Acatl nearly inhaled his mouthful of grilled duck. When he stopped wheezing—grateful that the noise of the banquet they were both stuck at had covered the noise, though it hadn’t stopped Quenami from raising an eyebrow at him—he asked, “Why?!”
There was an expansive gesture. “Your priests are sensible, hardworking people who do what they’re told and don’t stutter over their hymns, and as far as I know none of them are planning to unseat you. The new ones I’m dealing with...” Acamapichtli shook his head, an action that spoke volumes. “I have my doubts.”
Quenami was deep in conversation with a nobleman on his other side, so Acatl felt safe in lowering his voice and murmuring, “Well, if you can deal with him, you’re fine. How do you manage it, anyway?”
Acamapichtli made a face. “Largely by ignoring him. Obviously, that won’t work on my underlings.”
“Hm.” Acatl took another bite of duck. In a roundabout way, it seemed Acamapichtli was asking him for help. A shrewder politician would be thinking of advantages to be gained, but frankly having a decent clergy of Tlaloc went beyond mortal concerns. “Have patience, then. They’ll find their footing. And if you’re firm and fair, they ought to respect you.”
“Patience? Easy for you to say,” Acamapichtli grumbled. “They’re just so stupid. They can't even scheme competently.”
Acatl raised an eyebrow. “They can’t be worse than what we already deal with.”
He didn’t need to look towards the Revered Speaker’s gilded screen; Acamapichtli caught his meaning anyway.
Obsidian & Blood, Acatl & Acamapichtli
“Sometimes I envy you,” Acamapichtli muttered.
Acatl nearly inhaled his mouthful of grilled duck. When he stopped wheezing—grateful that the noise of the banquet they were both stuck at had covered the noise, though it hadn’t stopped Quenami from raising an eyebrow at him—he asked, “Why?!”
There was an expansive gesture. “Your priests are sensible, hardworking people who do what they’re told and don’t stutter over their hymns, and as far as I know none of them are planning to unseat you. The new ones I’m dealing with...” Acamapichtli shook his head, an action that spoke volumes. “I have my doubts.”
Quenami was deep in conversation with a nobleman on his other side, so Acatl felt safe in lowering his voice and murmuring, “Well, if you can deal with him, you’re fine. How do you manage it, anyway?”
Acamapichtli made a face. “Largely by ignoring him. Obviously, that won’t work on my underlings.”
“Hm.” Acatl took another bite of duck. In a roundabout way, it seemed Acamapichtli was asking him for help. A shrewder politician would be thinking of advantages to be gained, but frankly having a decent clergy of Tlaloc went beyond mortal concerns. “Have patience, then. They’ll find their footing. And if you’re firm and fair, they ought to respect you.”
“Patience? Easy for you to say,” Acamapichtli grumbled. “They’re just so stupid. They can't even scheme competently.”
Acatl raised an eyebrow. “They can’t be worse than what we already deal with.”
He didn’t need to look towards the Revered Speaker’s gilded screen; Acamapichtli caught his meaning anyway.