THE BLUE FEATHER
331
put the sword inside it to keep it safe.” Bardala handed Tital the
jade-faced scabbard and helped him put it around his waist.
“Did you notice all the sparks when they fired off your ring
flowed into the blade of...the Sword of Kukulcán?” Viviana said
after Moka and Eegh had chattered some message to her. “Both
Moka and Eegh observed it.”
“What’s in the other package?” Kuó asked, looking inside the
box with his flashlight. “That’s what I want to know?”
“Let’s find out,” Tital said, as he fastened the gold buckle that
tied the belt of the scabbard around his waist. He then reached
down into the wooden box, and pulled out the other hempwrapped package. He slowly unrolled it, finding a solid gold and
jade covered stylized, Sky-Dragon Ceremonial Bar. The heavy bar
was sixty-eight centimeters long and weighed over twenty-five
kilograms.
“What is that...thing used for?” Kuó asked, while he ran his
hand over the cool piece of gold and jade.
“It’s a royal symbol of power, which some scholars believe
represents the Great Milky Way Galaxy. It was only carried
around on important days when some big feast occurred, or a
victorious celebration by a war party.”
“Wrap it back up and I’ll put it in Lentito’s pack,” Bardala said
to Jonathan, as he held it up high over his head.
Then Moka jumped down off of Viviana’s horse, Mañoso. He
grabbed up Kuó’s mini flashlight, and jumped up on top of the
edge of the wooden box. He pointed the light down into the
empty, dark box, and began loudly chattering to Viviana.
“He’s found one,” Viviana announced to the crew, “he’s
found another one!”