Well, this one was surprisingly challenging to put together. It’s a very popular story that I think people tend to know well, and it’s also a fairly straightforward story with not as many obscure little details I could find. I did have one question (20) that was pretty evil, but I made up for it with the one before it. Call it a gift. Anyway, have fun:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. Around what year does Barbara think the original High Priest Yetaxa died from looking at the artifacts in his tomb? | 1430 |
| 2. At what year of age do the Aztecs seem to go into a sort of mandatory retirement? | 52 |
| 3. What was the name of the man who built the tomb, and was the father of Ixta? | Topau |
| 4. Barbara thinks her headdress would be perfect for going where? (It’s somewhere women are required to wear a hat, apparently.) | The Royal Enclosure at Ascot |
| 5. What is the name of the Aztec Sun God, as Tlotoxl says? | Tlaloc |
| 6. The Aztecs believe there are how many heavens? | Thirteen |
| 7. What does Ian use to defeat Ixta the first time? | Merely his thumb |
| 8. The Perfect Victim says that he was instructed that “small failings in a man may be his saving graces” by Tlotoxl and whom? | Oftla |
| 9. What was Susan forced to study at the Aztec seminary? | The Code of the Good Housewife |
| 10. Ixta wears the head of what animal as a helmet? | Jaguar |
| 11. Why were the designs for the tomb not written down, according to Ixta? | He disappeared before he could do so |
| 12. Which character’s knowledge of plants allows him to make the poison intended to kill Barbara? | Tonila |
| 13. The Doctor accidentally gets engaged to Cameca by making them both a cup of cocoa. What else are cocoa beans used for by the Aztecs? | Currency |
| 14. In the annals of Kohurticlan, there is a myth of how many suns in the sky? | Five |
| 15. What bodily punishment is Susan to receive for refusing to marry the Perfect Victim? | Piercing of the tongue and ears with thorns |
| 16. Including Ian, how many warriors have challenged Ixta’s right to command? | Seven |
| 17. Where does Autloc believe he will find new truth? | In the wilderness, away from the influence of other men. |
| 18. How does Cameca free Susan from the guards? | Distracting the one in charge with the deed to Autloc’s wealth and property |
| 19. How does Ian kill Ixta? | Throws him down the stairs leading to the tomb. (Not the hardest question, but I find it amusing) |
| 20. According to astronomical data, there was a total solar eclipse that had a path of totality through what is now Mexico in the latter half of the 15th century, which possibly dates this story. In what year was this eclipse? | 1496 |
| Bonus 1: Name the four parts of this serial, one point for each. | The Temple of Evil, The Warriors of Death, The Bride of Sacrifice, The Day of Darkness |
| Bonus 2: In question 14, there was a myth of multiple suns in the sky. One point for each of these suns you can name. | Four Tiger, The Sun of Air, The Sun of Fire and Rain, The Sun of Water, The Sun of Man |
Next Time: The Long Game
