[May 1; In a Mexican-controlled territory on the Gulf Coast.]

                          Enter AGUILAR and MALINALLI.

AGUILAR             Blood.
MALINALLI         Sangre.
AGUILAR             Gold.
MALINALLI         Oro.
AGUILAR             War.
MALINALLI        Guerra.
AGUILAR            God.
MALINALLI        Dios. Yo soy Marina. Yo soy traducidora. Enough lessons, Aguilar!

AGUILAR
            Cortés insists you must perfect his tongue.
            I’ll have succeeded once I’m obsolete.

MALINALLI          
            Aguilar,
            Sometimes, I think of that Guerrero.

AGUILAR                                                                 Why?

MALINALLI
            He entered my world; now I enter his.
            At first, a forced exchange, but in the end,
            We both embrace our foster families,
            And shall go as enigmas to our graves.

AGUILAR
            Hush now, here comes that meddling Mexican.

                     (Enter TEUHTLILLI, with two attendants.)

MALINALLI
            Where do you come from?

TEUHTLILLI
                                                                 From where do I come?
            From Mexico.

MALINALLI                         You may, or you may not.
            Perhaps you tease. I know we all would like
            To claim that we’re from Mexico these days.

TEUHTLILLI
            I come to greet my sovereign, who is here.

MALINALLI [to Aguilar]
            He says he’s here to meet his sovereign lord.

AGUILAR
            You err, my dear. He must’ve said, “your lord.”

MALINALLI
            In fact, he claims his king is here with us.

AGUILAR
            Captain, come forth! Our emissary’s here.
            And, sir- I’d look as kingly as you can.