tourists trampling the world br into dust br trying to get a last view br of a dying world br touring the Amazon rain-forests br on four lane highways br tears come to their eyes br hearing of the imminent death br of ancient trees br sailing on luxury liners br to the Galapagos Islands br riding on giant tortoises br disturbing colonies of Penguins br the brochures bark br see it nos before its too late br for a few thousand dollars br what sights to see br Antartica hardly touched br next on our shopping list br Empires temples br buried in a tangle of vines br the uninitiated refer br to them as merely ruins br “a wonder of the world br that such ignorant people br of the pre-technocratic age br could construct such monoliths” br remarks a guide leading the tourists br and then adds br “the Mayans are no more” br yet there are two Mayans br standing beside me br I look at them br “we must be ghosts” they say br while smiling and then get back br on the tour bus br as I hear the air overhead br being beaten by the wings br of Quetzalcoatl- br br II br br Walking over the bodies br of dead Indians br I touch the cross br upon my neck br and think of you my love br a present you gave me br on our last meeting br I notice one of these br small brown barbarians br raising up his body br making animal sounds br I thrust my steel blade br into this body br knowing I have done br my duty for Spain the King br for the Church and for God br entering a stone building looking like something br out of the mind of the devil br there before me br in the light of torches br held by the soldiers br there are piles br of what look like strange br Devil writings on strips of skin br probably ripped from br those sacrificed br I order my men to burn these br the priest enters and performs br a benediction br now I know my job br has been done br I cross myself as the flames rise br and I write to you br my love hoping br I shall see you again br in my beloved Spain br and that I shall not br perish here in br this wretched underworld.