Choose then between my love and my wrath, people of the Otomie.

If you obey, the past shall be forgiven and my yoke will be light upon you; if you refuse, your city shall be stamped flat and your very name wiped out of the records of the world." 'Say, messengers of Malinche, are not these the words of Malinche ?' 'They are his very words, Maxtla,' said the spokesman of the embassy.
Now again there was a tumult among the people, and voices cried, 'Give them up, give them to Malinche as a peace offering.' Otomie stood forward to speak and it died away, for all desired to hear her words.
Then she spoke: 'It seems, people of the Otomie, that I am on my trial before my own vassals, and my husband with me.

Well, I will plead our cause as well as a woman may, and having the power, you shall judge between us and Maxtla and his allies, Malinche and the Tlascalans.

What is our offence?
It is that we came hither by the command of Cuitlahua to seek your aid in his war with the Teules.

What did I tell you then?
I told you that if the people of Anahuac would not stand together against the white men, they must be broken one by one like the sticks of an unbound faggot, and cast into the flames.