Original subtitles

(soft tribal music)

(bright music)

(splashing)

(bird caws)

- This fence is enormous.

What's it for?

- It's not a fence.

No one would want to attack this place.

It's a huge dam.

It keeps the lake waters at bay.

- Oh.

Astonishing.

- It sure is.

- What a magnificent place--

- I'll show you more of the city if you'd like,

Pocahontas. - Oh yes, please.

- This quarter used to be the entire city.

Now it's detective Lind's fourth district.

- Where is everybody going, is something special going on?

- [Red Heron] That's the Tenochtitlan market,

the largest market in the world.

This is where the goldsmiths have their stalls.

(indistinct crowd chatter)

(clattering)

- Did you see that?

They're trading with cocoa beans, just like the Mayas.

(laughing)

- Now come with me, they're expecting us at the palace.

- The palace? - Let's go.

(soft flute music)

- Remember to bow deeply before the great Montezuma.

We must show the utmost humility in his presence.

- I'm sorry, we're not Montezuma's subjects.

We'll show our respect in our own way.

(gasps)

Don't make that face.

We're messengers of the Great Spirit.

We'll behave properly.

- All right, this way.

- We should all respect each other's traditions,

but let's not overdo it.

(dramatic music)

- O mighty Montezuma, I bring you the ambassadors

of the Great Spirit.

- Welcome.

My priest and my people await your message

with great anticipation.

Don't let them down.

- The Great Spirit's message is for everyone:

priests, princes and paupers.

- If time permits, I too will come hear the message

you bring from the Great Spirit.

You're leaving soon so I'll take this opportunity

to wish you a safe journey and say goodbye.

Red Heron, you have my permission to join them.

- Thank you, almighty one.

- You may now withdraw.

- Who does he think he is?

This Montezuma's just a big buffoon, that's what I think.

- Copio, he strikes me as very insecure

and frightened, like he thinks something bad

is going to happen to him.

- Ah.

- Well if it were up to Mach, it will.

It'll bring the world down on us, better watch it.

(chuckling)

- I'm flattered you think I'm capable of such a thing.

I could give it a try.

- (chuckles) That's enough, let's go.

- All right.

(soft flute music)

(fire crackling)

(indistinct crowd chatter)

- My friends.

It has been a long and arduous journey which has

brought us here, but we are happy and proud

to see you gathered in peace,

to listen to our message

from the Great Spirit.

The Great Spirit has taught us that the circle of

nature and of life is sacred from our birth to our death.

We are all a part of this great circle.

All living creatures on this Earth are equal,

and no one has the right to violate

the sacred circle of life.

Throughout the north, we were warmly welcomed

by many tribes and plants.

And they all spoke clearly with one voice.

We want one united people.

(crowd cheers)

Our strength lies in unity!

(bright music)

(chanting)

(fire crackles)

(explosion fires)

(gasping and crying)

(chuckles wickedly)

(fire crackles)

(birds chirping)

(soft flute music)

(soft twinkling music)

- Ah.

You must be the ambassadors from the Great Spirit.

Welcome to the empire of the Incas.

I was waiting for you to take you to Cusco, our capital.

- Thank you.

- Let me introduce myself.

Gaumont-- - A pleasure.

- We are all very happy that you've come.

I'm sorry this tambo is so humble.

But a little further on you'll find better shelter.

- It'll be just fine, thank you so much.

- It's not my doing, I just follow my chief's orders.

This way.

(soft flute music)

- I've never seen animals like these.

Why are they held captive?

- They're called llamas and their stamina makes them

very useful.

- Oh.

- Ah.

- They can carry very heavy loads from long distances.

You can find them at every post house or tambo.

- You call them llamas.

(soft flute music)

- I gave a quipu to the messenger.

In five days, the Incas will know that you have arrived.

- [Pocahontas] What's a quipu?

- [Gaumont] This is a quipu.

The number of knots in their position relate a message.

- I'm certainly happy to hear it'll only take

a few days to get there.

- Oh no, the Incas will have the message in five days,

but it'll take us about a month.

- A month?

- But if the messengers get there in five days,

why should it take us a month?

Isn't that-- - Yeah, why is that?

- The chasquis as they are called, run very fast.

Each chasqui runs as fast as he can with they quipu

for only six minutes.

When he reaches the next tambo, blows a conch shell

to let the next runner know he should get ready to go.

(blows shell)

(rain falling)

(thunder crashes)

That's how the message gets to Cusco in only five days.

- I'm impressed.

It sounds like a very efficient system.

Now I understand why it'll take us a month to get there.

(bright music)

- Good morning, Pocahontas.

- Good morning.

What are the llamas carrying today?

- The various goods that each province gives

the Incas as tribute.

The post houses are collecting points.

- Hm, I see.

(bright music)

- See that bridge?

