The Death Relic

by Chris Kuzneski

  He corrected her. ‘Actually, we only know a third of the story because the Spanish conquered two major civilizations in this part of the world: the Maya and the Aztecs.’

  Jones came to her defence. ‘Not to argue semantics, but shouldn’t the Spanish Conquest be viewed as two separate stories? The Spanish versus the Maya is one story. The Spanish versus the Aztecs is the other. As far as I know, there wasn’t much interaction between the Maya and Aztecs. I don’t see how they could offer details on each other’s defeat.’

  Boyd smiled knowingly. ‘Unless, of course, they were defeated by the same object. In that case, their perspectives would be quite beneficial.’

  ‘The same object? What does that mean?’ she asked.

  He glanced at Ulster, who was sitting in the front row. ‘Tell me, Petr, in your long career as a historian, have you ever heard of an artefact known as “the Death Relic”?’

  Ulster scratched his beard in thought. ‘The Death Relic? No, I’m afraid not. If I had, I’m quite confident I would have remembered it. The name is rather ominous.’

  Boyd nodded. ‘I thought so, too, when I came across the term a few years ago. I found it in the journal of a South American merchant who arrived in Mexico several decades after Hernándo Cortés had seized Tenochtitlan. During the course of the merchant’s travels, the indigenous population of Mexico – the Tlaxcalans, the Totonacs and so on – regaled him with stories of the demise of the Aztec Empire. Over and over, the natives spoke of a magical object that the Spanish had carried into battle, one that gave them power and strength. Eventually, this item became so feared by the mighty Aztecs that they associated it with death. Hence the name.’

  Ulster grinned at the possibilities. ‘A relic of death! How utterly fascinating! Obviously I am familiar with charms and amulets being described in pagan folklore, but rarely do you find one associated with Christian forces. Please, tell me more.’

  ‘Initially, there was nothing more to tell. Even though the object was mentioned several times in the merchant’s journal, I was unable to find any secondary sources that backed his claim. As you know, the Spanish were very thorough in their destruction of native documents. That forced me to turn to the writings of the priests and conquistadores who dealt with the Aztecs in the early years of the Conquest – men like Bernal Díaz del Castillo, Diego Durán and Bartolomé de las Casas. Unfortunately, there was no mention of the object. Not that I expected one. After all, their writings have been analysed by scholars for centuries. If one of them had described a magical relic, I’m confident I would have heard of it.’

  Ulster urged him on. ‘What happened next?’

  ‘I was ready to write off the story as a myth, nothing more than the fanciful creation of a lonely merchant, when I decided to approach things from a different angle. Since Cortés and his men had landed on the Gulf Coast before their long march to the west, I wondered if the indigenous tribes of the east might have heard rumours about the magical object. My knowledge of the Maya was somewhat lacking, so I reached out to Terrence via email. Much to my surprise, he informed me that he had recently come across an account of a similar object being used by the Spanish against the Maya. It had the same name and the same magical qualities. The Maya were so scared of the relic, they literally abandoned their cities when they saw it coming.’

  Maria grimaced. ‘They ran in fear?’

  ‘Fear is an understatement. Like the Aztecs, they associated this object with death. They did everything in their power to avoid it and the men who carried it.’

  Hamilton entered the conversation. ‘Over the years, I have assembled a substantial database of Mayan glyphs – words and phrases that were carved in stone, painted on ceramics, or written in one of the remaining codices – which I use to translate documents and authenticate discoveries. Prior to Cortés, who arrived in Mexico in 1519, I could not find a single reference to an object known as the Death Relic. However, in the decades that followed the arrival of the Spanish, a new pictograph surfaced in the world of the Maya, a symbol that looks remarkably similar to their Death God. The differences are subtle, but once I knew what to look for, I found the symbol over and over again in artwork throughout Mexico.’

  To illustrate his point, Hamilton walked to the chalkboard and removed the tarp. On the surface underneath, there was a series of ancient words, glyphs, pictographs and translations, which had been scrawled in different coloured chalks. To Payne, Jones and Maria, it looked like gibberish. To Boyd and Ulster, it had significance. Hamilton tried his best to bridge the gap between the two groups.

