by PJ Skinner
***
Wilson was watching from a clump of trees. He rubbed his wrists where they had chaffed as he had struggled to release the cords that bound them. He had wriggled free during the journey, rubbing the ropes against a block of wood in the bottom of the boat. It was made possible by the fact that Carlos was dealing with the raging waters and did not watch him closely. Wilson’s strong sense of self-preservation now won over his longing for the treasure. He felt weak after his ordeal in Arenas.
He knew that with the river full of debris and running fast with all the extra run-off from the jungle, it would be impossible to get back to the site of the plateau in time to carry out his plan. He had not anticipated this problem. He realised that his best option was to get back to Calderon and to make a new plan. Perhaps he could ambush Mike and his team when they got back with the treasure. He knew that someone was looking for him but he did not think that Mike suspected his motives yet. He would skirt around the village through the trees to the road and go back to San Lorenzo on one of the local buses.
***
Carlos arrived running at Dona Elodea’s house to find her chatting with Segundo. Carlos was tired and drawn, and sweating with exertion. When Segundo saw that Carlos was alone, he leapt to his feet.
‘Where’s Wilson?’ he asked.
‘He’s escaped. He got away as I arrived to shore. I’m sorry. I turned my back for a minute and he was gone. He must have released himself on the trip while I was fighting the river. Rijer is watching the riverbank. There is only one other route out of town. We must go now if we want to catch him.’
Dona Elodea protested that it might be dangerous. But they were gone, running fast up the street. Wringing her hands, she sat down again.
***
Mike and Gloria were approaching Riccuarte in the pickup when they saw someone stumble out of the undergrowth on the edge of town. He was filthy and looked ill but Gloria recognised him immediately.
‘Stop the truck!’ she ordered the driver, who slammed on the brakes. ‘It’s Wilson,’ she told Mike. But Mike was already struggling with the ancient door.
Mike and Gloria jumped out of the truck and ran towards Wilson. Behind Wilson, Carlos and Segundo appeared running from the outskirts of the town, also trying to catch him. Wilson looked up and down the road and decided that Mike and Gloria presented less of an obstacle. He ran straight at them, swerving at the last minute around them and passed the truck. Mike turned and ran after him.
He was excited. He had always been a fast runner. He felt as if he was in a movie. His heart was pounding. Running as fast as he could, he skipped over the ruts in the road. He felt heroic and he was going to catch Wilson. Reaching out to grab him, he felt a sharp pain in his left arm. He fell to the ground as Carlos and Segundo ran past. They caught Wilson, who was unable to run far or fast due to the after effects of the ayahuasca. Gloria reached Mike.
‘Are you okay?’ she asked. ‘You had him until you fell.’
But Mike did not answer.
XIX
All morning, the workers dug the earth out from the centre of the platform, exposing steps that led down to a stone door bearing a large and elaborate frog cypher. There was a solemnity to the work, which surprised Sam. It seemed more like an exhumation than the excavation of a treasure. Don Moises seemed subdued and could not be persuaded into conversation. Alfredo seemed to be drugged with excitement and could not communicate, either. It was not at all what Sam had imagined.
All horseplay amongst the workforce had ceased. They cleared the steps with a certain reverence, like people cleaning a church. They seemed to work very slowly, as if preserving their strength for a great effort. Sam’s excitement drained away, as the mood affected her, too. Don Moises asked her to stop taking photos.
Alfredo said, ‘You’ll understand soon, Sam,’ and made her put away her camera. She sat with Alfredo, eating the last of her precious chocolate supplies.
By early afternoon, the steps were clear. Don Moises led Alfredo and Sam down the steps to the stone door. Alfredo walked like a man entranced, his feet hardly seeming to touch the ground. Sam had never see anyone so happy.
Alfredo felt the stone door from corner to corner. He muttered to himself and reached into his rucksack for his notebook. After leafing through the pages for a few minutes, he found the page he was looking for.
‘I know how to open this,’ he announced, dazed.
