* Line 'Em Up, And Knock 'Em Down. (Part:3) *

"Tenoch, You claim that Xiloxoch deliberately poisoned you with a remedy for your cough which gave you vomiting and diarrhea: but you have not explained WHY." You begin as the third case is presented in more depth.

"Her family has hated mine for generations, that is the only reason she needs." Tenoch declares then Coughs. "And I'm STILL coughing, so she didn't even get that right!"

"If her family hates yours why did you go to her for a remedy? Surely your own family has an herb woman who could help?" You ask.

"Because everyone agrees she is THE BEST in the entire region, even my cousin Yolyamanitzin says so," Tenoch replies.

"Is that why you say she must have poisoned you?" You ask.

"If she is THE BEST that means she would not make a mistake: it MUST have been deliberate!" Tenoch says.

The accused is brought before you and you realize something almost at once, with the language barrier it's entirely probable this was an accident.

The woman is about 60 years old and speaks a dialect that has not been in common use for most of 40 years. Her granddaughter translates for her, and you hear her side of the story.

"The man came in complaining of the lung sickness. Grandma made him a powder for the broth that would help his body recover. He had a very severe case, so she made it strong. Sometimes it causes some nausea and bowel trouble but we told him to take it easy and rest. Our friends say he didn't do that, he went back to work carving bowls the next day. You must REST with this treatment or the side effects are much worse!" The Granddaughter says in her own thickly accented Nahuatl.

You then call on Malinalxochitl to review Xiloxoch notes on the treatment. After 20 minutes she says: "They Are hard to read because of her dialect Excellency, but it seems to bear out what the younger woman says." She comes up to you and whispers in your ear: "However the ink is too fresh in this document, it should be browner than this if it was written two months ago..." She declares, looking at the pair suspiciously.

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