by David Meyer
Pacho blinked. His eyes flickered open. They looked dull, nearly lifeless. "It hurts … oh my God, it hurts so bad."
"What hurts?"
"Forehead." He clenched his teeth together and shoved the side of his head into a pillow. "Hot … like fire."
"Okay, I can help you. But you have to stay calm."
Pacho thrashed to his right. Then to his left.
The doc grabbed Pacho's shoulders. Firmly, he pushed the man into the sleeping bag. "I know it's hard, but you have to stay still. We don't know what's wrong with you yet."
Pacho quaked violently. "Please hurry."
Dr. Wu rooted through his bag. "Dang it all."
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"He needs a sedative. But I'm out of vials. Can you watch him while I get my other bag?"
I nodded.
Dr. Wu threw me a box of latex gloves and a respirator.
I frowned. "Is this necessary?"
He jabbed a thumb at Pacho. "Do you want to look like that?"
I quickly donned the gloves and strapped the mask around my head. Its foam face seal clung tightly to my skin.
As the doc ducked out of the clinic, Pacho groaned under his breath. His cheeks puffed out. His skin took on a reddish tint. "It's hot, real hot. Feels like I'm in the desert."
"Try to relax," I said.
"They're starting to hurt."
"What's starting to hurt?"
"My bones. They hurt like hell. They …" His voice died off.
"Pacho?" I shook him hard. "Wake up."
Dr. Wu raced into the clinic with a second bag in his hands. His jaw tightened as he laid eyes on Pacho. Quickly, he threw the bag on the floor and started to rummage through it.
The tent flap moved behind me. "What's wrong with him?"
I glanced over my shoulder. Rain poured off Tum's head, soaking the grass at his feet. "He's got bone pain." I felt Pacho's sticky forehead with a gloved hand. "And he's hot. He's definitely running a fever."
The tent swished. And then Tum was gone.
"We have to move fast." Dr. Wu produced a vial. "I need your help."
Pacho convulsed on the sleeping bag. His face contorted in pain.
"What can I do?" I asked.
The doc swabbed alcohol on Pacho's skin. "Hold him down."
I grabbed Pacho's arms. They felt slippery in my grip. He convulsed again. I pushed harder, trying my best to pin him to the ground.
Dr. Wu prepped a needle.
The tent swished again. "Hey doc."
The needle paused an inch above Pacho's arm. "I'm busy."
Tum held up a handful of evergreen leaves. "I've got Chi ke' leaves."
"So what?"
"So, they'll help him."
Dr. Wu exhaled loudly. "You need to leave."
"Let me feed these to him."
"They're not even clean. Just—"
"A little dirt never hurt anyone." Tum leaned over Pacho and pressed a handful of the leaves into the man's mouth. "Eat these," he whispered. "You'll feel better."
The doc's eyes practically exploded out of his head. "Are you insane?"
Pacho stopped fidgeting. His jaw started to move. His throat swallowed.
Dr. Wu dropped the needle and lunged for Pacho's mouth. He pried it open and reached inside. A dark frown creased his face. "Help me prop him up," he said to me. "I'm going to induce vomiting."
"The leaves will help him," Tum said. "Anyway vomiting won't work. They're already in his system."
"What did you give him?"
"It's a traditional Lacandon remedy for fevers and—"
"It's shaman bullshit."
"My leaves are better than your drugs."
"Is that right? Then what's in them?"
Tum hesitated. "I don't know. But they work."
I glared at them. "Stop arguing."
"Open your mind," Tum said to Dr. Wu. "There's more to health than Western medicine."
"Western medicine is real. Folk medicine isn't." The doc quickly jabbed the needle into Pacho's arm.
Pacho flinched. A pained look crossed his face.
I waited for Pacho to calm down. Then I released his arms and touched his forehead. It was slick with sweat. But it felt a little cooler.
"I think his fever is breaking," I said. "Is he going to be okay?"
"Who knows?" Dr. Wu exhaled loudly. "Our resident shaman could've fed him poison for all I know."