‘We cannot open it without first getting permission from the gods,’ said Don Moises, who seemed to have grown in stature. ‘We must perform the blessing ceremony first.’
Alfredo nodded and whispered to Sam, ‘This is incredibly important to them. You must take part, or they won’t let you into the chamber.’
Sam nodded back but she was confused. How did Alfredo know this? She could not believe that they were actually going to open the door and see the treasure. Was it really still there? She could not comprehend it. She was most definitely awake, as she had pinched herself black and blue, and she could not remember ever getting a bruise in a dream.
‘You knew this was going to happen didn’t you? What do we have to do?’ she asked Alfredo.
‘Yes, I knew,’ he replied. ‘Shush now. Just watch me.’
Don Moises beckoned one of the workers forward. He was carrying a large hessian sack, which he gave to Moises reverentially. Moises pulled out an embroidered robe with a frog cypher on the back. He pushed his head though a hole in the middle. Sam was speechless with amazement. A shiver ran down her spine. Alfredo did not seem at all surprised by this development. It was almost as if he was expecting it. Moises took a golden beaker out of the sack and raised it to the sky. Another worker came forward with two bottles of opaque liquid, which he gave to the now priestly looking Don Moises.
Moises opened one of the bottles and poured it into the beaker. He drank from it and passed it around the workers. Alfredo tried to take it but they handed it to Moises. He poured it on the steps, muttering an incantation in a strange language. Moises opened the other bottle and offered some of the liquid in a beaker to Sam and Alfredo. It was bitter and grainy but Sam did not complain. She felt as if she had gone back five-hundred years to the time of Atahualpa. She did not understand how calm everyone was, as if they had all been expecting this. Alfredo held the beaker up and drank with something approaching ecstasy.
‘The door may be opened,’ said Don Moises.
‘I will do it,’ said Alfredo.
Two of the strongest workers went down the stairs with Alfredo, who, using the instructions in his book, showed them where to place their hands on the door. They pushed the door hard on its left side. To Sam’s astonishment, after a couple of meaty shoves, it rotated relatively easily, swinging open to leave a narrow entrance. It was pitch black inside. Alfredo reached into his rucksack and pulled out a torch. He beckoned Sam down the stairs.
‘Are you ready to be astounded, Sam?’ he asked.
She nodded mutely and felt her way into the chamber. Alfredo switched on the torch and pointed it inside. The reflections from a thousand precious objects flashed back at them. There were life-size human figures made out of beaten gold and silver, birds and animals, gold and silver flowers. There were goblets, ewers, salvers and pots full of the most incredible jewellery and golden vases full of green stones that looked like emeralds. Everything was exquisite.
Sam had not been prepared for such a sight. This had to be the find of the century. She knew what it felt like for Howard Carter when he discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb. Her mouth dropped open with astonishment. Sam walked forward into the chamber. She squatted down on her haunches to take a closer look at one of the treasures on the floor: a cornstalk with a golden ear and silver leaves and tassels. The delicacy of the workmanship and the ingenious designs attested to the rare talent of the artisans. There were no words to describe how she felt. It was like Aladdin’s cave.
‘Bloody hell!’ she managed.
They moved into the chamber fo
llowed by Don Moises, who handed Sam another torch. All around them were wonders from the Inca age in random piles. Alfredo went from piece to piece, purring like a cat. He put on a stunning ceremonial necklace with a ferocious face as its centre piece. He ignored the golden objects and stroked the embroidered gowns, running the material through his fingertips and marvelling at the designs of swirling suns with faces and strange creatures. He was like a small boy in Santa’s grotto. He could not see enough, pouncing on one new object after another.
‘Sweat of the sun, tears of the moon. Gold and silver had no monetary value for the Incas. It was valued for its properties that allowed them to make such beautiful things.’
Sam felt dizzy just watching him. She wondered vaguely if it was shock. They went into a second chamber at the back of the first. There was a row of many mummies on a stone slab along the back wall of the chamber, covered in fine materials and wearing funerary masks. Alfredo rushed forward to examine them. He turned in question.
