The Complete 3-Book Islands That Time Forgot Trilogy: Dinosaur Island, Ape Island, Snake Island

by K. T. Tomb

  I nodded my response.

  “Come!” He motioned to the attendants present. “Unfasten him and place the ceremonial binding on him. Where is the potion?”

  “It is here, honored one.”

  I was unfastened from the heavy steel rings on the wall and handled with ease by three large men who bound my hands and feet with golden chains with intricately etched golden cuffs on them. A golden chalice was handed to Enrique and he pushed it in front of me. “Drink this!” I hoped that his knowing wink had gone completely unnoticed. With the way that his headdress covered most of his face, it was unlikely that anyone could see any of his expressions.

  I gulped down the drink, which ironically had a slight taste of mango. Much of it spilled from the sides of my mouth and down my chin. Enrique nodded slightly when the chalice was empty. I knew that I too was supposed to be in a state of hallucination. My acting career was about to begin.

  “Take him to the temple!” he commanded.

  “As you wish, honored one,” the four men replied in unison.

  Having never been on an acid trip or having any drug induced experience to draw on, I only had my expertise in alcohol induced stupors to draw upon. I hoped that A.A. could live up to his billing and that I wouldn’t give away the plan. I walked slowly, grinned stupidly, attempted to chat with my guards and stopped occasionally to shake my head slowly as though I was trying to clear something from it. It seemed to be working.

  As I was led into the temple, I froze in place and stared at the light streaming through the hole in the center of the roof, acting as if it were an amazing sign from heaven. I then allowed my eyes to scan the enormous stone image of Kukulkan and made a staggering attempt at a bow, nearly falling on my face.

  “Levantate!” one of my guards ordered, jerking me upright.

  “Dude,” I responded. “Pasito.” There were at least a two dozen observers already present in the temple when I was being brought in. They all wore different colors of ceremonial robes and much less elegant headdresses than the one that Enrique was wearing, but the central theme of all of them seemed to be mostly scarlet, gold, ivory and a touch of royal blue. I was led forward to the right of the stone table and positioned at the very edge of the deep pit. I fought back the urge to look down into the blackness, though my one furtive glance was enough for me to know that it was likely very, very deep.

  I was struggling with the nervous tension and trying to focus my mind on the escape plan as I stood there, flanked by two guards on each side. I hoped that their incapacitation had been taken into account, because I was pretty sure that I would be lucky to be able to take out one of them, let alone all of them. My thoughts were interrupted by what sounded like a dozen kettledrums and I raised my head to see the procession that was entering the temple from the tunnel on the right. I was brought in from the center tunnel, also our escape route, I reminded myself.

  The heavy rhythm of the drums measured each slow step of the priests and attendants, in their absurdly elegant robes and headdresses, as they made their approach toward the stone table. In the midst of them, I spotted Eva between Enrique and his father, who were decked out much more elegantly than the rest. When I saw her, my heart leapt in my chest. Andres had not lied when he said that I would be able to witness Eva in her greatest moment of glory.

  She was robed in ivory with exquisite embroidery work in gold thread and snowy white piping. Atop her head was a tall, golden, crown with a large diamond in the center above her forehead. It was flanked by a ring of what appeared to be rubies, golden beryl and sapphires in an alternating pattern. I noted that those colors matched those of the different colors of robes being worn by the priests, attendants and observers.

  Dressed as she was, her beauty was radiant. Her face seemed to glow, her eyes twinkled and the smooth lines of her features cast a look of nobility that I had to admit was far beyond what I could ever hope to obtain. It was a moment that would be locked into my memory forever. She was indeed a princess and in spite of the situation, my heart swelled with pride as I watched her being led with such grace and dignity to the stone table.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The spell that had been cast over me by Eva’s entrance was broken a few moments later when she was brought adjacent to the stone table, the sash untied and the robe slipped from her shoulders. There was no doubt that she was the most fascinating woman I’d ever seen in my life. The smooth, caramel skin of her nude body was far beyond extraordinary, but it was all that I could do to hold myself back from going to her side to cover her up. I gritted my teeth and held back all restraint as I observed the lustful eyes of everyone present and the collective intake of breath.