We're going to cross it now.

Don't worry.

It's very sturdy.

- [Pocahontas] Oh, that's very impressive.

- [Man] I've never seen anything like it.

- [Man] I just hope he doesn't leave us

stranded in the middle.

(bird caws)

- Give me your hand, I'll help you.

- Oh, we're so high up.

Oh, it's shaking.

- Don't look down!

(gasping)

(adventurous music)

- Oh.

(breathes heavily)

- The higher we go, the harder it gets to breathe.

- (mumbles) Warned us.

- That's true, but I didn't think it would be this bad.

- Look at them, they're not panting at all.

- They look like we did when we're walking on the plains.

- I guess they must be used to the mountains.

- Oh no, not another trench. - That's right.

But I promise you it's the last one.

Once we reach the other side, we'll be very close to Cusco.

(moaning)

Come on.

(gasps)

It's no different than the first one.

(bird caws)

- That doesn't make me feel any better.

It shakes too much.

(gasping)

- If we fall, flattened like corn cakes.

(bright music)

- Welcome to Cusco.

- The long journey was worth it, it's beautiful.

- Straight ahead, you can see the square of happiness.

That's where you'll find all the royal palaces

and temples and all the roads that lead to the other

imperial capital start there.

(children laughing)

We've almost reached the square of happiness.

(bright music)

- The palace is made of gold. - No.

It's just covered with a thin layer of gold.

This young nobleman is Huascar,

son of the Sapa Inca Huayna Capac.

- Greetings, my friends, I'm Prince Huascar.

- Greetings.

- [Huascar] I'm very honored to meet you.

- I'm Pocahontas, envoy of the Great Spirit,

with my escort.

- My father asked me to come here to welcome you.

He also asked me to ask as your guide.

- Oh thank you.

- We can go in now, if you like.

- They're so polite.

- They're so weird (chuckles).

They're like our worst nightmare.

You don't look any better.

(indistinct chatter)

- That was a long journey.

I'm sure glad we made it.

Felt like it'd never end.

- And I have the feeling we're only halfway through.

- That's right, this road continues south

'til it joins the road that runs up and down the coast.

- [Man] What are all these roads for?

- Think about it.

Thanks to these roads, they've managed to conquer

an enormous amount of territory that warriors

can move quickly, anywhere.

(soft music)

- Good morning.

Did you get some rest?

- Yes we did, thank you very much.

- Would you like to take a tour of our capital now?

- Yes, we're very eager to learn about your way of life.

- Very good.

Cusco has so much to offer.

Follow me.

I wanna tell you about our people as well.

The city's 12 districts all began right here

in this square.

The city is divided into four large sections that represent

the four regions of the world, our world.

- Why are your buildings covered in gold?

- Not all of them are.

These are next to the sun temple,

now gold is a symbol of the sun.

- You worship the sun?

- Yes, and the creator of the sun.

And the Sapa Inca, my father is the embodiment

of the sun on earth.

(chiming)

- What building is this?

- It's the palace of the sun virgins.

- What?

- Yes, you could very well have been chosen

as a sun virgin.

- [Man] Well I for one am glad she wasn't.

- Who are these woman chosen as sun virgins?

- We find the most beautiful women in the empire

and bring them here to Cusco where they live together

in isolation and learn to weave.

Some of them become royal concubines,

the other weave royal garments for the great lord

of the Incas and his wife.

- How can weaving clothes for only two people

keep so many people busy?

- Because they only wear a garment once.

- Really?

- [Huascar] Then it's burnt.

- What's that?

It's breathtaking.

(gasping)

- [Huascar] That's the Qorikancha,

it means the golden fence.

- (gasps) I've never seen anything like it.

Oh (chuckles).

- This is where the first Inca had his house

when he was sent by the sun god to guide and help mankind.

Surrounding us are the temple of the sun, the moon,

the temple of the stars, of lightning and the rainbow.

This is where all the sun priests gather.

- Oh!

(crowd chattering and laughing)

What's going on?

- Oh, it's...

My father, he called for a three day holiday.

Everyone's going to the market.

(soft flute music)

Everyone is obliged to come here,

to learn of the latest decrees of the Inca.

That man over there, for example, is a public crier

who's announcing the new decree.

- [Man] Right here, fresh fish!

- I've never seen so many different goods

all in one place like--

- You can find anything!

(bird caws)

(soft flute music)

- Thanks to our travels, we've learned that the Maya,

the Aztecs and the Incas all have the same origins.

- That's very true, Pocahontas.

We are three different peoples who descend from

the same ancestors.

- That explains why you have the same culture

and traditions, and your religions are so similar.

- We all worship the sun god.

- And the knowledge of your common history

has been handed down from one generation to the next.

- As we will hand it down to future generations.

(soft flute music)