Olmec Obituary

by L. J. M. Owen

  Alice looked ready to burst from excitement. ‘You were right. You were right!’

  Elizabeth smiled at Alice’s enthusiasm. ‘I was? About what?’

  ‘Well, everything…look.’

  Alice laid the analyses across Y Barri’s back.

  ‘See! All the adults are female. And – you couldn’t have figured this out – so are all the other remains, apart from the smallest one, the infant between the ballplayer’s legs.’

  ‘All of them?’

  ‘Yep, all of them. But look, there’s more. I didn’t tell you, but I arranged for the results to be analysed for relationships. Look at the results.’

  Elizabeth had analysed tables, graphs and dendrograms of genetic relationships for her honours thesis, examining the genetics of the local Chinese diaspora. She really enjoyed working through these pictures of affiliation. Of Alice’s offerings, the dendrogram – or neighbour-joining tree – was the most telling set of results.

  To Elizabeth, it looked just like a regular family tree. The children with square heads, and the little baby boy, clustered like twigs on a branch beneath the thirty-year-old ballplayer. All of the children with elongated heads sat beneath the other thirty-year-old woman. Both she and the ballplayer, who looked alike cranially, sat directly beneath the second-oldest woman. The last woman, the sixty-year-old, was closely linked to the ballplayer’s children. Only the smallest female child sat off to one side.

  ‘They’re all related!’ Elizabeth exclaimed. A woman in a nearby aisle shushed her.

  ‘Yes. All except the infant girl. The two oldest women are grandmothers or great-aunts to all the square-headed children. And one of the older women is grandmother or great aunt to all the long-headed children as well.’

  ‘Wow, this is fantastic.’

  ‘And look, you were right. The ballplayer and the other woman her age…it looks like they were sisters. The second-oldest woman was probably their mother, and then all the children are theirs, except the smallest girl. She doesn’t seem to be closely related to any of the others.’

  ‘That’s strange. I wonder if she was buried at a completely different time to the others.’

  ‘Maybe, but look.’ Alice pulled another sheaf of papers from her bags. ‘I examined all of them under the microscope, and found no trace of trauma at or around the time of death.’

  So the possibility that they were religious sacrifices was looking less likely, though couldn’t be ruled out completely.

  ‘And,’ Alice continued, ‘we finished the radiocarbon dating for all seventeen individuals. There’s a small amount of variation in the results, but they all sit around the same date of three thousand, two hundred years ago.’

  This confirmed much of what Elizabeth had worked out by herself. The Juluwik cave was not a royal male cemetery, no matter what Carl said. Carl had constructed a tale around the skeletons to make them fit in with the writing. Such deliberate corruption of the scientific process was unforgivable!

  Elizabeth might not be able to prove it yet, but one day she would force Carl to tell the truth.

  — —

  Friday afternoon before coffee with Nathan, Elizabeth was looking forward to the end of the working week. She had received flowers from the Phantom of the Stacks this week, and couldn’t wait to show Nathan the accompanying card.

  Elizabeth was on the reference desk with Judy: the late lunchtime crowd of bookworms had required two staff members today. No-one would ever guess that Judy was in her late fifties, Elizabeth thought, as Judy processed customer requests at record speed. It must be all that cycling.

  Lifting her head to smile at the next customer, Elizabeth spotted Mai sitting in the corner of the Main Reading Room.

  Judy had seen her as well. ‘Oh, there’s poor Mai.’

  ‘What do you mean, “poor” Mai?’ Elizabeth asked.

  ‘She’s really taken your father’s death so hard. She’s grieved more than anyone else in the team. I’m surprised the two of you don’t know each other better.’ She paused. ‘Surely he told your family about her?’

  What on Earth was Judy saying? That Mai was her father’s girlfriend? That simply wasn’t possible. Not only would he not have done something like that, but she was half his age!

  ‘I can see from your expression that he didn’t. That’s a shame, I think the two of you could be friends. Perhaps you still could be…Would you like me to organise a coffee?’

  ‘No way!’

  ‘All right, all right.’ Judy turned to review another form. ‘Here comes Nathan to collect you. Take your time, it should quiet down soon.’