  Eva was playing her part well. She seemed completely unconcerned that several dozen horny men were all staring lustfully at her nude body. In fact, she appeared to be enjoying the attention and turned a full circle, wearing nothing but her crown. A surge of indignant anger went through me. She was playing the part a little bit too well. I glanced at Enrique, who seemed to be just as intoxicated with her beauty as the rest. To think that I was trusting the bastard. A low growl escaped from my chest as I considered rushing forward.

  I came back to my senses just in time, forced to trust in the plan that had been formed and hoping that I had not been betrayed again. Enrique approached Eva and instructed her with a wave of his hand toward the stone table.

  I saw no fear or apprehension in Eva’s eyes as she gracefully sat upon the edge of the table, drew up her legs onto its cold, stone surface and then reclined her upper body, perfectly at ease with what was taking place.

  With Eva lying upon the stone table, Enrique began chanting in the ancient Mayan language as he fastened the buckles in a slow, measured pace that followed the rhythm of the beating drums. In spite of the overall significance of the ceremony, it was beautifully choreographed, but even that hardly penetrated through my nerves and my urge to leap into action. It seemed to take an eternity for all of the buckles to be fastened and my anxiety was growing by the minute. The pace of the rapid hammering in my chest had reached a near critical level. I sure hoped that we hadn’t been betrayed, though every sign was telling me that we had. Enrique was going to carry out the sacrifice. My eyes happened to fix themselves on Andres for a moment and I noticed the swelling pride that was in him as he observed his son carrying out his first sacrifice.

  After muttering several more words that I did not understand in the direction of the massive stone figure, the entire group repeated what I could only describe as a responsive liturgy of sorts. After the liturgy was complete, Enrique withdrew a long, glistening dagger made of gold with a stone blade, held it high over his head and then looked up toward the hole in the center of the roof. The drums stopped beating and all eyes turned upward along with his, no doubt awaiting the coming when the equinox was fully overhead, at which moment he would plunge the dagger into Eva’s tender body and the sacrifice would begin.

  Watching all of the upturned faces, I felt my anger swelling to enormous levels and was about to call out a curse upon Enrique for his betrayal and then I heard him clap his hands. I hesitated only for an instant and then jerked hard to pull my wrists apart. There was a moment of confusion in all of those present, likely due to the fact that the hand clap was not a part of the ceremony, but also, because more than a dozen of the observers suddenly moved into action. It was in that brief instant that I broke the bonds on both my hands and feet and rushed toward the stone table.

  There was a shocked look on Enrique’s face when Eva did not respond to the clap. “He switched the potion!” He called out as he turned toward his father.

  I had no idea who had switched the potion, nor did I care, I just hoped that I would be able to get Eva loose from her bonds, off of the table and out of the temple alive. I jerked at the bonds on her wrists and chest and heard what sounded like Velcro ripping free. Imagine, Velcro being added to an ancient Mayan sacrificial table.

  “Eva, it’s Adam. We go
tta go!” I shouted at her.

  “Hi, Adam, do I look like a princess?” Her look was childlike and innocent.

  “No time for that, Eva. We’ve have to get out of here!” I moved to her feet and tugged at those bonds, which tore free as well. All around me was a horrible racket of shouts and the sounds of fighting as heavy blows were landed. Some fell to the stone floor and others fell screaming into the deep pit. I knew that it was only moments before I too would be attacked and sent hurtling to the depths of the pit, but I tried to focus on getting Eva free from the table. The bond across her hips did not tear away, though I jerked at it several times. Though I was momentarily frustrated, I paused to work the buckle free.

  “Hurry, Adam! We’re running out of time!” I heard Enrique shout. He was engaged in a struggle over the dagger with his father, whose angry voice I could hear above the din of battle.