"Poison?" Tum's eyes flashed. "I saved his life."
"You're delusional."
They stared defiantly at each other.
"Carlos." I narrowed my eyes. "Go."
Tum looked at me. "But—"
"Just go."
He turned around and exited the clinic.
Dr. Wu wiped sweat from his brow. "Thanks for your help."
I nodded.
"I know Tum seems nice. But I'd stay away from him if I were you."
"Why?"
"I can't put my finger on it," the doc replied. "It's not just the shaman stuff. There's something else wrong with him. Very, very wrong."
Chapter 47
"Dutch and I checked every inch of it. We couldn't find any hidden tunnels or passages. Other than the trap, it was completely empty."
I winced as I touched the bandages on the back of my head. "So, it's a decoy tunnel."
"Unfortunately, yes." Beverly glanced toward the summit shrine. "Emily is still up there. I asked her about what happened. She says she just lost her balance."
"That's ridiculous. What about her scream? Right before she hit me, she yelled, 'Get away. It's mine.'"
"She claims she said, 'Get away from the incline.'" Beverly rolled her eyes. "Of course, no one actually believes that."
"We need to keep an eye on her. And she's not the only one."
I quickly told her about Tum. When I was finished, Beverly cleared her throat. "He's a strange one all right."
"He's a shaman." I shrugged. "Strangeness goes with the territory."
"How'd the doc handle it?"
"As well as you might expect. Dr. Wu told me Tum specializes in herbal remedies. He gets them from the Lacandon Jungle. Also, he uses divination, specifically a form called 'the blood speaking.'"
She arched an eyebrow.
"Apparently, he undergoes elaborate rituals that put him into a trance. He peels back the layers that divide him from the spirit world. Then he probes his patient's veins, searching for pulses, letting the spirits inform him about what's out of balance."
"Wow. Just … wow."
"Cy?"
I turned around. "What do you want?"
Tum, surrounded by falling rain, stepped forward. "I'd like to talk."
I gave Beverly a nod. Then I walked a short distance with Tum. "What did you do to Pacho?"
"I helped him."
"Dr. Wu is smart. He knows what he's doing."
"Agreed. But he's also limited. If a treatment doesn't fit into his paradigm, he's unwilling to even consider it."
"Are you any different?"
"Not really," he said with a chuckle. "Are you hungry?"
The question surprised me. "I guess, but—"
"Try this."
I stared at the round purplish fruit nestled in his palm. "What is it?"
"A star apple."
My stomach growled. I was tempted. At the same time, I was wary of eating something I'd never seen before. "No thanks."
"Suit yourself."
Using a small knife, he cut the fruit in half. A sweet odor wafted into the rain-soaked air.
On the inside, the fruit looked like a white starfish edged in light purple pulp. Tum picked out the seeds and cut a chunk of the fruit. Lifting it to his mouth, he placed it on his tongue. His eyes closed as he swallowed it. A tiny smile danced across his mouth.
My stomach growled again. "Do you have another one?"
He produced an identical fruit from his shoulder bag. I used my machete to peel off the skin. The seeds were light brown an
d felt hard to the touch. I scraped them away, cut myself a slice of the fruit, and tasted it.
It was delicious. Sweet and just the right texture. Hungrily, I devoured another slice.
"Pretty good, right?" Tum said.
I nodded. "Where'd you find it?"
"In the jungle. With the chi ke' leaves."
"You mean the stuff you fed to Pacho?"
"Yes."
I stared at him, then at the fruit.
"They both come from a tropical tree best known as the cainito. It's relatively new to this continent."
"And the leaves … they've really got medicinal properties?"
"I use them to treat fevers, aching bones and muscles, diabetes, and articular rheumatism. Also, the tree's bark is a tonic and a stimulant. And this fruit," he held up the rind for me to see, "contains antioxidant properties."
I was dumbfounded.
"Shamans aren't bad, you know. We use our knowledge to help people cope with problems of both a spiritual and physical nature."
I took another bite. "You still should've asked Dr. Wu before you pulled that stunt."
