Dominic Sandbrook

Of course you would.

Of course you would.

So they have another meeting.

Almagro encodes a march into the meeting.

And this time, it's clear that Pizarro is outnumbered.

And the royal officials crucially back Almagro up and say, yeah, Atahualpa must die.

And so Pizarro agrees.

I don't doubt the sources that Pizarro is very reluctant because they're kind of unanimous on this point.

And he says, fine, quote, Atahualpa must die since he had broken the peace and plotted treason in bringing men to kill the Christians.

Now, the Spanish sources disagree on one thing, and actually historians themselves now disagree.

Was there a trial or wasn't there?

Because some said there was, some said there wasn't.

I think it's because the conquistadors are so legalistic.

They're always so anxious about being drawn into American style lawsuits.

that they have some kind of rudimentary court martial, because we do have accounts of it.

I mean, some kind.

So basically a kangaroo court.

Kangaroo court.

Pizarro and Almagro are the judges, and there's a prosecutor who's basically barking out questions at Atahualpa.

Did you kill Huascar?