  With Eva finally free, I tugged on her arm and drew her off of the table. “Come on! Follow me!” I ordered.

  She pulled back against me, resisting the tug on her arm. I looked back at her in astonishment. “You don’t think that I’m a beautiful princess?” She pushed her thick lips out into a pout. The overall effect on the gorgeous nude woman before me ought to have had quite an arousing impact, but I was in a fight for our lives and it barely registered.

  “What? Come on, we gotta go!” I pulled harder.

  “Not until you say it!”

  “You’re a beautiful princess!”

  “Say it like you really mean it, or I’m not going anywhere.”

  Shit! We didn’t have time for this.

  “Adam! Move it!” Enrique screamed once more.

  I tried to gather my wits so that I could make myself sound sincere. It was the first moment that it hit me that Eva was still naked. I pulled off my robe and draped it around her. “You are the most extraordinary princess I’ve ever seen in my life.” Her pout turned into a bright smile. “Come on, I’m taking you to our castle.”

  “We have a castle?”

  “Yes. We have to hurry.”

  She was finally willing to follow along behind me and I was beginning to see that we had a chance of escaping as I moved swiftly, dragging Eva along behind me toward the center tunnel.

  “Wait!” she called out and started dragging her feet again. Feeling the resistance, I turned back toward her. “What about Kukulkan?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m supposed to marry him.”

  “He called the wedding off.” I couldn’t afford any more wasted time. I could sense that everyone had suddenly become aware of our attempt to escape. Without further hesitation, I swooped in to Eva’s narrow waist, wrapped my arms around her hips and legs and lifted her into the air. When I turned toward the center tunnel, it was blocked by a line of robed figures, prepared to stop us from fleeing in that direction. The tunnels to the left and right were wide open. I already knew what we would face in the left tunnel, so I turned toward the right and ran as fast as I was able with the burden over my shoulder.

  I could hear Enrique calling out to me, letting me know that I was going the wrong way, but he and his friends were suddenly very busy with a counter attack by the Traditionals that set thrust them into a pitched battle. Wrong way or not, it was the nearest escape and I gave it all that I had and disappeared down the dimly lit passage.

  Once we were away from the main temple where the battle raged, I set Eva on her feet again and then started to ask her if she was okay. To my surprise, my concern was met with a resounding slap that stung my cheek.

  “Why did you kidnap me from my wedding?” Her eyes were fierce.

  “Eva, I’m trying to rescue you.”

  “By taking me away from my wedding?” She raised her hand to strike again, but I caught her wrist. When she raised her other hand, I caught it as well. That was the moment that I realized that there was an empty glassy look behind the rage. She had really been drugged. I instantly recalled that Enrique had said that the potion had been switched. Eva was still in a state of delusion from the drug. Unless I wanted to knock her out and carry her on my shoulder the rest of the way, I had to come up with a better way of responding to her. Suddenly, an idea hit me.

  “The wedding has been moved to El Castillo. Kukulkan asked me to take you there. We’re running late.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  My explanation had served the purpose and from that point on, Eva came willingly. I took note that there were a large number of the small, curtained dressing rooms on both sides of the corridor, as well as torches in holders along the wall. I had considered searching for Eva’s clothing and our fanny packs, whatever became of them, remembering that Eva had her cell phone in hers, but decided that it would only be a matter of time before there would be a pursuit. Enrique and his bunch surely couldn’t hold them off forever, though I really had no idea how many of them there were.

  I did notice a pair of small flip flops inside of one of the curtained rooms and, worried for Eva’s bare feet, I snatched them up and presented them to her.

  “Those don’t look like princess shoes,” she said, turning up her nose and squeezing her lips together in a look of disgust.