‘The keepers of the treasure?’ he asked Don Moises, who was standing at the entrance to the second chamber.
Moises nodded, and Sam wondered how he knew.
‘Yes, they are all here. I will be next.’
Sam was flummoxed. She realised that both Alfredo and Don Moises were unsurprised to find the treasure or the mummies. Her stomach flipped, and she felt nauseous. She sat down on a golden throne in the corner of the chamber. The room swam before her eyes. Sam was about to faint.
‘The drink,’ she said, falling to the floor.
‘Not yet,’ she heard Alfredo say. ‘Please, not yet.’
Sam slumped on the ground where she was shortly joined by Alfredo, still pleading.
Everything went black.
***
Carlos and Segundo had wrestled Wilson to the ground without too much trouble. The effort of running had ended his resistance. Segundo tied Wilson’s arms behind him with a piece of cord and shoved him in the back towards Riccuarte. Carlos knelt on the ground beside Mike and felt his pulse.
‘Is he dead?’ asked Gloria. She was white with shock.
‘I don’t think so. We’d better take him to Dona Elodea. She is the healer of the village.’
Carlos bent down and levered Mike over his shoulder. He managed to get him into the front seat of the truck, which was still stopped in the middle of the road. The driver was happy to drive to Dona Elodea’s house with Carlos balanced on the tailgate of the truck shouting instructions. He had not expected this sort of excitement when he agreed to take the gringo to Riccuarte.
Gloria followed slowly behind the truck with Segundo and Wilson, who was shuffling along like a very old man. They were all showered in muddy water as the truck dropped into a large pothole. Once back in the village, they stopped for long enough for Segundo to throw Wilson into the local lock-up, where Segundo had been held on his first night. They continued to Dona Elodea’s house. The driver had helped Carlos carry Mike into the house and was emerging from the front door, munching on an empanada.
‘Driver, can you take us to San Lorenzo tonight?’ asked Segundo.
‘I can. Let me unload the groceries first. Then I’ll come back after lunch to collect everyone who wants to go.’
Gloria went into the house and was relieved to see that Mike had his eyes open. He was lying down. Dona Elodea had put some sort of poultice on his chest. She looked around when Sam entered and said, ‘Angina attack.’ She continued fussing around Mike and mixing odd-looking ingredients in bowls.
Gloria suspected that she was a witch but did not say anything, in case she was right. Mike had regained some colour and began to be quite chirpy.
‘Did we get him?’ he asked. ‘Did we get Wilson?’
‘Yes, Mike. He’s in the lock-up. We’re going to take him out with us tonight.’
‘Tonight? What do you mean tonight? What about Alfredo and Sam?’
‘Mike, be reasonable. You have just had an attack of angina. With your history, you should go to the hospital for a check-up. Because of us, Wilson has been captured and cannot hurt them. They’ll be fine. And who knows? Maybe they’ll find the treasure and bring it home.’
‘But I’m fine now,’ said Mike.
‘How do you know that? Do you really think I’m going to let the source of my salary go into the jungle to have another heart attack? Forget it, Mike. We’re going home.’
Mike smiled. He knew that Gloria was fond of him really and did not actually see him as a bank. He also knew that she was right. He had lost consciousness for a moment. He knew that was not right after running such a short distance. Sam and Alfredo were safe now and could still be about to make an astonishing discovery. He could wait in Calderon instead.
‘I’ll get my father to send a car to Riccuarte to wait until they come out of the jungle,’ said Gloria.
‘Okay, but let’s phone him from San Lorenzo to let him know we’re safe.’
‘Get some rest. The driver will be back at about three o’ clock, and you must be ready to travel.’
‘Go and smoke and leave me in peace.’
Gloria smiled and crept out, grabbing one of Dona Elodea’s empanadas on her way.
