O l i v e r B e n j a m i n
world.”
“Wow. What a hero,” said Muchoman, reverently.
“You certainly were,” the warrior exulted proudly, “And that is
why we are so glad to see you, Nanahuatzin. You have given us our
life, and we must show you our appreciation.”
Muchoman glowed with pride. He always knew he was special,
but the creator of an entire world?
That
was something to put on
your resumé.
“We knew it was you because your leg still carried the fire of
creation, and of course, because of your skin,” said the warrior.
“Because it’s brown like yours?”
“No, because of your name, Nanahuatzin, which means
The One
With Pimples.
”
Muchoman coughed. “You’re joking, right?” he said.
“I would never joke about sacred Aztec beliefs with a revered
deity.”
“Of course not,” Muchoman said, running his hand over his face.
He felt a little dismayed, but supposed that he could have his name
changed. He was now officially a god, after all.
The reception was a grand one. The great Aztec king Montezuma
ordered business shut down and all citizens to gather for a series of
ceremonies. There were fantastic artistic performances and
sumptuous feasts, commemorative statues erected. Allied tribes were
even invited to participate. It was a legendary extravaganza by
anyone’s estimate, and it went on for days. But every time
Muchoman tried to do something heroic, they only assured him that
there would be plenty of time for him to “save the world.”
One evening, Muchoman was seated next to the king of one of
the Aztec’s uneasy neighbors. It was the king of the Mayans, original
supplicants of Quetzalcoatl and governors of the adjacent Yucatan
peninsula.
“So, king,” Muchoman said while chewing on a turkey leg, “Do
me a favor and fill me in on Quetzalcoatl. These guys say he got
pissed off and destroyed the world.”
The Mayan king fell suddenly somber. “That is what the Aztecs
believe. They changed the story in accordance with their way of life.
Quetzalcoatl taught us so many wonderful things, you know, but the
most important was the value of peace. There were no war gods in his
pantheon. Now, sadly, the Aztecs dominate the world and all it knows
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