  I wasn’t sure how I was going to spin this one. In truth, they weren’t very attractive, no more attractive than the pair of leather sandals that I had been given to wear, but they were all we had and I was concerned for her feet, not only on the stone floor, but for when we were ever to escape the tunnel, if we ever did. They might be much better than her bare feet in the jungle beyond. Then, I realized that she was hallucinating and that I could likely suggest anything and she would believe it.

  “They don’t look like much now,” I agreed. “But once you put them on the feet of a princess, they turn into glass slippers like Cinderella’s.”

  “Seriously?” She smiled.

  “Sure. You want to try them out?”

  “Yes.” She nodded eagerly. I have to admit, her innocent state was the most adorable I’d ever seen her in my life. It was all that I could do to keep from wrapping my arms around her and spending a good, long hour kissing her.

  “You have to remember,” I said, kneeling in front of her. “They will still look ordinary to you, but because you are a princess, everyone around you will see glass slippers.” I slipped them on her feet.

  “Oh look,” she squealed with delight. “They are glass slippers and I can see them too.”

  Whatever drug she had been given was extremely powerful and I was in awe of how easy it was to bring her to believe any suggestion that I made. I wish I had thought of that initially; it might have saved me some struggles back in the temple and given us time to get to the center tunnel. As it was, we were starting down the wrong tunnel and I was totally unsure if we would be able to find a way out of it or if we were still trapped and only biding time until we were recaptured and put to death. For the moment, however, we were alive, I was with the woman I loved and she was wearing a golden crown that had to be worth a fortune. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

  As we went further into the tunnel, the small dressing rooms and dim light came to an end and there was nothing but darkness ahead of us. Taking a torch down from the wall, I continued onward to whatever was beyond. We were out of one sort of danger and into another. I wondered if this tunnel also led into a pit like the one we had been in the day before; a pit with no way out. Would we be trapped there until we were found or could we hide there and wait for an opportunity to return to the temple and escape through the center tunnel as we had been directed to do?

  “Do you really think that my glass slippers are pretty?” Eva asked after we had been creeping along in the tunnel for some time. The question had broken a long silence and startled me for a moment.

  “They are gorgeous,” I replied. “You’re gorgeous.” It was in that moment that I realized that I was a great deal bolder with her than I’d ever been before. I smiled as I recalled our conversation on the plane. It had been l
ess than a week ago, but it seemed like a lifetime in the past. “In fact, you are the most beautiful princess in the history of all princesses.”

  “Really?” She stopped and looked at me in the dim light. Her eyes were broad and she was excited by the compliment. “You mean more beautiful than Briar Rose?”

  “More beautiful than… Cinderella, Snow White, Arial…” I faltered for a moment, trying to remember the Disney princesses. The one from Aladdin escaped me, but I suddenly remembered one more and threw her in too. “And Sleeping Beauty.”

  “Sleeping Beauty is Briar Rose, silly,” she giggled. Satisfied that I found her to be the most stunning princess in princess history, she was content to continue on again. “I can’t believe that Kukulkan moved our wedding to El Castillo. It’s a much larger and more beautiful place with the entire blue sky above us and the wind and the thousands of people that would be able to watch us from all around the world. I’m only sorry for one thing though.”

  “Really? What’s that?” I asked in an offhanded manner. My mind was on much more pressing things than whatever strange delusions were going through Eva’s drug addled mind.

  “I really wanted to marry you, Adam.”

  The sudden announcement stopped me dead in my tracks and I turned to look at her. “You wanted to marry me?”

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “Why?” It seemed too far out there for me to even try to get a handle on it.

  “Because, I love you.” It was a simple statement, but it packed one hell of a punch.

  I didn’t know how to respond. I was back to the point where I could only come up with one and two word answers. “I see.”

  “I’m sorry. You’re not mad, are you?”

  “No.” I had to keep in mind that she was in a drug induced state and really had no idea what she was talking about; still, something in her confession struck a deep chord. In spite of the fact that all sorts of really strange ideas had been planted into her head, no doubt through hypnosis, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a bit of truth to what she said. “I’m okay.”