"I made some cocoa and got engaged."
Tlotoxl has challenged Barbara to stop Ixta from killing Ian so she pulls a knife from someone and puts it to Tlotoxl's throat; kill Ian and the high priest of sacrifice dies too. There's no doubt in my mind that she's bluffing, but there's no cheap gimmick in her performance to give that away. I wouldn't want to play poker with Barbara.
Ixta and Tlotoxl aren't willing to call Barbara's bluff.
Ixta isn't awarded the spoils of the victory, but the win puts him in a good mood. He's willing to befriend Ian until he has to kill him. A sort of Aztec jock culture of affable dickishness.
Tlotoxl weedles Tonilla into making a fatal test for Barbara. He'll brew a poison. If Barbara survives then she is proven to be divine, if not than she was a false goddess sent to lead the faithful astray.
Ian catches a small bit of this and goes to warn Barbara despite the danger of being caught speaking with her. After the warning the school teachers begin to argue. Barbara hopes to stop the next sacrifice where the Perfect Sacrifice (a nice chap with really sharp side burns) will be offered up at a solar eclipse. Ian points out that Tlotoxl isn't the exception that Barbara thinks that he is, he's the norm. Autloc is the oddity, a "civilized" man who reasons. Despite Ian's protests she will still try to stop the sacrifice.
They are cut short by the arrival of Tlotoxl and Tonilla bearing a potable peace offering. Barbara insists on Tlotoxl drinking first. When he shows reluctance she denounces their attempt to poison her and furiously throw them out of the temple.
Barbara reveals to Tlotoxl that she is a false goddess and threatens that if he speaks out against her that she will turn the people against him. Barbara is no one to fuck with.
At that point Tlotoxl realizes that Barbara's weakness lies in her servants. Even the bad guys recognize the badass that is Barbara Wright history teacher.
Tlotoxl finds out that Susan has stated that she will not marry someone chosen for her (last episode.) He arranges the Perfect Sacrifice to request her hand in marriage. The Perfect Sacrifice's word is law in the days before his death so Susan's refusal is breaking the law.
While all of this is going on the Doctor gets engaged.
The Doctor continues to spend time in the garden of peace with Cameca. She's obviously smitten by him and he is charmed by her. The Doctor helps her pick up some cocoa beans that she's spilled. She keeps asking him if he knows the significance of making drinking cocoa. He thinks that it's just a yummy drink while to her it's a display of love and a proposal of marriage.
The look on the Doctor's face when he realizes that he's proposed is priceless.
Susan is set to be punished before the sacrifice setting Barbara up with the question of whether to save Susan pain and disfigurement or to try to eliminate the sacrifice.
The Doctor has ascertained that there is a secret tunnel in the garden behind a stone. That evening the stone proves to heavy for the Doctor to lift. Ian manages to get it moved with some effort. Ian enters the tunnel with the Doctor's flashlight and begins to explore.
Ixta followed Ian from the warrior's hall to the garden. Seeing the Doctor alone and the stone moved he puts two and two together and decides that the best way to rid himself of his rival is to put the stone back. He explains to the Doctor that the tunnel channels water and that the stone must be returned before the tunnel fills with water and drowns the garden.
The Doctor stands impotent as the powerful young warrior puts the stone back. In the tunnel Ian becomes alarmed at the rising water.
This was another excellent episode. The serial as a whole has to rank among Hartnell's best.
Next up: The Day of Darkness
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