It was approximately 4o'clock in the afternoon. Marcelo was sweating hard, soaking all of his clothes. He no longer felt the weight he was carrying because of general exhaustion. He didn't think that he would last another day. For moments, his legs gave out and his sight got cloudy. Could he be wrong? The barking of dogs reached his ears. There wasn't any doubt. After about two minutes he heard them clearly. Until then, he hadn't noticed the path was lined with small milpas with the corn uniformly tall. It was time of gleaning. It must have rained recently because the crops looked healthy. A little farther and he would be at his destination. He had wondered a lot about how he would be received, now he only wanted to get there.

When he finally saw the first stone fences, and the first huts, his heart raced excitedly. The dogs came out after him barking furiously and more than once he had to stop to pick up a rock, or pretend to, to scare them away. He was waiting to see some people. The doors of the houses were closed, however he was sure that he was being watched from the beginning. Finally, he arrived at the main square of the village.

It was a small clearing where a beautiful willow tree grew, and gave his inviting shade; about 60 meters of it, almost in the middle of the clearing a large stone signaled the mouth of a cenote in its rustic form.

There wasn't even a rope in the pulley. The square was deserted; a little boy, completely naked, ran crying toward the kitchen of some neighboring house. A far off scolding in Maya made Marcelo smile.

He went toward the trunk of the willow where, after setting down his load, he sat down, laying back on the thick roots. A sensation of relief invaded him as he closed his eyes. From one minute to another someone would come out to speak with him. How much time had gone by? Few minutes, but it seemed much longer. He looked slowly around the square, examining the houses. They were all the same. Palm and mud huts, with white washed stone fences, plum; huayas, ramons, avocado and lemon trees were everywhere. The chickens, turkeys and pigs wandered peacefully all over the square. In one of the houses, the door opened and four men came out. Two of them naked to the waist and only short cotton pants with a frontal cloth. When they got close, he recognized the other two as his traveling companions. He calmly waited for them to approach him, and then he stood up.

When Jose Chuc and Jacinto came into the village, the first neighbors came out to greet them. "A "tsu’ul" is coming behind us" They repeated over and over, the news scattered like dust. They went quickly through the streets that led to the main square toward the chief's house. The women who in that moment were fetching water from the cenote hurried to pick up their ropes, pulleys and buckets, putting their water jars on their hips, left quickly. Their backs and bare chests shone in the sun, their gold chains with their coins and medals sparkled. The earrings adorned their ears and their black hair beautifully pulled back at the neck in the style of their ancestors. In a few minutes the cenote was completely empty. The mothers called their children who were playing in the square, putting them in their houses and closing the doors and from inside they all peeked out from between the slats of the rustic doors or woven vines. When the professor arrived, there wasn't a single soul on the streets of the town.

Jose and Jacinto had gotten off their animals in front of the ""baatab’s" house; a young man took charge of the mules, leading them to Jose's house.

The chief had already heard about the "ts'uul" and when they arrived he was waiting for them in the door with the "j-meen" (shaman) of the town. Without saying a word except for a greeting of respect, they went into the hut. They were offered a jicara of "pah-keyem" to refresh them. After a couple of swallows Jose spoke to the chief.

"You have been told already that a ""tsu’ul"" is coming behind us. I will begin by telling you what he told us in the town of Tihosuco and how he got to our town". Briefly, he narrated his encounter with the teacher and their trip. When Jose finished his story the ""baatab"" said, "we will talk with this ""tsu’ul""

The group went out heading to the place where the professor was resting. When they were near him, they looked at him aggressively.

Marcelo looked firmly and squarely at his new acquaintances. He hardly even looked at Jose and Jacinto. He had a hunch that the one in the middle was the leader and he spoke to him in a courteous manner.

"Good afternoon", a slight pause while he waited for an answer that never arrived.

" I suppose you are the lord of Tok' tuunich".

"Jose told me what you told him in X-hodzuc" the chief interrupted, "he explained how you followed him, now I want you to tell me who you are and why you have come here in spite of the warnings of Jose. You must know that until this day, none of your kind has come into this village and you have come without our permission; before anything else, we will listen to you".

The chief's words and his ceremonious accent made the professor aware of the gravity of the moment. He untied the baggage before the eyes of the four indians and from the pages of a book; he took out a sheet of paper and presented in to the chief.