  He pointed at a drawing on the left side of the board. The creature had a skeleton face, grinning teeth and an exposed spine. Bells and rattles decorated its wrists and legs. An ornament of some kind rested on its head. ‘This is a pictograph of the Mayan Death God. It goes by many names. It appears in art, architecture and writing. It’s one of the most common images in the history of the Mayan civilization, dating back more than a thousand years. We have found it at sites from northern Mexico to southern Guatemala.’

  Jones stared at the creature. ‘He’s an ugly bastard.’

  Maria nodded in agreement. ‘He certainly is.’

  Hamilton moved a few feet to their right and pointed at a second image. Though it looked similar to the first, it had an important modification: two bones, in the shape of an X, hung from a cord around its neck. Hamilton picked up a piece of chalk and circled the necklace. ‘I realize the difference is small. Nevertheless, it is quite significant. In terms of the modern alphabet, think of it like this: the difference between an ‘O’ and a ‘Q’ is merely the tail at the bottom of a circle. In the language of the Maya, the difference between the ‘Death God’ and the ‘Death Relic’ is this necklace of bones. It completely changes its meaning.’

  ‘When did it first appear?’ Ulster asked.

  Hamilton answered. ‘It’s impossible to tell, due to the inexact nature of carbon dating. The best that we can guess is that it first appeared here, in Mérida, in the mid-1500s, before the image spread throughout the Yucatán like a plague. Based on that assumption, we concentrated our efforts in Mérida, starting with a few contacts I have at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese in the city. Since the local monks were known for their detailed records of the Maya, we thought they might be able to point us in the right direction. We were hoping for something small, perhaps the scent of a distant breadcrumb that we could follow to another source. Instead, they unwittingly handed us a whole loaf of bread: they gave us the diary of Marcos de Mercado.’

  70

  Before discussing the diary, Hamilton filled them in on the basic history. Otherwise, Payne and Jones wouldn’t understand the significance of the discovery.

  ‘Diego de Landa arrived in the Yucatán in 1549 to encourage the Maya’s conversion to Catholicism. The Spanish monarchy gave the Franciscans nearly unlimited discretion, and Landa took full advantage. In spite of his conservation efforts with regard to the Mayan languages, Landa is best remembered for his annihilation of the Maya and their artefacts.’

  ‘Hold up,’ Jones demanded. ‘He preserved the language but destroyed the artefacts?’

  ‘Yes,’ Hamilton answered. ‘He was stationed as a monk in the mission at Izamal, a small city to the east of Mérida, where he took an interest in the Maya’s use of glyphs and decided to translate them into Spanish. With the help of Mayan elders, he established the base for their glyphs that is still used by scholars today. However, in July of 1562, Landa ordered an auto-da-fé in the city of Maní. It is said that he ceremonially burned more than twenty-five thousand artefacts that he deemed blasphemous. From that point on, the Maya and their culture were under constant threat, all because of Landa’s desire to convert them to Catholicism.’

  Boyd added to the explanation. ‘Landa’s action did not go unnoticed. The Council of the Indies took an interest in his behaviour, going as far as to form a committee to determine whether or not Landa had committed any crimes. Even after Fran
cisco de Toral had testified against him, Landa was cleared of any wrongdoing.’

  ‘Who was Toral?’ Jones asked.

  ‘Toral was the first bishop of the Yucatán and the first man to officially accuse Landa of unwarranted brutality. It was Toral who had first complained to the powers that be. Interestingly, when Toral died, it was Landa who was chosen to replace him. Somehow Landa went from a man accused of inhumane atrocities to the most powerful man in the Yucatán. Returning from his trial in Spain, Landa once again enacted a brutal crusade against the Maya. His cruelty was universally despised by the natives, the monks and even by the Spanish soldiers.’

  Hamilton picked up from there. ‘Over the centuries, historians have speculated about Landa’s return to Mesoamerica. No one could understand why the Church would grant him this freedom. That is, until we read the diary of Marcos de Mercado. Then it all makes sense.’

