The capture of Atahualpa was supposed to be a diplomatic coup, but it quickly devolved into a paranoid struggle for survival and unimaginable wealth. As gold plates were ripped from the walls of Cusco to fill the emperor's ransom room, the Spaniards faced a harrowing choice: honor their word to a 'heathen' king or secure their conquest through a legalistic execution. The resulting trial and garroting of the Sapa Inca changed the course of South American history forever, leaving even the Spanish Crown to question the morality of its conquistadors.