"Praise the Main God, praise His Highness, praise the wise commander of the Black Wolf Legion!"
"Whatever you say, brave Great Chief Black Wolf!"
"If you put it that way, we know what to do! Roar, roar!"
The drizzle paused for the moment, and the sun emerged from the clouds, lighting up the boundless Caribbean Sea. On the shore, the generals faced the sunlight and raised their hands one after another to swear their oaths. They shouted at the tops of their lungs, their voices shaking the clouds, expressing their obedience to the wise Black Wolf, Toltec.
What the Black Wolf General had said—"distinguish friends from enemies"—was, in truth, a clearly targeted program of action. And after the generals heard it, they more or less understood how they were to treat the conquered Totonac tribes, and exactly what they were to do with the different classes within those tribes.
"Good! Kill our enemies, treat our friends well. This is the foundation on which we stand! Praise the Main God! Awooo!"
Black Wolf swept his gaze over the crowd, then lifted his head in satisfaction and let out a long howl. In his eyes was a resolute, icy gleam, like the merciless lead wolf on a snowy plain. Then the lead wolf's expression sharpened, and he split his mouth in a grin, revealing sharp teeth.
"Next, we split our forces into three routes! One route will sweep the area around Ancient Feathered Serpent City. Within a radius of sixty li, every Totonac camp and village is to be brought directly under our control. One route will head north, advancing along the coast, taking in the tribes along the way and letting them farm in peace, until it has gone two hundred and fifty li north, opened the land and water routes