Unholy Crusade

CHAPTER 22

Out on a Limb

FOR the second time Adam made the flight to Mexico City handcuffed and under guard. Soon after he arrived at Police Headquarters, he was brought before the bald General Gomez, from whom he had last parted after a convivial supper. He was then formally charged with: conspiring against the government; subversive activities; inciting the civil population to rebellion; breaking out of prison; inciting the Armed Forces to mutiny and creating a public disturbance. It seemed a formidable list, but he had little doubt that, to their own satisfaction, they would be able to prove the lot.

On this occasion he was not subjected to prolonged and searching questioning, which, he rightly guessed, was due to the authorities already having all the evidence they needed to convict him. He was simply asked if he wished to make a statement.

All he could do was to tell a near enough version of the truth, although he did not expect to be believed, and, during his long recital, the Police Chief showed by his bored manner that he considered listening to it a waste of time. However, he agreed to Adam's request that the British Embassy should be informed of his situation.

The following morning the Embassy solicitor, a Mr. Wilkinson, who was a partner in a Mexican firm, came to see him, and they went over in detail a copy of Adam's statement.

Wilkinson obviously took a dim view of his prospects. Now that Hunterscombe could not vouch for Adam's innocence, the only ways in which his guilt could even be brought in doubt was ( 1 ) by testimony from Chela, (2) by evidence that he had been held in the monastery against his will, and (3) that he had, belatedly, fought the priests on the top of the pyramid; but Chela's testimony would be regarded as biased in his favour, it was very unlikely that anyone at the monastery would be inclined to speak in his defence and it would be urged that he had turned against the priests only when he had found that, by taking the role of Quetzalcoatl, he had fallen into a trap which was about to cost him his life.

The lawyer could give him no information about Chela, but

he was able to tell him about the results of the abortive ceremony at the pyramid.

The government was maintaining its policy of belittling the movement, in order to discourage possible risings in the provinces. It had been given out that a group of fanatics who dabbled in occultism had held a type of Sabbath, their object being to reintroduce the worship of the old gods. The leaders had dressed themselves up as priests and endeavoured to impose on the credulous by again producing the English eccentric who had played the part of Quetzalcoatl at Uxmal and later escaped from prison. The movement had been condemned as anti social and liable to lead to breaches of the peace. On these grounds it had been made a penal offence to belong to it.

`You will no doubt be surprised to hear,' Wilkinson added, that, according to the official statement, the crowd was simply dispersed and no arrests were made. That, of course, is quite untrue. All those rounded up were screened; the small fry were allowed to go, but the leaders, among whom were a number of Militia officers, were detained and they have since simply disappeared. No doubt by this time several of them have been induced to talk and the Security Service is hard at it rounding up people in the provinces who were involved. The only warrants issued, as far as I know, were for Monsignor Alberuque and yourself. He is believed to have escaped and still be in hiding. According to your statement, you and Hunterscombe took him prisoner and later, while struggling with you, he fell out of the helicopter. But I don't think they will believe that for a moment. Their theory is that you and he took Hunterscombe prisoner and made off in the helicopter. So they will assume that you are trying to cover up for him and that he is still at large.'

That afternoon Adam had another visitor Bernadino Enriquez. White haired, fresh faced, his eyes as bright and his manner as forceful as ever, the millionaire smiled genially as he shook Adam's hand and said

`My dear Gordon, I'm most terribly distressed to find you in this situation. I made the police show me the statement you made end, of course, I've had the whole story from Chela; so I know it to be true.'

`How is she?' Adam asked.

`She is still a little lame, but the injury to her leg was nothing that the surgeons could not put right. Naturally, she has been terribly worried about you and when she heard yesterday that you had been captured she had a collapse.'

`I'm sorry about that, but glad her leg is going on well. I've

kept her out of this as far as I could; but, as we were at the Zupangos farm together, I had to explain how she got there.'

`Yes, you behaved very chivalrously, and it is entirely her fault that you are here. If it hadn't been for her you would never have played any part in this wretched business. In a sense I feel responsible myself, so I mean to do everything I can to help you.'

At this ray of hope, for the first time in days Adam brightened and he said quickly, `That's good of you, sir.' But after a moment he added, `I'm afraid, though, that the cards are stacked against me.'

`You are right about that,' Bernadino agreed. `If you were charged with an ordinary crime, even murder, I could buy you off. But, although the government is playing this business down as far as the public are concerned, they are very well aware of how dangerous it could be. In consequence, they mean to make sure that any conspirator they may fail to pull in shall never again have the chance of using you to represent Quetzalcoatl. I don't think there's a chance of getting you off altogether, but there is a faint one that we might be able to shoot down all the charges except “creating a public disturbance”. Then you would be given only a nominal sentence with a very much heavier suspended one, should you ever return to Mexico after you had served the short term and been deported. Anyway, I can provide you with the best legal help in Mexico City, which will ensure that you get a fair trial and that no point in your favour remains unstressed.'

