Here is the extraordinary story of the last and greatest native civilization of North America, at the height of its magnificence. It is a story told in the words of one of the most robust and memorable characters in modern fiction. His name is Mixtli-Dark Cloud. Rising above his lowly station, Mixtli distinguishes himself as a scribe and later a warrior. He earns a fortune as a traveling merchant, exploring every part of what the Aztecs called The One World-the far lands of mountains, jungles, deserts, seacoasts.