Divination for the Expedition: The Feng Hexagram of Thunder and Fire, Great Auspiciousness for the Campaign!

"The Main God blesses us! The number divined is six! Kan Hexagram, corresponding to water!"

"Men! Punish him by water—cast him into the lake, and sacrifice him to the Main God!..."

"The divination gives seven. Gen Hexagram, corresponding to mountain!"

"Punish him by stone. Crush him to death with rubble, and sacrifice him to the god!..."

"The divination gives one. Qian Hexagram, corresponding to heaven!..."

The sky was clear and bright, and the February sunlight was full of fair weather. On the small Divine Altar two meters high, Xolotl held the single stalk of Yarrow and displayed it to the hundreds of Mexica nobles. All around him, a burst of astonished and excited whispering immediately rose. After several trials by divination, everyone already knew that, among the eight possible judgments of the Main God, this was the one lifeline blessed by the Sun God, the only verdict of acquittal and release!

On the higher great Divine Altar, the Divine King Avet remained utterly unruffled. He nodded slightly and, facing the fourth lucky soul to undergo divination, a young noble from High Mountain City in the southeast, announced calmly.

"The Sun watches from the sky. The Main God grants mercy and pardons your sin! Men, release him!..."

"Ah! The Main God blesses me! The Main God blesses me!..."

The young city-state noble was incoherent, so overwhelmed he could say nothing at all. He only kept muttering the Main God's name, kneeling to knock his head toward the Divine King above and toward His Highness who had performed the divination, his eyes filled with gratitude. Very soon, two Shorn Guards brought him back into the crowd and had the next noble awaiting divination step forward.

"The Main God blesses us! The number divined is four! Zhen Hexagram!"

"Men! Punish him by thunder!"