The Mayan Priest

by Guillou, Sue

Gillian hooted with joy – ‘about bloody time’ – and rushed to congratulate them, almost knocking Richard to the ground with her enthusiasm.

  ‘So, when’s the big day?’

  ‘It was to be two weeks from today, but we’ll put it off until Richard returns from Tikal.’

  Gillian realised her mistake. She needed both Richard and Julia‘s expertise but had accidentally omitted Julia’s name from the request, presuming that they would come together anyway.

  ‘Sorry, Julia. When I asked Richard, I automatically expected you to come with him. I will need both of you.’

  Julia looked as if all of her Christmases arrived at once. ‘I thought you’d never ask. When do we leave?’

  ‘Tomorrow.’

  Gillian said her goodbyes and returned to her hotel in Houston. They had flown directly from Washington to Houston for the sole purpose of requesting Richard’s assistance and planned to fly to Tikal from there. Dale, Georgio and Adam were waiting for her, the sight of their familiar faces bringing about a rush of emotion. They were her family and she loved them all, Adam included.

  ‘What’s with you?’ Georgio asked as they stared at her like a monster in an exhibit.

  ‘I just found out that Richard has asked Julia to marry him,’ she said.

  ‘Well, that explains it all. A woman and a romantic proposal. It makes them emotional every time,’ teased Dale as he elbowed Adam into agreeing with him.

  Adam did not comment, the lack of response not going unnoticed.

  ‘Hmmm … I sense an exchange of feelings,’ said Dale as he looked at Gillian and back at Adam. ‘At least I like this one’ his reference a comparison between Fred and Adam.

  Gillian frowned and chose to ignore him.

  Adam had a grin as wide as a Cheshire cat as did Georgio, who whistled in appreciation.

  ‘Who would have guessed … Gillian and an Australian teacher.’

  Gillian walked away. The last thing she needed was her father to tease her about her feelings for Adam. This was not the time and place, but the issue of family did bring about another problem. Samuel. Where was he? They had not seen him since the altercation at Tikal and even though she did not particularly care for him, he was her brother.

  Gillian gazed at her father. To date, she had avoided the topic of Samuel and Reynata, but another problem had arisen. Since receiving their medals, Reynata had returned with Uncle Peter to their respective homes. Their goodbyes were pleasant enough, but an uncomfortable barrier between Gillian and Reynata persisted. It was noticed by all, but no one had the fortitude to address the underlying issues, particularly Gillian who could not quash the sense of familiarity and comfort Reynata bought to her.

  That evening, Gillian settled into the crisp hotel bed. She was looking forward to a decent, uninterrupted sleep but much to her chagrin, it did not come. She was haunted by bizarre scenes of murder and an ever persistent priest in strange garb. The smell of bacon and eggs was a welcome change.

  Adam had cooked breakfast, his culinary skills putting her dismal dry toast attempts to shame!

  ‘And you‘re a good cook as well,’ she said.

  ‘Yep. Not the best, but I can hold my own,’ Adam replied as Gillian gave him an impromptu hug which he returned with tenderness and a small peck on the cheek.

  Georgio whistled from the doorway. ‘Well, the Ice Maiden has a heart.’

  She scowled at him and pushed him aside in favour of her father who had just joined them.

  ‘Our ride is due in fifteen minutes. We have to hurry as Richard, Julia and Tom will meet us at the airport. We are also lucky to have Redmond, Mitchell and Tom, who have sufficiently recovered from their ordeal to accompany us.

  Gillian considered Tom for a moment. ‘Why didn’t Tom receive an award?’

  ‘He did. He was promoted and given a considerable pay rise.’

  ‘That’s good,’ replied Gillian ‘Tom deserves to be rewarded for the part he played in this whole fiasco.’

  No one replied as a knock on the door signalled their departure.

