Toltec

Thorleif, Harald and their men went to the new city Tula. They were greeted as guests of honor. The king’s cousin had heard much about the guests and wanted them to stay in his city. They got nice housing and most everything they needed from the start. The cousin had arranged a great ceremony for their arrival. The guests had become custom to such extraordinary treatment and were not that impressed anymore. Unfortunately it showed. The cousin tried even harder to please them. But the guests were tired and wanted to go to bed early that night. Fortunately, Sequoyah, the interpreter, did excuse them in the most submissive way on his own. That pleased the king’s cousin.

Thorleif and Harald went to see the cousin the next day. They brought Sequoyah and Erik. It was hard for the interpreter to translate, because the dialect and way of speaking was different. It was clear that they were about to get as free hands as they liked. They were pleased about that and it showed. In brief, they would be in charge of construction and managing of the city. There would not even be any priests to bother them. It seems like the king has spoken well to his cousin, Thorleif thought. This made Harald eager too. He presented some drawings, and then they talked in a language they all could understand. The table was cleared at once, a map was placed on it and they started to draw down buildings, roads, and monuments. They were all so interested in making this work that any objection was taken as a polite supplement.

Soon they had designed a completely new city, grander than most. Now there was only one thing left, - building it. Harald was suddenly terrified. In his eagerness, he almost forgot that he was in charge and responsible for the success.

Harald soon got over the overwhelming skeptic to his own abilities. All I need now is an accordingly belief in myself, he thought. I have to do my best to get the necessary base for a good lasting city. There were certain functions that a city should have. Just like a man’s body, Harald thought. It should be strong, it should be immune, it should have what it needs to survive and it should be able to keep itself sound and make good ends. For this, there were some human needs to cover. So it is with a city too. Harald’s main interest was the city’s needs, rather than the men’s. However, there had to be laws, justice and wisdom too.

Harald did not basically think in terms of buildings, when thinking of cities. He believed there was a collective spirit at work. It should basically consist of good statesmen that worked entirely for the common good. They should be the wisest men working exclusively for the cities best, even if it meant that human needs had to be down prioritized. This was a side of it that he did not care too much to talk about, although most rulers do.

No doubt, Harald was inspired by the theories of Plato. There were three kinds of powers in his understanding. There was the king, the priests and the statesmen. In his mind, there was not room for any other than statesmen. He had great sympathy for the king of Teotihuacán. He was a good man and a good father. But that helps only his relatives and those he can buy. In time, it will collapse. But worse are the priests, Harald thought. They do nothing, but manipulate. Surely there might be religious competent people, but most are corrupt manipulators. They do not care for anyone’s wellbeing than themselves. The only able kind left is the statesman. He who has scarified all his life to nothing but the common good in keeping the city well, the people’s city.

Harald had heard of a many cities. Some lasted even a millennium. However, finally something goes wrong and the city decays and dies. That is very much like the Mayan empire, he thought. It was strong and had taken every precaution. But something unthinkable got it in the end, something they could not be prepared for. Kristen’s demon was a Trojan horse more candid and deceiving that anyone could imagine. The empire could not be protected. It even multiplied by loving care. Could it be that cynics were the only one that could keep a city alive? No irrational emotions, no egocentric acts, no superstitious beliefs in gods? Harald tend to think that way.

A city should be automatic, he thought. That was a strange and unacceptable thought, he once learned. The idea was certainly not unthinkable. A problem was that the lack of proper means. The city would also always be dependent on people’s acts and thereby faulty. The logic, however, was quite simple and functional. It only needed something that could operate to it. The efforts to make people completely rational, submissive and unselfish have all failed. People are not like that at all. The closest any statesmen have come, is to make people so submissive that they practically lost their personality. But that did not last long. People are simply not that submissive to a state machine.

Let’s get some water to the city, Harald said. It is the first priority to secure the water supply. Next there should be a grainier to secure the food supply. He said it by pointing at the drawings. Then he pointed at himself to make it clear the he was in charge. If he did not believe it himself, no one would. He also made the symbols he had learned that meant workers, rocks, tools and coca. The king’s cousin simply nodded happily. Harald wondered about that type. But, if he would rather be free from responsibility and keep the power, it would be an easy match for him to get what he needed for the project. All in all, Harald did not care much about the king’s cousin as long as he provided all he needed and did not make problems.