  Still disturbed by the idea of Mai seeing her father, Elizabeth forced herself to smile at Nathan as he approached. She led him out of the reading room the long way around, avoiding Mai in the corner.

  — —

  The gravelled courtyard below Elizabeth’s balcony glowed in soft spring morning light. Perfumed white roses umbrellaed above lavender, and sunbursts of daffodils and jonquils outlined the garden beds. Lounging on tangerine pillows above the whole scene, Elizabeth prepared for her interview, which was scheduled at the university for later that day

  Nainai Cho was shuffling around the walled garden beyond the courtyard. Like everyone else in the family, poor Nainai was missing Dad dreadfully this week, his birthday week. Elizabeth decided to make a pot of Nainai’s favourite tea and join her, to make sure she was okay. It crossed her mind to ask Nainai exactly what Dad had said about Mai, but she didn’t want to know if her suspicions about Mai’s involvement with her father were correct. She remained silent on the subject.

  Nainai’s family of blue-tongued lizards scattered as Elizabeth placed a tea tray on the garden table. The walled garden was an Eden for lizards. Nainai had fed them bread soaked in warm milk every morning through winter. It was a strange sight, five stripy lizards surrounding the bowl, blue tongues darting in and out.

  ‘Nín hǎo, Nàinài. How’s the garden?’

  ‘Ní hǎo, xiǎo Yīlìshābái. The garden grows well.’ Nainai reached out a hand to grasp the back of Elizabeth’s, tears welling in her eyes.

  Elizabeth gathered her tiny grandmother into a gentle hug. ‘I’m so sorry, Nainai.’

  Her grandmother shook with repressed sobs.

  ‘Here, let’s have a cup of tea.’

  As they sat watching magpies swoop among the trees, Elizabeth wished with all her heart she could take away Nainai’s pain. She couldn’t, so she kept her company instead.

  — —

  At one o’clock Elizabeth pulled into a car park on campus. She had half an hour until her interview. She was as prepared as she could be.

  Elizabeth waited outside the head of department’s office, reviewing her preparation with Luke the day before. He had helped her with a mock interview.

  Luke had also received an interview, by phone, although he wasn’t sure yet if it was just for a tutoring position or the junior lectureship as well. Halfway through their conver­sation Luke had mentioned that Juan had also made it to interview stage, and that he was back in Canberra to interview in person.

  Although it wasn’t great timing, Elizabeth had seized on the moment to ask Luke about something that had bothered her for months.

  ‘How often do you guys get together? You and Juan, I mean.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Just wondering… When I met him at the Library, when he invited me to join the Juluwik team, he hinted at some personal things, things he said you told him.’

  ‘What things? What did Juan say?’

  ‘That you told him I had been missing archaeology.’

  Luke visibly relaxed. What did he think she was going to say? ‘Oh, that. Not everyone is as private about their feelings as you, you know.’

  A door across the corridor opened and students poured out, bringing Elizabeth back to the present. Hmmm…if Juan was here, she should try to find him. Even if she couldn’t prove anything, she could at least see if Juan knew where the skelet
al remains in the cave really came from. Elizabeth wasn’t sure if Juan was in on whatever it was Carl had done, though, so she would have to tread carefully.

  ‘You can go in now,’ the head of department’s personal assistant said. The interview!

  Walking into the room Elizabeth saw three people on the interview panel: Dr Williams, the head of department; Dr Marsh, the hiring lecturer; and…Elizabeth stared. Dr Carl Schmidt, smiling smugly. How had he talked his way on to the panel?

  Numb, Elizabeth pulled out a chair and sat down. Dr Williams was saying something. Why did she want the job?

  Elizabeth couldn’t think straight; everything she had prepared for the interview evaporated from her mind. If Carl was involved he’d definitely prevent her from winning a job. The best she could do was to get through this and get out.

  There were more questions. She was aware of talking, but not of what she said. All the while Carl sneered at her.

  ‘Well, thank you for coming in, Elizabeth. We’ll be in touch.’

  Elizabeth stood up, blank, shook Dr Williams’ hand, and left. She had to get out of here. She rounded a corner in the corridor and it dawned on her that she had gone the wrong way to get to her car. She turned around, only to see Carl striding toward her.