  CHAPTER FORTY THREE

  It was late in the afternoon when they arrived at Tikal, and the sun had begun to set. The general consensus was to start work in the morning, allowing them a night’s rest in one of Samuel’s remaining tents. It had proved to be a good decision and they slept in relative comfort until the howler monkeys woke them the following morning.

  Gillian was the first to arise, eager to start their exploration. She had given this whole trap scenario careful consideration and quickly determined that speculating on any further snares was a waste of time. Field work was far more efficient and she was excited. This was the first time that she would have the opportunity to explore unimpeded without trying to murder them.

  ‘I would like to thank you for giving me a whole new interest in life. This beats a classroom of snotty-nosed kids anytime,’ said Adam.

  Gillian pretended to ignore Adam who had just walked into the room. ‘Are you telling me that my profession in better than yours?’ Her response was smug and self-assured.

  ‘Hell, yes. I couldn’t sleep last night with excitement. I feel like I’ve rediscovered a new lease on life.’

  ‘Well, Mister Archaeologist. Are you ready to come and explore with me?’

  Adam grabbed Gillian’s hand and drew her to him for a hug. She responded with affection.

  Georgio wolf whistled as he joined the duo in the small tent. ‘Okay, you two. Let’s get a move on,’ he ordered as he winked at Gillian.

  She blushed but fell obediently into line as they walked briskly toward the dig site.

  ‘Which way, Jilly?’ asked Richard.

  ‘We have two options. Through the tunnel created by Arun or back into the cave where I found you.’

  ‘I did not locate anything of significance in the immediate area of our incarceration. It’s my opinion that the stairway down to the river was for exactly that reason; to provide a ready source of water to the workers on site. I would suggest that the alternate route would prove to be more beneficial,’ offered Richard as Gillian nodded.

  ‘At least we have time on our side,’ intervened Adam as they moved towards Arun’s inactive machinery and lowered each person singularly into the shaft.

  Upon reaching the bottom, Gillian was pleased to note that the water had subsided and they were able to walk with ease to the room that contained the ruins of the lift.

  ‘Shit. That’s a long way up. If we had remained in that lift, we would have died for sure,’ said Redmond.

  ‘Yes, it makes me wonder just how Fred made it out alive,’ mused Richard as Gillian pointed to the lever just out of reach on the far wall.

  ‘Apparently he stopped his fall on that.’

  ‘So, what do you reckon the lever’s for? It looks a little out of place,’ asked Adam as Gillian glanced up in deliberation.

  Richard interceded. ‘Since our rescue, I’ve had a fair bit of time to consider the set-up of this passageway. It’s my professional judgement …’ Mitchell sniggered in amusement as Richard cleared his throat and ignored him, ‘that the lift was originally constructed as a vehicle to allow workers access to the entire tunnel.’

  Gillian frowned as Richard sought to clarify his statement. ‘The lift had a solid wooden frame that would have made the perfect platform to work from. The four walls were added later on completion of the tunnel.’

  ‘That makes sense. So, how did they control it?’ asked Georgio.

  ‘Instead of being tied off at the roof, the rope would have extended all the way into the lift and be controlled by a pulley system. The lever would have been an emergency stop button or a switch to open something when the lift reached that level.’

  Gillian considered his words carefully. ‘I believe that it may have been a switch, taking into account that the builders turned the lift into a trap, clearly not wanting it to travel up and down as it had done previously. They would have considered the tunnel impervious, creating a seri
es of traps at the base for anyone who bypassed the original shaft and tried to dig their way underneath, but the only way to find out is to try it. Who wants to give me a leg up?’

  ‘I have a better idea,’ suggested Adam as he grabbed a discarded piece of rope and tossed it towards the lever. His aim was true and the rope lay in suspended animation for a moment before dropping faithfully down the other side.

  ‘Good shot,’ whistled Gillian appreciatively.

  ‘I did enjoy the occasional game of Aussie Rules Football,’ replied Adam smugly as he grabbed both ends of the rope and pulled.

