Chapter 8Coronado waited a few minutes to have his faithful adjutant distance himself from the dilapidated house and head toward the Viceroy's residence, after which he stretched once more, feeling his strength returning and becoming aware of the boons of his hastened recovery. He knew there was a flight of stairs awaiting him, but this did not present a problem for him now. He grabbed the candle from the table next to the door and let the flame bite the sheets, and then the timeworn green drapes. Finally, he brought the candle with him and fed the fire with everything he was able to ignite in the lower chamber – rugs, cloths, carpets. Under the cover of night, for the first time in several years Coronado walked out on his own feet into the fresh air.
He was familiar with the palace from
