators sexually, as the sowing of the corn in this instance was an allegory for human fecundity. With their totally unclad, nubile bodies, the eighteen contestants moved about with what seemed to be wanton abandon. Their sleek young bodies, coated in the glistening oil, assumed all manner of poses in pursuit of the ball, and male and female spectators alike were treated to an erogenous spectacle.
In this game, the first team to score three goals was to be declared the winner. The teams could be recognized by the color of the flowers woven into their hair, white for one team and red for the other. The game had begun when the sun was at its zenith, and by mid-afternoon both teams had scored twice. By this time the crowd was thoroughly aroused, with couples sitting noticeably closer to one another. At this stage, touching was permitted, but coital activity was proscribed until later.
Finally, to the crowd's noisy pleasure, one of the red team's players bounced the ball through the ring for the third and final goal. Immediately, the conch trumpets rang out from both ends and the players lined up in the center facing one another. In unison, disappointed white teammates stepped forward to embrace and kiss the smiling winners. There were no hard feelings, however, as the sweaty, oiled bodies formed a tawny, writing snake down the center of the ball court. Finally, the embracing ended, and the white team members filed off the court to disappear among the spectators and a score of hopeful suitors.
The nine winning team members lined up once again facing the Temple of the Ripe Corn, where they could see their lord standing at the top step. Attendants carrying bowls and cups appeared from beside the pyramid and began to wash each of them down with scented water. Each was also given a draught of a golden liquid, which almost immediately seemed to stimulate and excite them. Meanwhile, at the top of the pyramid, his lordship was being ministered to by two female attendants. The crowd gasped in approval as each of the attendants dipped their hands into a bowl and proceeded to alternately stroke their master's prominent organ. Within minutes, it had grown to prodigious size, proudly jutting out in front of his muscled body. He turned to face the virgins below, and at his signal the one who had scored the winning goal began to ascent the stairway.
Although it was high and steep, she seemed to float to the top, and once there she was led by the two attendants to a smoothly rounded altar at the edge of the platform where the tableaux was visible to the spectators. Gently, they eased her down on her stomach, leaving her bronzed buttocks proudly revealed in their lordship's direction. As the crowd held their collective breath, he slowly advanced upon this virginal display, coming to a stop with his massive member poised in a virile salute above her waiting receptacle. While one attendant caressed her shoulders and head, the other grasped his swollen shaft to direct it into the maiden's abstemious chamber. With increasingly powerful thrusts, he was soon immersed in her, and the crowd began a rhythmic chant, ts'ap, ts'ap, ts'ap ['plant the seed, plant the seed']. Gradually their tempo and his pace increased, until he threw back his head and roared as his seed was planted deep within her pliant furrow. This was a signal to the aroused crowd, and they separated into pairs who soon made the ball court a sea of moaning, interlocked couples.
At the opposite end, she gazed upon her lord as he proceeded to reward the other eight winners, and she offered a silent prayer that each would produce a valuable new member of the royal family. Reclining on her dais, she motioned to Chac-ha standing in the doorway to come to her. Throughout the ceremony she had been stroking her silken mound, and now her damp hand made obvious her arousal. Spreading her legs, she drew Chac-ha downward so that her face was level with her glistening triangle. Needing no further direction, Chac-ha proceeded to kiss and lick her heated crevice until, with a high-pitched wail, she locked her ankles around the young girl and released her passion onto her adoring face.
Lacee's eyes suddenly popped open. In a daze, she felt her hand on her mons and saw her shorts beside her. Sights and sounds began to flood her consciousness as she wondered at the sopping wetness between her thighs. She glanced upwards at Philip who was still sound asleep, and then directed her eyes to the scene below the pyramid. Instead of the spectacle that she had recently witnessed, nothing but a jumbled mass of limestone and vegetation greeted her gaze. Smiling to herself, Lacee slumped backwards against Philip to reflect upon the mystery that was Akbalcab.
Chapter 14
The day after their investigation of the ball court, Lacee and Philip explored in that direction towards the Rio Las Cuevas. They left the trail as it neared the boat landing and cut a new path southward along this tributary of the Rio Oscuro. About a hundred yards upstream the forest began to take on a different aspect, and soon they found themselves in what appeared to be a fruit grove. They were surrounded by orange and lime trees, bananas, pineapples, and mangos.
"Someone must have planted these within the past thirty or forty years," Philip remarked. "I know that no one lives in this area now, but at some time there must have been a homesite here. All of these plants were introduced by Europeans, so they weren't here when the ancient Maya were."
"Look, Philip! There are also native fruit trees here in the grove. I see sapote, avocado, annonas, and papaya. I wonder if someone just expanded upon what was originally an orchard for the ancient city?"