  At first nothing happened and it required the assistance of Georgio, Dale, Mitchell and Redmond to force it downwards until it clunked against the metal base and could move no further.

  Still nothing!

  No door opened, no trap appeared, although Gillian did feel a slight shaking of the floor beneath her feet. She did not consider it to be of any significance until she recalled her previous thoughts: travel up and down.

  That was it. She suddenly knew what they were looking for and it did not bode well for them.

  The lift was intended to keep travelling down, tying in with the tile she found depicting Kinix’s likeness. She recognised his pattern of self-gratification and understood that he was merely placing his signature on the newly created false floor designed to conceal what lay beneath them.

  It was a moment of pride at completing his work! The only issue!

  They had activated the trigger to open it and they were all standing on it.

  Gillian spoke first, ensuring her voice carried the urgency and directive she required. They were all in extreme danger and any rash movement would cause all of their deaths.

  ‘You must all stand exactly where you are. Do not move a foot.’

  Everyone listened.

  ‘I do not have time to explain, but right now, we are all standing on a false floor which we have just activated,’ said Gillian.

  ‘I should have known!’ exclaimed Richard in extreme disgust at his failed deduction.

  ‘Redmond, you’re the closest to that rope. Please reach for it, taking care not to move your feet. Pull it off and throw one end to Julia.

  ‘Julia, you are the only one not standing on the floor. I need you to tie the end of the rope to the hook we used to lower ourselves from the surface.’

  Gillian quickly looked around. It was as she thought. Everyone was within one step from the edge of the tiles, but she was dead centre, right next to Adam. They had no possibility of escape before the floor collapsed.

  Adam looked at Gillian, glanced down at the floor and suddenly understood her dilemma.

  ‘Hurry up, Julia!’ he shouted as her voice echoed in reply.

  ‘Good to go!’

  Gillian quickly but fluidly tied the rope around her waist and then around Adam.

  ‘On the count of ten, I need each of you to leap for the edge closest to you. And you must not make a mistake! Your lives depend on it!’ said Gillian.

  She began counting, the tension mounting with each number until she eventually reached ten. Everyone leapt, the sudden shift in weight creating a massive crack through the thin layer of tiles below.

  She looked at Adam, wrapped her arms around him and hung on for dear life as the floor split in two.

  Gillian muttered a small prayer as the blackness enveloped her, bringing forth the memory of her first and only skydive. It had been so scary that she vowed never to do it again, but here she was again, only this time it wasn’t voluntary. To make matters worse, she had no idea just how long the rope was or even if Julia had secured it correctly.

  What if the rope was longer than the space through which they were plummeting down!

  Gillian gripped Adam in absolute terror until they instantaneously came to a bone crunching, muscle stretching jerk before being ricocheted upwards for a few feet and unceremoniously dumped for a second time.

  ‘Oh fuck, Mate,’ cursed Adam as they lay dangling over an unknown space below.

  ‘I feel as if I’ve broken every bone in my body,’ complained Gillian as they remained dangling until she was able to free her hand and reach for the small torch she carried in her tool belt.

  She switched it on and together they screamed until they could yell no more.

  ‘Fuck, fuck, fuck,’ was all Adam could say until Gillian forced him to calm down. They were face to face with a set of twelve mannequins that were positioned two feet from their position. Each one was so extraordinarily realistic, painted and detailed with such meticulous care that their intended purpose of frightening off intruders worked like a treat.

  ‘Why are they so scary?’ asked Adam as Gillian untied him and they dropped the short distance to the ground.

  ‘Hmmm. If memory serves me right, they must be the twelve lords of the Xibalba.

  ‘The what?’

  ‘The twelve lords of Xibalba were the ruling lords of the Mayan underworld. They represent death and destruction and were designed to trap anyone who wanted to enter the city.’

  ‘Well, they’ve done the job for me. The expressions on those awful faces is enough to give me nightmares for the rest of my life.’