"On this paper, my superiors let you know that the Government is sending me to your town to open a school. Surely, you know that there are schools in all the main towns, and where there aren't, they are opening them so the children can learn to speak Spanish, and to read and write. And I will teach them more things that I have been taught; and are useful things to know. Take this paper, it is for you".

The chief listen attentively, hardly glancing at the official notice that the professor offered him; he didn't try to take it, nor did he want to take it since he couldn't read.

"Tonight," he said to the professor "we will talk to you" "you must stay here in this place until you hear from us when I let you know my decision. Don't try to talk to anybody. If you do, I won't be responsible for the consequences".

Marcelo decided to rest on the voluptuous, old roots of the big tree.

The square began to come alive; the children came out to see what was going on, the men coming home from their milpas looked at him

Strangely, The women went back to the cenote to go on with the task of getting the water.

They went by silently, apparently without looking at him. In a few minutes, he could hear the chatter mixed in with the squeaking of the ropes and pulleys that groaned under the weight of the buckets full of water.

When the last rays of the sun illuminated the square of Tok'tuniich, the main leaders of Tok' tuniich had met in the home of the ""baatab"". He commented briefly and asked for the opinions and advice of the old men of the group.

"There are only a few years left for me to live, if this isn't the last "said the oldest. "I still remember when I was just a boy. " I fought with machete against the "tsu’uloob"; there were many years that we were persecuted like wild animals in the jungle, only because we dared to fight from our freedom and to take back the land that our forefathers had left to us.

For many years now we have lived in peace with our customs and our laws, happy without the "tsu' uloob". If we let one of them live among us, behind him will come more and they will be the leaders of the town and they will change our laws and take our harvests, animals and everything we have away from us again.

I say that the white man should be thrown out of town, it is better for us".

Jacinto listened attentively to the old man. He remembered the stories of the elders of the town. He thought of the teacher whose attitude and decision he respected and even admired. As hard as he tried, he could not imagine how this man alone could hurt them. He thought that his own ignorance was confusing him.

" The tata " is right"; agreed Jose Chuc, "we have to kick him out, put him back on the road he came on, he will survive, I am sure of it, because he is a man of character, but he will never come back".

One after the other, they all expressed the same opinion. At the end, the chief spoke calmly to settle down the old man who were beginning to get out of control.

" Many of us have talked about this moment, with the other chiefs of all the Maya people. We have seen through the years how the "tsu’uloob" have advanced, more and more toward the south and east. X-hodzuc is no longer ours, it was one of the first to fall to the south of Peto, almost all of the towns are occupied by the "tsu’uloob".

Chan Santa Cruz is no longer our sanctuary. Those who fought for it were killed or punished; we are free only because the jungle protects us.

You are right; the "tsu’ul" must be expelled but I ask my self, " how much time will pass before they send more and more? Will we do the same? Will they come with weapons to make us accept".

The "baatab" was quiet; absolute silence prevailed and all of them deliberated.

" We have heard the experiences of the older ones, Jose, who the white man come following, has expressed his opinion. Although he has no right to speak, I want to listen to Jacinto; he is young and without malice, he will speak from his heart. He knew the "tsu’ul" as did Jose.

Jacinto was surprised. He knew that the town counsel was the only old ones who had a voice in the management and matters of the town. He had been called as a witness of the event.

The eyes of old men were fixed on him: the chief with a nod of the head ordered him to speak.

" What can I say that my godfather hasn't said already about the "tsu’ul"? I heard what everybody here has heard. My parents and my grandparents have told me the story of our people and I have never found anything wrong in what they have taught me. They have taught us not to trust the "tsu’ulo'ob", but I have thought about it a lot and I can't imagine that this "tsu’ul" have come to hurt us.

He is alone, he has no weapon; he only brings his clothes and the things in his bag, that are to teach us to speak Spanish, according to what he said. I don't know what hidden intentions, he may have. Only what he said. I believe in what I have seen, his courage. His way of speaking is like ours in spite of his being a "tsu’ul". One thing I am sure of you will have to drag him out or kill him because obviously he is a brave and determined man. You, the older ones will decide. I don't believe my words are important".

Time had gone by without anybody noticing. It was already very late when the "baatab" spoke to the counsel.

" We should retire to our home to rest," he directed, " I have heard the reasons of each one of you; tomorrow when the sun comes out, we will meet again and I will tell you my decision."

One by one, they went out the door of the main house and went home.

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