  According to the journal, Landa bought his freedom with the promise of a vast treasure. He convinced the Church that he had assembled a massive stockpile of Mayan artefacts – items he had deemed too valuable to burn. In exchange for his release, he was willing to hide these items from the King and smuggle them to the Church instead. To make sure that Landa followed through with his promise, Mercado was assigned by the Church to chronicle his movements upon his return to the Yucatán. Prior to the priesthood, Mercado had trained as a soldier, so they felt he was the perfect choice to spy on Landa in hostile terrain.

  ‘Initially, Landa didn’t trust Mercado – and rightfully so. But everything changed in 1572, when a group of Mayan warriors tried to kill Landa in a small town near here. Mercado intervened and saved the bishop’s life. After that, Landa trusted him implicitly.’

  Ulster raised his hand. He had read several pages of Mercado’s journal, faxed to him by Payne, but couldn’t recall that particular story. ‘Pardon the interruption, but is that anecdote in the journal? I don’t remember any violence in the sections I examined.’

  Boyd answered for Hamilton. ‘The journal is more than three hundred pages in length. It details everything from his voyage to the New World through to his pilgrimage to the west and his return to Mérida. It is a fascinating read, one that I’m sure you’ll enjoy. We’ll be happy to let you read it in its entirety. That is, if you choose to accept our proposal.’

  ‘Finally!’ Payne blurted from the back of the room. ‘Tell us more about your proposal. What’s our role in things?’

  Boyd smiled. ‘I assure you, Jonathon, all of this history is necessary for you to understand your role in things. We’ll be getting to my proposal in just a moment. Trust me.’

  Payne shook his head. ‘Actually, Charles, that’s the problem. We don’t trust you – not one bit. Why should we after all the crap you’ve pulled this weekend?’

  Boyd nodded in understanding. ‘Now that you mention it, I see your dilemma. I haven’t earned the right to be trusted. Perhaps it’s time to move things along?’

  Payne patted his rifle. ‘Yes, perhaps it is.’

  Boyd continued the story, skipping years of history to describe the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. ‘After gaining his trust, Mercado discovered that Landa had been truthful with the Church and that he had, in fact, saved several thousand Mayan artefacts during his earlier stint in the Yucatán. The cache included jewellery, statues, masks, icons and hundreds of Mayan codices, all of which were stored in a cave near Mérida. Landa planned to ship some of the treasure back to Spain, thus staying in the good graces of the Church, while keeping the best items for himself. Because of his military training, Mercado was put in charge of selecting the most trustworthy soldiers in the Yucatán to accompany the treasure on its voyage across the sea. Instead, Mercado handpicked a squad of soldiers who were infuriated by Landa’s atrocities and asked them to steal the treasure before it could be sent back to Spain.’

  Jones perked up. ‘Mercado stole the treasure? That’s awesome!’

  Payne asked, ‘Do you know where it is?’

  Boyd answered. ‘His journal referenced an ancient pyramid that had been concealed by locals to protect it from the Spanish. We assumed he was referring to another location in Mérida.’

  ‘Why’s that?’ Maria asked.

  ‘Because Mérida was built on top of an ancient city named Ichcaanzihó. In Mayan, the name means “city of the five hills”, which refers to the five pyramids that once graced this region. We figured Mercado simply moved the treasure to another part of Mérida, but we were wrong. He actually put the treasure on a Spanish ship and sent it to the west.’

  Jones furrowed his brow. ‘The west? I’m not great at geography, but I’m pretty sure Spain is to the east – unless he was taking the scenic route.’

  Boyd shook his head. ‘Mercado had no intention of sending it to Spain, and he had no intention of selling it for profit. Instead, he was looking for the best place to hide it in Mexico, and that happened to be in the mountains to the west.’

  ‘Hold up! Mercado shipped the treasure from Mexico to Mexico?’

  ‘That is correct.’

  ‘To who?’

  Boyd replied. ‘To his older brother, Manuel. He was a conquistador who had assembled a team of compassionate soldiers that had discovered an Aztec treasure on the outskirts of Tenochtitlan. Manuel’s goal was not to plunder, but to preserve the history of the Aztecs before it was completely erased. In that regard, the Mercados were very similar to the Ulsters.’

  Ulster laughed at the comparison. ‘I do believe this is the first time I have ever been compared to a conquistador. Perhaps I should get a helmet?’

