The Mirror of the Moon

"" is the twenty-second episode from the first season of The Mysterious Cities of Gold.

Summary
The party are shown to their room and told they must stay there until the women can be sure of their intent. The three sailors sneak out to explore. The priestess, Omoro, is still demanding their deaths, but the Queen refuses, so the priestess demands the Queen's handmaiden, Morca, as an alternative sacrifice. Morca brings the children some water, and tearfully tells them of Omoro's plans to sacrifice her, and that the priestess is plotting to depose the Queen, but cannot be removed because she alone can can talk to the rain god. Tao is suspicious of this claim and wants to see the rain god's temple. The children go there, and Tao discovers that Omoro forecasts the weather using a Hiva barometer rigged to raise and lower a mask on a totem pole. The children return to their room and meet with Mendoza. The party escape to the riverside and build a raft, but while they row away the snake emerges from the water and attacks. Before it can harm them, the serpent is killed by a spear thrown by Paola, a woman who is also aware of Omoro's evil plans. The priestess Omoro tells the Queen that Paola killed the sacred anaconda which protects the village, demanding that Paola be sacrificed to prevent the violent tempest predicted by her mask. Morca warns the Queen of Omoro's plans but can offer no proof. Mendoza dismisses Omoro's dire warnings, claiming that Esteban's powers will prevail. A deal is struck - if the tempest comes that night, the Queen must leave; if not, Omoro will leave. Omoro returns to her temple, only to discover that her mask was rigged by Tao go give a false prediction. Realising that there will be no tempest, she flees to the belligerant tribes downriver, telling them that the sacred anaconda is dead and they can attack without fear. At dawn, there has been no tempest. The tribes make their way upriver to attack. The women use the Queen's sacred mirror to reflect sunlight onto the condor, enabling it to take off and force the attacking tribes into retreat. In the air once more, the party fly north.

Plot
1x22