Bride of the Rain God

Chichen-Itza, City of the Sacred Well, that Holy City of the Empire of Mayapan, is the setting for this stirring romance. See it, if you will, and know its mysterious spell, for it is only three days from our southern shores. Stand on the brink of the cavernous Sacred Well from whose silent depths, one hundred feet below, were rescued the jewels of an empire. See the ruined Temple of the Last Rits where the most beautiful virgins were prepared for the sacrifice to the god of rain and then cast into the turbid waters below. Dig in the mound of dry soil and debris, dumped there by the dredge which wrested the treasure from its thousand-year-old grave, and find for yourself fragments of glistening jade ornaments and bits of gold that were once bells, weapons, shields and vessels--that mutely tell their stories of the life of ancient peoples, the Mayas and Itzas. Then turn to this story of love and intrigue which was lived in this very city, and learn to know King Canek, once its king, and Queen Olal, grief-stricken over the loss of her baby daughter, Lolnicte. Meet Lolnicte, Princess of Chichen-Itza, a sweet flower grown to womanhood in the empire of an enemy, naive and pure of heart. Meet Nohkayol, the audacious prince of Mayapan, great singer and lover of Lolnicte whom he failed to protect in his zeal to serve his country. Then marvel at the daring and cunning of the Empress Ishcoh, whose illicit love for the prince led to sorrow and tragedy for all. Admire the wise and noble Ahthul, whose loyalty to the prince demanded a fearful sacrifice, and laugh at his droll philosophy with which he advises his ward and companion. Learn that love in that distant and dramatic past was just as compelling and relentless and tender as the love of all times. That love and hate, jealousy and revenge, honor and deceit, sorrow and joy, were paramount emotions which ruled their lives and led to their final happiness or doom.