The Condor Mission (completed)

Chapter 17 - Inca Civil War

Whytuya's arrival in Tahuantinsuyo was an extremely quiet, anonymous one; she had not warned anyone of a possible return. And she preferred it that way. He was traveling alone since he left the Guaranís in the border of Pindorama. He felt a chill in his spine when he realized that he had spent more than 30 winters of his life. In fact, there were so many events and so many paths that it seemed not to have passed even half that long time. His physical aspect was different, but the man-condor, with more than half a century of existence, continued with the same physical strength and retained the same abilities as always.

Cuzco, the navel of the world, had changed quite 30 years later. And great political changes also happened in the Empire. On the cobblestone streets continued the frenzy of passers-by, goods and Llamas. Life seemed to run, normally. The Christian year of 1531 began. The great temple of the Sun, in the immense square with the same name, was still out of step with the other buildings of the surrounding area, such as the Colosseum, the Tower of Bethlehem or the Sphinx. The time had come to meet his relatives and friends. But there was something wrong...
The newcomer was quite misinterpreted when he identified himself at the royal palace and requested an audience with Inca Huayna Cápac, his half-brother. After the proper explanations the priests informed him of the death of the ancient Inca. An unknown disease had taken him to the spirit kingdom.

As always happened in the Andean history, there was no predetermined succession among the heirs of the throne. The greatest forces of the kingdom had divided the Empire in two.
Now, Atahualpa, one of the protagonists of the succession, ruled the Tahuantinsuyo in the north, the Chinchasuyo region. But his brother, Huascar, the eldest, had the command of Cuzco and the entire south-central Empire, the Collasuyo and the Cuntinsuyo. This struggle lasted many years. Huascar, did not recognize the northern brother's government and this posed a threat to the kingdom's security. It was the Inca civil war.
In Cuzco, the main city and capital of Tahuanatinsuyo, Huascar had many allies, but successive defeats in more than a dozen battles with Atahualpa had weakened him to the extreme. The latter was in constant vigil not to lose power in court, having Quito as its base of operations. After his father's death, Huayna Capac, Atahualpa had been supervised by military personnel who helped him rule the provinces and borders of the Chinchasuyo.Huascar believed he was the legitimate successor of the throne. He was the governor of Cuzco and the eldest son of Huayna Capac. The new Incan princes claimed their positions and the power of the Empire. Battles ensued and the north was gaining a blunt advantage. The military organization of Atahualpa's army overcame the southern resistance and it was little before they took the great capital.
Whytuya had arrived in Cuzco amid this atmosphere of social and political uncertainty. The rulers were at war with each other while pretending to ignore a greater threat, which would destroy both governments if it were not urgently combated.

Huascar received the traveler Whytuya with dignity and a great banquet. He was amazed by his uncle's great adventure. I had no idea and I didn't know Mission Condor. He heard many stories of Whytuya's journey, but the affairs of war were more important at that time. The Inca prince did not yet know of Aztec extermination and the presence of Europeans on the continent.
The Inca arranged for the visitor to have everything he needed for his rest. He struggled to hide that he couldn't think of anything other than the destruction of the north. He was scared and obsessed with power. He felt weakened by successive defeats. Whytuya understood the tension experienced by the ruler. Before he retired to his quarters, with great respect, he spoke.

- I am the brother of your late father. I need to know something, sir. How did he die?
The Inca, restless and cross, said:
- A bad disease. We don't know where it came from. Healers still make efforts to find the cause of the epidemic. They isolated many sick and burned their bodies after they died. Disease took the other three city governors. I survived. It seems that some fortunate are immune to the bad. Many have died. Most of them are northern peasants.]