"I saw a person in need and I helped him. I don't see why that's such a big deal."
I took another bite. Maybe Tum wasn't such a nutcase after all.
"Well, that's all I wanted to say. I hope we can be friends now." Tum held out his hand and gathered some rain. "By the way, what do you make of this storm?"
"I hate it."
He chuckled. "I'll give you one thing. This rain is strange."
"Strange?"
"I've seen a lot of rain in my life. But this is different. It's almost like we're being punished, like we shouldn't be here." His expression turned thoughtful. "Or maybe it's the opposite. Maybe we're supposed to be here and this is just Chaac's way of showing his appreciation."
"Who is Chaac?"
"Just an old Maya legend." Laughing heartily, he clapped me on the back. "That's all."
As he strode away, an eerie sensation passed through me. I'd felt something in the canyon ever since our arrival. It was an odd, crackling energy. An evil energy.
And I couldn't help but wonder if Tum felt it too.
Chapter 48
"Come on, Hunahpu." I studied the north wall. "Where is it?"
After returning to the pyramid, I'd spent several hours inspecting its surfaces. I'd walked along its edges dozens of times. I'd taken hundreds, if not thousands of closer looks. And yet, I'd found no sign of a hidden entrance.
I walked around the northwestern edge. Through the mist, I saw a lone figure approaching me. My eyes widened. "What are you doing out of bed?" My voice sounded fuzzy through my respirator.
Pacho walked forward. He looked far better than I remembered. "I'm feeling better now. Those leaves really did the trick."
"They did?"
He nodded. "I gave some to Rigoberta on the sly. She's feeling better too. I think she'll be up and about by morning."
I hesitated. "Does she know about Yohl Ik’nal?"
"Yeah, she knows." he sighed. "She's been crying for the last hour. I tried to get Alonzo to comfort her, but all he wants to do is stare at the jungle."
"After what he went through, I don't blame him."
"Me neither." He paused. "Anyway the doc told me to rest so I can't stay long. But I wanted to thank you. I don't actually remember it, but he said you helped him take care of me."
"You don't remember it?" I frowned. "But you were talking the whole time."
"Truthfully, I don't remember a single thing from the last couple of days." He nodded at the respirator. "By the way, why are you wearing that thing out here?"
"Dr. Wu gave it to me. He says it'll filter close to one hundred percent of all non-oil based airborne particles."
"You're worried about dust?"
"Not exactly." I glanced at the west wall. "Do you know how you got sick?"
He shook his head.
"I was thinking this pyramid might be responsible."
"Oh?"
"You've probably heard of King Tut's curse, right? Well, it's just a myth. There was no curse inscribed inside the tomb. And most of the people who worked on it lived long lives. Still, the financial backer, Lord Carnarvon, died less than five months after Howard Carter opened the tomb."
He stood silently, waiting for me to continue.
"Old tombs are a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria. And mummies and leftover food attract funguses. Those things wouldn't be enough to kill a normal person. But they could cause a little sickness and maybe even kill off a person with a weak immune system. Some people think that explains Lord Carnarvon's death."
He opened his mouth to reply. But at that exact moment, the skies opened up, unleashing torrential rain.
I tilted my head upward. The rain continued to pour. It neither abated nor strengthened. It just fell.
My forehead scrunched up. There was something else about the rain, something I'd missed. I formed my hands into a cup and held them out in front of me. Water splashed into them.
Surprise came over me as I studied the rain. It wasn't normal rain. It was thicker, gooier. And its color …
It was red.
Blood red.
Chapter 49
The gooey red rain splashed against my face as I ran through the marsh. It oozed down my cheeks, slipped down my neck, and vanished into my shirt. I didn't understand it. Hell, I didn't want to understand it. I just wanted out of it.
Pacho started to lag behind. I slowed my pace and offered him my shoulder. Then we continued running.
We climbed out of the marsh and veered under the dome tent. I released Pacho and fell to a knee, breathing rapidly.