Adam smiled wryly. `Well, that's something. The British Embassy are doing their best for me, too. Unfortunately, Chela is the only person who could testify to the truth about what really happened. But I doubt if they'd believe her; so it's better that she should protect her reputation by keeping out of it. Besides…'

`She won't. She is fully determined to give evidence on your behalf, and a woman of twenty six is entitled to do as she likes. Her friends won't think the worse of her for having been your mistress. You were going to add that she might land herself in prison, but you needn't fear that. In Mexico women are looked on as temperamental creatures, and not always accountable for their actions. At least, not if they have rich fathers who can pull a string or two. I suppose you know that she is not really my daughter?'

`Yes, she told me that; and about her awful childhood.'

Bernadino nodded. `That's the root of this whole damnable business her Indian blood. She has never forgotten what she suffered as a child. We all know that the natives led a pretty miserable existence. But so they do in Peru, Chile, India, China, Arabia and a score of other countries. Their condition here is

being improved gradually as more money becomes available. That's all that can be done for them, and her idea of making them overnight lords of all they survey was sheer lunacy.'

`It was Alberuque who put that bee in her bonnet.'

`Yes. He was crazy, too, of course. It couldn't possibly have worked, but he was a megalomaniac, simply out for himself with a mad dream of power. Chela told me that you chucked him out of the helicopter, and a damn' good job too.'

`I haven't admitted that,' Adam said hastily. `Otherwise they would probably have added “murder” to all the other charges.'

`No; even if they believed you, it's best that we should keep that under our hats. But Chela takes it badly, because he was an anointed priest. As soon as she was well enough to be moved from a nursing home, she went into retreat at the Convent of Santa Monica, and it's my belief that she spends most of her time now on her knees, praying that you will be forgiven.'

`I don't see why. As far as she knows, he was dead when I chucked him out.'

`No,' Bernadino disagreed. `She heard him scream as he went down. Still, don't let that worry you. It's your defence we have to concentrate on, and I have given orders that your meals are to be sent in from a restaurant. The warder will bring you the menu. Order what you like and keep as cheerful as you can.'

When the millionaire had left him, Adam felt distinctly more cheerful. It was good to know that he had such a powerful friend, and a really good dinner that night with a bottle of French wine to wash it down enabled him to sleep well for the first time since his arrest.

Next day, Bernardino’s lawyer came to see him. Senor Urquiza was a tall, thin man with a bulbous nose and slightly shifty black eves. They spent two hours together going over the whole story. Summing up, Urquiza said:

`As I see it, the defence rests upon being able to prove that you were supplying Hunterscombe with information. You did this through a radio transmitter. What happened to it?'

`The police took it from me in Vera Cruz,' Adam replied.

`Then it will have been sent on here with the jewels and any other things that they confiscated on your arrest. It is certain that the set will have a number. I'll find out what the number is and check with the British Embassy. If that particular radio cigarette case was issued to Hunterscombe, it could be argued that he must have given it to you so that you could communicate with him. There is, of course, a rebuttal to that; but, with luck, the prosecution might fail to realise and use it.'

More hopeful now, Adam continued to fortify himself with the good meals sent in during the three following days; then he was brought up for trial. In the well of the Court he saw Bernadino, who gave him an encouraging smile; Wilkinson and Urquiza bowed gravely to him.

After the charges had been read out, a score of witnesses were produced by the prosecution: most of them prisoners who had been brought to the Court to testify. Among the witnesses were: the priest for whom he had sacrificed the pig at San Luis Caliente; the police officer who had arrested him after the debacle at Uxmal; a warder who had been present during the massacre at the prison; the dumb lay brother from the monastery, who wrote out evidence to the effect that Adam had been an honoured guest there and on the best of terms with Monsignor Alberuque, the mechanics of the helicopter which had taken them to Teotihuacan, who vouched for it that Adam had gone willingly; several people who had seen him in the restaurant there, apparently a happy participant in the proceedings; and others who had heard his speech from the top of the pyramid. Lastly, Juanita and her family were put in the box and, reluctantly, testified to Adam's having passed himself off to them as the Man God, Quetzalcoatl.

