Then they [the Maya forefathers] said to them [the animals]: “Because it has not been possible for you to talk, you shall be changed. We have changed our minds: Your food, your pasture, your homes, and your nests you shall have; they shall be the ravines and the woods, because it has not been possible for you to adore us or invoke us. There shall be those who adore us, we shall make other [beings] who shall be obedient. Accept your destiny: your flesh shall be torn to pieces. So shall it be. This shall be your lot.” So they said, when they made known their will to the large and small animals which are on the face of the earth. What can you most reasonably conclude about the Maya belief system from the excerpt? A. They believed that animals were wicked and ungrateful creatures. B. They believed that humans were the civilized descendants of animals. C. They believed that animals had to be sacrificed for the greater good. D. They believed that it was the fate of animals to be hunted and eaten. E. They believed that humans were a gentler species compared to animals.