Others joined us. Nervous whispers and anxious questions rang out.
A strong wind swept across the canyon, turning the red rain sideways. It made for an incredible sight.
"I can't believe it," Beverly said softly.
"Ever seen anything like it before?" I asked.
She shook her head.
There was something about the rain that captivated me. It was an ancient, almost mystical rain. It fell with a certain grace that gave it substance and a life of its own.
I watched it for a long time, entranced by its force and beauty. Part of me was eager for it to end. I was sick of rain, sick of being wet. But the other part of me wanted it to go on forever.
"Have you ever heard of Kerala?" Beverly asked.
"Sure," I replied. "It's in India."
"Red rain fell there in the early 2000s."
"It did?"
"There were a whole bunch of theories at the time. For example, an exploding meteor. Supposedly, the material mixed with the clouds and fell to the ground as rain over a period of months. Other scientists suggested heavy winds had kicked up dust from Arabian deserts. As I recall, the official report blamed it on lichen spores in the atmosphere."
"That makes sense."
"A couple of scientists analyzed the rain. It consisted mostly of carbon and oxygen with trace amounts of other things. It also contained biological matter that gave the rain a certain thickness. Some people considered that evidence of the panspermia hypothesis. That's the theory that—"
"That life exists in outer space." I glanced at her. "What are you getting at?"
"Nothing yet. But I think I'll gather a few samples. Who knows? I might find something interesting."
"Go for it." I paused. "By the way, did you get a chance to analyze the pyramid samples yet?"
She shook her head. "I spent most of the afternoon helping Dutch search the summit shrine tunnel. Hopefully, I'll get to them later tonight."
Our conversation died off. So did the other conversations. Silence overtook the dome tent as we stared at the red rain.
Deep down, I knew the red rain wasn't random. It hadn't come from a meteor, desert sand, or a bunch of spores. The red rain had come from somewhere else, somewhere very close.
My gaze drifted to the pyramid. I didn't understand it.
And yet, I knew it was true.
Chapter 50
Miranda held out her hand as she stole into the jungle. Drops of rain splashed against her fingers. They were clear. But it didn't make her feel any better. Unlike Tum, she didn't care much for nature.
That wasn't to say she didn't care about the environment. She drove a hybrid vehicle. State-of-the-art solar panels were installed on the roof of her mansion. And she kept a constant eye on her carbon footprint. She just preferred people to animals, fundraisers to camping trips, and dinner parties to grueling hikes.
She crossed behind a large tree. Then she leaned out and studied the camp. It was late. Almost everyone else had fallen asleep hours earlier.
Her heart thumped wildly as she glanced at the fire pit. Reed and Graham stood guard just beyond it. They kept a close eye on the southeastern jungle, searching for the mysterious cat that had killed Yohl Ik’nal.
Miranda pulled the satphone out of her pocket. So far, no one had noticed its absence. Even Pacho, who had returned to his tent, hadn't mentioned it.
A grimace crossed her face as she thought about Pacho. She'd talked to him shortly after he'd left the clinic. He claimed not to recall anything from the last couple of days. But it didn't matter. He still possessed knowledge that could destroy everything she'd built so carefully over the years.
She opened the satphone and quickly disabled the parental control measures. Then she dialed into her voicemail.
She cringed as Votan's disembodied voice screeched in her ear. Quickly, she turned down the volume.
"Your terms are satisfactory," Votan said. "Call me with the time and place. Just one question though. You've made no monetary demands. What exactly do you want in exchange for your cooperation?"
The line clicked.
Miranda stared at the satphone for a moment. She felt the familiar wrenching guilt. She could scarcely believe what she was about to do. And yet, she had no choice. Far too much depended on her actions.
She dialed Votan's number and waited for the familiar clicking noise. Then she cleared her throat. "We've tracked the Library of the Mayas to the Eastern Mountains. I'll call with the exact location when we've found a way to access it. Make sure you're in the immediate vicinity. And to answer your question, I don't need money. I just need you to help me seize the library." She paused. "And then I need you to help me destroy it."