  ‘You forgot your bag.’

  Elizabeth’s fury with Carl, his shoddy approach to archaeology, and his dismissal of her from the Juluwik team returned full force. She needed to get away before she tore strips off him. She couldn’t afford to lose her temper here.

  ‘Well, how do you think that went?’ he smirked, handing over her satchel.

  ‘I don’t know. It doesn’t matter, I have to go.’

  ‘Why so fast? What’s wrong?’

  ‘Leave me alone.’

  ‘After that performance, you can’t possibly hope to win a job,’ Carl taunted.

  Something inside Elizabeth snapped. Her voice, when it emerged, was calm.

  ‘How did they let you on the interview panel? Do you think they’d let you stay at the university if they knew what you were really up to?’

  ‘What are you talking about?’ Carl seemed genuinely nonplussed. He was such a good actor.

  ‘I know there’s something wrong with Juluwik, Carl. I know why you said the adults in the cave were male when they’re actually female.’

  ‘I was simply repeating what Juan said.’

  ‘No, that’s not it. I know why you threatened to fire me when I told you they were female.’

  ‘What are you talking about? I never threatened you.’

  ‘Yes you did. And I know why you said it’s a cemetery, when it’s actually a mass burial,’ Elizabeth was certain of herself now.

  ‘What does it matter? It was Juan, not me.’ Carl sounded incredulous.

  ‘I also know why there are no records of direct dating of any of the skeletons or grave goods in the Juluwik site files…’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, Elizabeth. I think you’re overwrought. You should probably go home and have a lie down.’ Carl was so repugnant!

  ‘And I know why the skeletons match the dates in the writing so perfectly.’

  ‘Yes, because the writing was a dedication to the people in the graves.’

  ‘No! The skeletons match the date in the writing so perfectly because you put them there. And that’s why you fired me, because I was getting too close to figuring out what you did.’

  Carl’s smirk was gone now. ‘You’re being ridiculous. I did no such thing. The skeletons were in the cave when it was discovered.’

  ‘No, they weren’t. You found the writing years before it was officially discovered, but you kept it to yourself. The writing said there was a cemetery of royal males buried there, but you dug up the floor of the cave for yourself, so you knew there weren’t any there. To make Juluwik seem even more incredible than it already was you found some skeletons that matched the age of the writing and moved them there.’

  ‘I did not. You’re a very silly girl who’s just making things worse for herself.’ Carl’s anger was creepily calm. ‘You don’t honestly think I’d let a troublemaker like you win a job here, do you?’

  ‘You made a mistake,’ Elizabeth ignored Carl’s gambit and ploughed on. ‘The skeletons you found were the right age, and the grave goods were for royal males, so you thought they were a match. But it turned out to be a group of peasant women and girls, didn’t it?’

  ‘You’re being ridiculous. Just when did I supposedly do all this mysterious body-switching?’ Carl sneered. ‘There were people all over the site the instant the writing was discovered.’

  ‘You said it yourself…You have access to a range of sites all across Mexico, and you were in Córdoba, just a few kilometres from Juluwik, for months before it was “discovered”. You were there for weeks on your own. You had plenty of time to move the burials from one site to the other.’

  Carl threw his head back and laughed.

  ‘Córdoba? I couldn’t have done what you’re suggesting. I wasn’t even in the country.’ He stepped closer to her, staring into her eyes. ‘Córdoba, Spain, not Córdoba, Mexico.’

  He was telling the truth. By all the gods, was she wrong?

  ‘I was contacted by the local museum once the find was reported to them, because I am famous in Mexico. My career is ascending, while yours is dead, and I’ll make sure you never go anywhere now; I’ll block you at every turn.’

  Elizabeth had to get home and make this waking nightmare stop. She lowered her head and pushed past Carl.

  Rounding the corner, Elizabeth slammed into someone with her shoulder. It was Dr Williams.

  He looked as shocked as she felt.

  ‘Sorry!’

