Page 59 - Brugger Karl The chronicle of Akakor

The Chronicle of Akakor
a village, and yet they turn the wanderer away. They hold a large bundle of bananas in their hands, and yet
will not give a single fruit to the hungry. But this is the way the White Barbarians act all the time. That is
why we have fled into the inaccessible mountain region, although our warriors pressed for war, as it is
written in the chronicle:

"We no longer have a mighty army." Thus the warlords spoke before the high council. "Nor do
we have any allies or fortresses to protect the empire. Our warriors retreat before the superior
forces of the enemy. They are driven over the mountains and through the valleys. But we can
still unite; we can still attack with our bows and our arrows. We can attack their villages where
they have built houses and where their ships are anchored." Thus the warlords spoke before the
high council, and the listeners were moved by their courage.
The planned attack on the settlements of the White Barbarians on the Great River did not occur. The high
council decided against another war, one which would have been a hopeless struggle. The Ugha Mongulala
warriors were helpless against the enemy’s weapons. Therefore the high council concentrated on reordering
the remaining territory. To protect it from surprise attacks, the council ordered the establishment of watch
posts at the four corners of the empire, at the Great Cataract on the border between Brazil and Bolivia, in
the headwater region of the Great River, on the mountains around Machu Picchu, and the northern slopes of
Mount Akai. Every stranger who dared to advance beyond these points was mercilessly killed by the Ugha
Mongulala warriors. At the same time, the high council renewed the friendship with the still-loyal Allied
Tribes. The only ones left who could be trusted at that time were the Tribe of the Black Hearts, the Tribe of
the Great Voice at the Great Cataract, the Tribe of the Demons-Terror on the upper reaches of the Red
River, and a few smaller tribes in the eastern forests. Only they had preserved the bequest of the Former
Masters.
Their chieftains were initiates. They knew everything about the Chosen People. But they did
not break their vow of silence. Their hearts were filled with veneration. They bowed their
heads when they remembered the Gods.

The high council also reestablished the inner security of the empire. With their voluntary retreat, the Ugha
Mongulala had lost more than three quarters of their country. They were compelled to adjust life in the
community to the changed conditions. Women mainly took over work in the fields and were given
responsibility to administer and supervise the stores. The men’s task was the construction of fortifications
and the guarding of the borders. They went hunting and maintained communications with the last Allied
Tribes.
And so the years passed without anything decisive happening. The White Barbarians continued to expand
their new empires. The Ugha Mongulala lived in retreat according to the bequest of the Gods. All that
remained of the old style of life was the fact that warriors still stood on watch at the rivers, as it is written in
the chronicle:
So they went forth, the warriors of the Chosen Tribes, armed with bows and arrows. They went
as far as the High Mountains and down to the Great River. They passed through flocks of
animals and birds, with their knives at the ready and with sharp bamboo lances. And they also
went over the Great Cataract where they were to keep watch. They stood at the four paths, at
the Blue and at the Black, at the Red and at the Yellow Way. There they stood and stabbed to
death the White Barbarians who dared to advance toward Akakor.

The Higher Knowledge of the Priests

The Gods kept us waiting. Although the priests had calculated their return to be close at hand, their golden
ships did not appear. My people were alone in their fight against the White Barbarians, who slowly and
inexorably were integrating the Great Forest into their empire. But the Ugha Mongulala were not defeated
yet. Men still lived according to the laws of Lhasa, protected by the knowledge and the wisdom of our

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