***
Don Moises ordered some of his men to take Sam and Alfredo back to Arenas in a canoe, where his granddaughter would take care of them until they woke. The rest of the village arrived at the plateau shortly afterwards. They emptied the chamber of its riches piece by piece, carefully enveloping them in hessian sacking. The mummies were gently wrapped in many layers of plastic and then strapped to stretchers. Some of the villagers cut a narrow path north into the jungle, the sort of path that is lost to regrowth in weeks. They followed ancient signs cut into the trees and rocks, which only they could distinguish.
As the day went into night, the work continued until the chamber echoed in its emptiness and was resealed by shutting the entrance and covering it once more with earth. The vines that trailed over the surface of the platform would soon obscure it from human eyes until it might be needed again. The golden cargo was loaded onto mules and sleds and backs. The villagers moved silently away into the jungle, which seemed to close over them.
‘Where are we going, sir?’ asked one of the children.
‘Far away,’ answered Don Moises. ‘Very far away.’
***
The driver returned for Gloria, Mike and Segundo in the late afternoon. They loaded Wilson into the back of the truck, wrapped in sacks and gagged to prevent problems. Segundo sat in the back of the truck with him. One look at Segundo had convinced Wilson that there was no hope of escape, especially when he caught a glimpse of the Luger in his rucksack. He still thought he had a chance. If he had not already been killed by Segundo, it was because someone wanted him alive. He tried asking. The look he received in reply convinced him not to ask again.
Mike and Gloria sat in the front. The driver did not try to touch Gloria’s knee on the return trip, as Segundo had had a little talk with him about respect for the daughter of Senor Hernan Sanchez, which almost made him faint in fright. Mike was subdued but seemed to have recovered from his turn.
They reluctantly stayed in the only habitable hotel in San Lorenzo again. Gloria bought a mosquito net on their way through the market and took it into her room like contraband. They ate in a nearby cantina, but no one was really in the mood for food. Gloria called her father to tell him that everyone was safe.
‘Daddy? It’s me, Gloria. Can you hear me?’
‘Yes, chickpea, I can hear you. Are you okay?’
‘Yes, Daddy. It's all been a bit of an adventure. Mike had an angina attack but he seems to be fine now. We found Wilson. He’s in the local prison for the night. Segundo is looking after him.’
‘Excellent news! Where are Sam and Alfredo in all this?’
‘They’re still in the jungle. It would be great if you could send your driver to Riccuarte to wait for them. I expect they’ll be very tired when they come out. We don’t have any news of
their progress but they’re safe now that Segundo has captured Wilson.’
‘That would be my pleasure, sweetheart. Can you ask Segundo to speak to me please?’
‘He’s right here. Oh, and can you send the driver to collect us tomorrow morning so that we can catch the afternoon flight to Calderon? He can then return to Riccuarte to wait for Sam and Alfredo.’
‘I’ll call him after I speak to Segundo. Take care. I’ll see you very soon.’
Gloria put the receiver down on the shelf and went to get Segundo. He walked over and lifted the telephone to his ear.
‘Good evening boss,’ he said.
‘Good evening, Segundo. I hear that you captured Wilson before he could do any harm. You will be well rewarded for your loyalty.’
‘No problem, boss. He cannot escape from me.’
‘I want you to deliver him to El Duro. Can you do that for me? He’s expecting you. It’s perfectly safe.’
‘OK, boss.’
‘Leave first thing in the morning, will you? I don’t want the gringos interfering in this matter.’
‘Okay, boss. You can rely on me.’
‘Yes, I can, I know that, Segundo. You’re a good man in a crisis. Look after yourself. You know where to pick up your money.’
‘I do, boss. Thank you.’
Segundo hung up the telephone with a smile.
Everyone went back to their rustling rooms for an early night. Wilson had been found lodgings in the town jail after Segundo had had a quiet word with the local policeman and slipped him ten dollars, which was a fortune in those parts.
The policeman was warned that whatever Wilson said, he was not to be believed and that he was a penniless rapist who must not be let out under any circumstances, or Segundo would want to know why. The policeman pocketed the dollars with a grin. His wife was going to be very happy when she got the dress she wanted for her birthday. He stayed well away from Wilson to avoid problems with Segundo, whom he found both persuasive and intimidating.