  Payne smiled at the image. ‘Let me see if I’ve got this straight. The younger Mercado stole a Mayan treasure from Diego de Landa and sent it west. The older Mercado, who already had an Aztec treasure, unloaded the Mayan cargo from the ship and did what with it? He combined the two treasures into one massive hoard?’

  Boyd nodded. ‘According to Marcos’s diary, that’s exactly what happened in March of 1574. Roughly a year later, he abandoned his post with Landa and travelled west to meet his brother. The two reunited in the summer of 1575, at which time they moved the Mercado treasure to its current resting place. The brothers lived together in Puebla for nearly two decades until Manuel died from a high fever. Marcos eventually returned to Mérida in 1596 – seventeen years after the death of Landa – and served out his term with the archdiocese.’

  ‘But the treasure remained out west?’ Maria asked.

  ‘Yes. I’m quite confident it did.’

  ‘Why are you so sure?’

  ‘Because we found it,’ Boyd claimed.

  ‘You found the Mercado treasure?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘When?’ she demanded.

  Boyd glanced at his watch. ‘About twenty hours ago.’

  Jones joined the conversation. ‘Then what in the hell are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be rolling around in piles of gold?’

  ‘I wish I could,’ Boyd admitted. ‘Unfortunately, it’s not that simple for a man in my position. If I were to stake a claim in this treasure, the first thing I would be required to do is notify the CIA of my involvement. From that moment on, the Agency would take an active interest in the acquisition process – the thought of which is something I dread. Although I’m a company man, the last place I want a treasure of this magnitude to end up is in some bunker in Langley, Virginia. Instead, I want it to be studied by scholars from around the globe, academics who are searching for answers to the mysteries of the Aztec and the Maya. I want this treasure to be displayed at the Ulster Archives.’

  Ulster nearly fell off his chair. ‘Are you serious?’

  Boyd nodded. ‘Quite.’

  ‘But, wait, you want me to, I mean, you’re giving me … really?’

  ‘Yes, really. That is, if you’re willing to accept the terms of my proposal.’

  Ulster leaned forward. ‘I’m listening.’

  ‘First of all, I want Terrence to be listed as the co-leader
of the team that discovered this treasure. Without his insight into the Maya and his connections in the Yucatán, I would still be searching.’

  Ulster nodded. ‘Done.’

  ‘Secondly, I want Maria to be listed as the other co-leader. Instead of me, she will be given credit for my half of the discovery.’

  Maria baulked at the idea. ‘No way! Not a chance! I didn’t do anything to find this treasure. There’s no way in hell I want my name associated with it.’

  Boyd stared at her. ‘Don’t worry, my dear, your job is yet to come.’

  ‘My job? What job is that?’

  ‘A moment ago, I mentioned that Terrence and I had located the Mercado treasure. In reality, we have discovered the location of the treasure, not the treasure itself. The hoard itself still needs to be claimed. To do so, one final piece of the puzzle still needs to be solved – a piece that happens to fall into your area of expertise: Christianity.’

  ‘How so?’

  ‘It seems that Mercado knew of the so-called “death relic”. He even mentions it by name in his diary, and describes the impact it had on the Maya and the Aztec. To keep their treasury from being invaded, he writes that the location was protected by the death relic itself.’

  Maria returned his stare. ‘So you need me to figure out what the death relic is? If I remember correctly, Christianity happens to be your area of expertise as well. Of course, it’s been so long since we’ve talked, I might be mistaken.’

  He smiled, trying to ease her anger. ‘No, my dear, you are correct: it is my area of expertise. However, as I outlined in my proposal, I cannot afford to be a part of this claim. Therefore, I will not be joining you on the next leg of this mission. When you make the discovery – and I know you will – I will be at a meeting in Washington DC, with plenty of witnesses.’

  ‘Why me? Why not someone else?’ she demanded.

  ‘Because I trust you,’ he said sincerely. ‘In my world, that’s the highest compliment I can give. Not love, not admiration, but trust. And the truth is that I trust you implicitly. I trust you to solve the puzzle, I trust you to honour our agreement and I trust you to hand the treasure over to the Archives. Of all the people I’ve ever met, I trust you the most.’