  She lowered her head again and ran.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Olmec date 4.15.10.12.7 8 Manik’ 10 Ch’en (26 November 1231 BCE)

  Ix’s family’s huts, Lord Ajaw’s lands, ancient Olmec (Juluwik, modern Mexico)

  Kimi sat next to Ix, rubbing her back, helping her breathe through the contractions. Kimi heard Tzikin outside, calling her boys to her and instructing them to go to their father. Tzikin’s husband was at the building site of Lord Ajaw’s new ceremonial city, with its enormous womb avenue and giant foetal heads. It was only a short walk to the site, there were six of them, and it was the middle of the day, so they should be fine.

  Two hours later, Ix gave birth to a tiny girl. The baby’s minute ribcage heaved as she panted her first breaths. Ix was right, she was only eight moons in the womb and she seemed too fragile to cling to life.

  After cleaning her up, Kimi stroked the baby’s forehead. Her heart filled with dread. She looked at Ix with the deepest of regrets. ‘I’m sorry, my brave jaguar girl, but the child is female.’

  ‘Oh well, I wanted Aqabal to become A Man Who Has Fathered A Son, but he prefers girls. He will be happy.’

  Kimi forced herself to smile. ‘Yes, Aqabal was always the best of men, even as a small boy.’

  ‘That’s why I married him. Can I hold her?’

  Kimi held the newborn up for Ix to see, but didn’t pass the baby over.

  ‘She’s very tiny, Ix. I want to take her into the light and pray to Sky Mother, Earth Mother and the Lords of Maize to make her strong.’

  ‘Hurry back. Can you send Tzikin to me?’

  ‘Of course.’

  Kimi sighed bitterly. ‘Wait, Ix, hold her a moment. I’ll leave the strengthening drink with you.’

  Kimi passed the baby to Ix, who cooed and played with the newborn’s fingers. Turning her back on Ix, Kimi reached into her bag and drew out two vessels, a gourd filled with purple corn drink, and the vial he had given her. Very carefully, ensuring she didn’t allow a drop to touch her skin, Kimi poured the contents of the vial into the gourd.

  ‘Again, Ix,’ she said, turning back to her, ‘I am so very sorry. Here are the waters of maize, to strengthen your womb, so that you may bring forth another maize child.’

  Kimi han
ded the gourd to Ix and took the baby from her.

  ‘May the next one be a boy,’ Ix declared.

  Kimi tried to smile at her, lowered her head to hide her tears, and went outside. She didn’t know how long it would take, so she went to the edge of village. She rocked the tiny newborn, exposing her skin to the sun, willing her to live.

  When she judged that enough time had passed, Kimi returned to the impromptu birthing hut, Tzikin’s home.

  Tzikin’s voice emerged from the gloom.

  ‘Kimi, it’s a double celebration! Ix had another girl, and my eldest daughter has become a woman!’

  Tzikin walked towards Kimi, holding the gourd aloft. There was purple corn juice around her mouth.

  ‘Join us, drink!’

  ‘No! Tzikin, what have you done? That is for the birth mother alone!’

  ‘Oh Kimi, don’t be such a deformed chicken. The Lords of Maize want us to celebrate.’

  ‘Tzikin, no! Who else drank it?’

  ‘Everyone, all of us. Come, drink!’

  It took hours. Kimi clutched the newborn baby girl to her, and watched first Imox, then Ix and Tzikin, then all their girls crawl from Tzikin’s hut into the clearing outside and collapse on the ground. They clutched their stomachs and screamed in agony.

  Kimi knew she couldn’t touch them. She couldn’t let their blood or vomit or the corn juice touch her skin. She tried to comfort them as best she could, tears streaming down her face.

  She had killed them. She had killed them all.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Now

  Canberra, Australia

  Spring rain fell heavily on the garden below Elizabeth’s balcony, as drifts of undercoat swirled around inside her bedroom. At this time of year, long-haired Paris and Loki often lay in a corner looking exhausted. Even Thoth and Seshet, both shorthairs, needed help with their moulting. Elizabeth and Matty were working together to minimise the annual feline furball distress.

  Elizabeth was hoping the afternoon would also lift Matty’s spirits. His depression had become obvious to everyone. He went to school blank-faced, said little over dinner, then did his homework and went to bed. When pushed, he denied worrying about his upcoming leg adjustments. One evening, after he had gone to bed, the family decided all they could do was spend time with him, and keep him involved in regular household routine, while they tried to figure something out.