There were a lot of workers and coca the next day. Harald used his own men to organize the work. First they were simply to cut stones and place them at the path. That would make work for a month, Harald thought. In fact that was all he needed, a whole lot of cubic stones. While his men and the natives worked all day to make the stones, he worked on Thorleif and the king’s cousin. He wanted to be sure that the recourses he made would be used properly. To Harald’s surprise, there were no obstacles. Thorleif was working with getting a full trust and authority to manage the city. He ensured that he would not interfere with politics or religion. They would not even interfere with any tribal matters. It took the cousin a while to believe the sincerity of Thorleif. But finally he was convinced that their only task was to make a better city, a better power, a better empire, than the Mayans were.

Harald and Thorleif were looking at the progress at the construction site. Thorleif was impressed. This is going better than I hoped for, he said. Harald was clearly satisfied with the progress himself. These workers are fine people. It seems they can go on forever with a little coca. And not to forget our own people, he added. They have become excellent managers. Harald waited a while until he uttered; but. Thorleif wondered; what now? I know about destruction too, he added. What takes one year to construct can be destroyed in a day. We need better protection, he concluded. Yes, I wondered when you would say that, you old warrior. There is a problem though, Harald, continued. Like a need men I can trust in construction, I need men I can trust for defense. Which means? This means that I would like to get to the Asir camp and recruit some more officers. This is actually critical, Harald added. We will be crushed in a year, if we can not protect this city. Thorleif did not want to answer right away. He needed to convince the king’s cousin before getting foreign military forces.

The cousin did not object, though. He might have got the idea that they wanted some personal guards and not building up an army. Anyway, Harald was given the authority to get ten men from the Asir tribe. He left the very same day. It seemed that the plague was under control. There were piles of bodies many places. Someone mentioned that a million Mayans had died so far. They sat fire to the piles and let them burn. The Mayans looked skeptical at the Norse. He had a bad feeling that they were going to be related to the disaster some day. That made him even surer that he needed an army as soon as possible.

Their boat was in order. There was one difference to it thought. At the front, like a galleon figure, there was the head of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent. He did not know what to think about it. It could be a status symbol, or it could be something else. But Harald did not want to be involved into such an issue now. He decided to let it be.

They were heartfully welcomed at the Asir camp. The ship, with its new decoration at the front did express strength. Hans, the Asir priest, was extra glad to see Harald. They had a long talk that evening. Hans was updated about the situation. He was thinking. We certainly do not want those pyramid people up here. I can sense nothing but trouble with them. I also recognize the importance of your work. Quite honestly, I thought you were dead by now. I am impressed by your achievement and believe in your progress. Does that mean you will support us? Hans had to hesitate. You know that we have already given you twenty people to a rather dishonorable mission. I am not sure they are at Valhalla now. I fear they are imprisoned by Hell. Balder be with them, he prayed. However, building an army against some Loki priests is honorable. Yes I will give you twenty officers to train and lead an army. Now that Hans agreed, Harald was glad he had doubled the number the king’s cousin agreed on.

Now you tell me, Hans said, what is that dragon head at your boat. I must say it looks rather good, it expresses power and it is scary. Is it, Jormungand, the Midgard serpent? Well, I am not quite certain, Harald said. But I think it is called something like Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent. If so, it is an important religious symbol for them. I do not know whether it is a bird or a lizard. It is especially confusing these days because of the fall of the Mayans. But it is important and they relate Thorleif with it. Hans was surprised. They do what? There were a few important events when we arrived, you know. The fall of the Mayans could not be explained, but we openly warned our hosts about it. We were considered truth-tellers. Next, the appearance of Thorleif is very different to the natives, with his 2 meter height, the long white hair and beard and his light skin. The priest once asked him where he comes from. He answered truly that he came form the east. That was shocking to the priests, because that is where the sun comes from too, and they do not believe there is anything but the sea at that direction. Some important people believe Thorleif is Quetzalcoatl.

Hans summarized. Thorleif is about to be a god or an angel. That could most certainly be an advantage in warfare. You should put aside your focus on the perfect state of yours and let this power be to your advantage. You know, even if there is no god, there certainly are religions. Religions exist, even for atheists. You really need all the support and resources you can get. Do not push this one away because of idealistic prejudgment. I myself, think it is great to have a new god in their pantheistic family tree. That will mean a lot for integration, and making the good state as you put it.

Harald thought about that. I don’t quite agree. I would rather keep the priests at a big distance. They mean nothing but trouble to me. However, it would not be wise not to recognize their belief and their consequently acts, even if I think they are ludicrous. I have to admit that Thorleif’s religious status can be the only thing that can control the priests. He thought a while and said: I will not take of that dragon’s head of the ship. It can come handy one day.