For the defence, Ramon came forward and told how Adam had voluntarily agreed to assist the government by investigating the situation in towns near Mexico City, while making a tour of them. He added that he was convinced of Adam's innocence. Chela was then called. She was dressed in black and wearing a veil. Accompanying her was an older woman, also swathed in black. In a low but firm voice, Chela told the whole story of how she had suborned Adam to give his assistance in the plot.

A representative of the British Embassy then took the stand. He gave evidence that Adam was a well known author of respectable character, who had at no time involved himself in politics of any kind. Questioned by Senor Urquiza about the radio cigarette case, he testified that an office in Whitehall had confirmed that its number was that of one which had been issued to Hunterscombe; so Adam could have obtained it only from him.

The prosecution ignored Ramon, but recalled Chela. Under cross examination, her replies were frank. She admitted that since Adam's arrival in Mexico she had been frequently in his company; that they had stayed at the same hotels at both Oaxaca and Uxmal. Questioned about her villa at Acapulco and Adam's having stayed with her there, she became defiant and hysterical, acknowledged that she had been his mistress, swore that she had suborned him into playing the part of Quetzalcoatl, and took all the blame on herself for his present situation. It was a courageous effort, but had the unfortunate effect of conveying the impression that nothing she had said could be relied on, as she was simply making a desperate effort to save him.

Finally, the prosecution tackled the matter of the radio cigarette case. As Urquiza had feared might prove the case, the flaw in his argument was exposed. Admittedly, Adam had secured it from Hunterscombe; but the belief of the prosecution was that the Wing Commander had flown the helicopter off, only because he had a pistol at his back. Therefore, when they landed Adam had no doubt searched him and taken the radio cigarette case from him.

Adam knew then that his last hope was gone. Stoically, he listened to his sentence: as a dangerous disturber of the piece, through whose activities a number of people had lost their lives hard labour for life.

Rousing himself, he made the request that before being taken away he might have a few minutes' conversation in private with the Senorita Enriquez.

His request was granted. Five minutes later they stood facing each other in a bare room. But they were not alone. A warder stood by the door and the elderly, black robed woman who had accompanied Chela into Court was sitting in a corner, telling her beads.

When Chela lifted her veil, her eyes looked enormous and tears were running from them. `What can I say?' she murmured. `Oh, Adam, what can I say? I have ruined your life.'

He attempted a smile. `You couldn't help it, darling. It's just Fate. You hoped to bring happiness to many people. That you have failed, and that to lose one another has been the price of your failure is the will of the gods. Perhaps in our next lives they will be kinder to us.'

`Oh, I hope so.' She took his hands and pressed them. `But, even if you had been freed, there could have been nothing more for us in this life.'

He frowned. `I don't understand. You offered to marry me.' `I know. But that was before… before the culmination of that awful night.'

`Do you mean that you wouldn't have married me because I… of what happened to Alberuque?'

`No; evil as he was, it is still a terrible sin to kill a priest. But I might have done so myself when I shot at him after I had suddenly realised that you were right about his being a reincarnation of Itzechuatl. It's not that. When he declared his intention to

sacrifice you on the Chac Mool, I prayed to the Holy Virgin. I offered to become her handmaiden if only she would intercede with our Lord Jesus to save you. She did, and you were saved. I cannot go back on my pledge.'

For a moment he stared at her lovely face, then he exclaimed, 'Chela! Beloved! You can't mean that you're going to bury yourself alive and become a nun?'

She gestured to the black robed figure with downcast face in the corner. `Sister Maria there is waiting to take me back to the Convent, and I shall never leave it. Owing to my past, I may not be acceptable as a bride of Christ, but I could become a lay Sister and continue with my teaching. Even were you free that would still be my destiny for this life.'

Two minutes later they parted and Adam was taken down to his cell.

That night Adam knew the depths of black despair. His career ruined, his freedom gone, condemned for years to hard labour with only brutal felons for his companions; not a ray of hope to brighten his foreseeable future.

The following midday he was still at Police Headquarters, awaiting transfer to a prison to begin his sentence, when Wilkinson was shown into his cell.

The Embassy lawyer was smiling and clapped him on the shoulder. `Take it easy, old chap, but I've got a surprise for you, Hunterscombe isn't dead. A goatherd found him in that cave, brought up some other men and got him down. He couldn't be moved from their place for a week, but since then he's been in hospital. He kept mum because he thought you'd got away. But last night he heard over the radio about your trial. This morning he got through to us on the telephone. He'll swear an affidavit that will put you in the clear. The formalities may take a day or two, but you've got nothing more to worry about.'

Two days later Bernadino, Ramon, Wilkinson and Urquiza saw Adam off from the airport on his way back to England. He had lost his great love of this life, but he had regained his freedom. And he had plenty of material for a book on Mexico. Yes, plenty of material for a book.