  ‘I’m sure it’s not as bad as that, but they’re bloody good though! Good enough to rival the best props used in movies these days.’

  ‘So. What does all of this mean?’ asked Adam as he joined Gillian in switching on his torch and shining it around the room.

  The space was made to ensure that nothing in the room distracted attention away from the lords, from the unimpressive square room painted in dark hues to the rough stone floor and raw rock ceiling. It achieved the desired results.

  ‘Legend tells a tale of a great underground city ruled by twelve very powerful evil lords. These lords loved to set up tricks to either confuse or kill their visitors and no mercy was given, even if they were able to overcome the trials. One of the victims was the father of the Mayan twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque. These twins were eventually able to defeat the Xibalbans and bring their father back to life’

  ‘Wow, so what does this mean for us? Where do we go from here?’ asked Adam as Dale shouted from above, his voice barely intelligible.’ It sounded as if he was asking if they were okay and Gillian responded as loudly as she could.

  ‘We’re fine! We’re going to look around!’ Gillian did not know if they heard her, but she had to continue regardless. There was no immediate way out, only forwards.

  ‘So, where do we start?’ asked Adam.

  ‘It’s my guess that we have found ourselves at the beginning of a series of tests and if I recall the tale correctly, the lords would normally request a guest to sit at the table with them. If they complied, they would be burnt and humiliated by a heated cooking stone under the seat. The hero twins correctly identified the real lords at the table by sending a mosquito to bite them.’

  ‘So, you’re telling me that we need to look for a lord who has mosquito bites?’ said Adam incredulously.

  ‘I don’t know. It’s only a guess.’

  ‘An excellent guess, I’m sure,’ said Adam as they approached the figures with caution.

  Close attention proved that the mannequins were as good close up as they were from a distance, but avid scrutiny proved fruitless until Adam spotted a slight fault in the outer coating of one of the figures. He touched it gently to ensure its validity before peeling it apart with the gentleness of a surgeon. He looked inside and received his second shock in a few short minutes.

  ‘I have it,’ he whispered, too stunned to force his vocals to comply.

  Gillian rushed over and followed Adam’s line of sight. It revealed a genuine skeleton.

  ‘This is the one we want,’ she said. ‘Mosquitos would only bite a real body,’ and in an act of impulsion, Gillian wrenched the skeleton from the bench and quickly located a small indentation in the seat. She ran her finger around the rim, noting the tiny marks, and could not think of anything she had discovered that wo
uld fit. Gillian took a moment to force her mind to correlate the clues Kinix had left to date, remembering that the only one she had not decoded was the small ball found with the last script. She was suddenly thankful she had not given the items to Richard along with the manuscripts.

  Gillian pulled it out of her pocket and attempted to read the hieroglyphs, quickly learning that this one was simply a set of instructions and not a clue. It told her to press and pull which in ancient terms would have been hard to understand, but Gillian took at as being like the top of a medicine bottle and treated it accordingly. It snapped open to reveal a small drawing and another tiny ball with protruding lines. Gillian looked at the drawing and laughed. It was a picture of Kinix standing on the roof of a house with a smug expression on his face.

  ‘What on earth is that?’ asked Adam.

  ‘It’s Kinix’s way of telling us that his treasure was in his home. That he led us on a merry chase, searching for clues when it had been here all along. He’s poking fun at us.’

  Adam sighed in disgust as Gillian inserted the ball into the indentation and pressed it down.

  They were rewarded with a grating noise at the back of the room and their torches revealed an increasing gap as a portion of plaster split in half and collapsed into a dusty pile on the floor.

  They stepped forward with caution, passing through the small gap into another room.

  Gillian shone her torch about and studied what lay before her.

  This room was painted in solid black and was a minefield of bottomless holes positioned in such a way that it would be impossible to miss them without light.

  ‘I don’t understand. What is the purpose of this place?’ asked Adam ‘and why the holes?’