His name is Mixtli-Dark Cloud. Born the son of a provincial quarrier, Mixtli rises far above his station. He become, first, a scribe; he goes on to distinguish himself as a warrior, earns a fortune as a traveling merchant, explores every part of what the Aztecs called The One World-the far lands of mountains, jungles, deserts, seacoasts. His courage and resourcefulness earn him a knighthood and, eventually, elevation to the nobility. Mixtli's long...

In the colony of New Spain, where the once great Aztec people have been enslaved, Cristo the Bastard, a boy possessing the blood of both Aztec and Spanish royalty, follows his destiny to become the founder of a proud new people.