'So what went wrong?' asked Spader. 'Why did they hide it?'
'Nature went wrong,' answered Ethan. 'The pilgrims coordinated their arrival from across the continent using a plant. It’s extinct now. It has no Latin name. Abigail thinks the plant flowered the same day right across ancient Mexico. It marked the summer solstice, the day the megafauna began their migrational hunting season. The pilgrims had to reach the Plaza every year before the plants bloomed. Any later and they risked incurring the wrath of their Gods.
'The second set of carvings explains how their system failed. The flowers bloomed early one year around the Plaza. Libby thinks a new beetle disrupted the local ecology. Or it could have been an insect they accidentally introduced during a previous visit. Either way, the pilgrims hadn't even reached the Plaza when the Gods attacked. The megafauna didn't discriminate. They consumed aristocracy and slaves alike. The pilgrims panicked. Some fought back, and several megafauna were killed.'
'I know how they feel,' commented Spader quietly.
'No, you don't,' countered Ethan. 'You and I never believed they were really Gods. Those people believed they had killed the living manifestations of God on earth. Only one place existed where they knew their request for forgiveness would be heard. The core chamber. So they carved it on the walls, explaining what had happened, and then they buried the entire site. But that was just the start. Further 'amends' manifested itself in the wave of human sacrifices that swept across the continent. Hundreds of thousands of people were sacrificed, all because a flower bloomed early one year.'
The men stood quietly for a moment.
Spader said, 'So the core chamber contained an apology.'
'Precisely. It's too bad Gordon never lived to learn the truth.'
'Don't pity Gordon,' said Spader. 'He was exactly where he wanted to be. None of us are that different from one and other. You and I could swap places in a second. You could be doing what I do in a heartbeat. Part of you still wants to. Life threw us different opportunities, that's all.'
Ethan looked across the hall and saw Maria watching them. Still sitting, she had a child pinned protectively against each hip. She looked wary, but not alarmed. She could read Ethan's body language and probably guessed who Spader was. Ethan had told her everything in a great outpouring that took over three hours to see itself out.
Spader noticed Maria's protective posture. 'She knows who I am. I didn't mean to frighten your family. I'm going to leave now.'
'Wait.' Ethan pulled the cord to reveal the display cabinet's interior. 'I need to show you something.'
Spader didn't look at the cabinet. 'I've already seen it. Dale and I broke in here three nights ago with a replica. The real arrow was in my hands before I read your inscription. I could hardly steal it then, could I? But I guess you already knew that.'
Spader walked off, leaving Ethan stunned until a small hand slipped into his palm.
'Are you all right, Daddy? Who was that man?'
Ethan knelt to face his daughter. 'Just a person I know, Darling. It's all right now.'
'Why was he angry at you?'
Ethan composed himself. 'He wasn't angry with me. He lost someone who was important to him.'
Grace’s eyes flicked to the inscription below the arrow. 'One of those people?'
Ethan studied his daughter closely. 'Now how would you know that?'
'I'm not stupid.'
Ethan reread the three names on the plaque. He must have read it over a dozen times by now:
Dedicated to the people who lost their lives in the search for the truth: Nina Honindas, Joanne Fenwick, Gordon Merrit.
'I'm sorry,' Grace said. 'I wanted to say it before. I'm sorry they died.'
Ethan hugged his daughter. 'Thanks. Now go back and sit with your mother, OK?'
Grace rushed back as everyone finished talking and found their seats.
Ethan took a deep breath and started up to the podium, preparing to tell his story to the world.
Thanks for reading!
Firstly, to you, the reader, thank you for taking the time to read my book. With so many wonderful things you could do with your hours, I’m glad you could spend a few with me. And a special thanks to those folks who take the time to review my books for other readers. If you enjoyed this book, I’d love to hear from you. I reply to everyone who drops in and leaves a comment. I like chatting with readers, so please do. The quickest to leave a comment/review is by CLICKING HERE
PLAZA is my second novel. My first Novel is titled FAST, and a free sample is available at AMAZON by CLICKING HERE
My anthology of short stories is titled AFTER and deals with humans adapting to some of the most world-changing and catastrophic events imaginable. A free sample can be read by CLICKING HERE.
With regards to this book’s cover art, thanks again to the artists who offer their work through public domain and creative commons agreements, allowing a layman like myself to build on what they have created.
Special thanks to Alexander Ovchinnikov, (Creative Director for Milk Creative Agency) for permitting me to freely use his evocative artwork on my copyright pages.
And many thanks to those people who took the time to check the manuscript and let me know where it needed improvement, most notably Margaret, Lainey, Rian, and Steve, but also to any of the readers who left me a comment about how I could improve my work. Thanks to all.
About the Author
SHANE BROWN was born in 1974 and writes from Brisbane, Australia. He attended James Cook University, graduating with an honors degree in Biological Science and a Masters Degree in Underwater Archaeology. Shane has published multiple short stories online and in print, written two novels, and this year signed a contract selling the rights for a feature film to be based on one of his shorter works. He is currently working on his third noveclass="underline" MELT.