“Here lies victory.” He stared at the image until the edges blurred, and the water seemed to ripple. There wasn’t any battle going on in the carving. What could it mean?
“If it was me, I’d take the high ground,” Bones said. “Of course, they’re probably looking for something a little more ‘out there’ than simple strategy.”
“I think you’ve hit it on the head.” Dane smiled as the pieces came together. “Before the Romans destroyed them, Carthage’s two greatest military victories were at Cannae and at Lake Trasimene. At Trasimene, they trapped the Roman forces between a ridge line and the lake, and slaughtered them. Some tried to escape by way of the lake and were also cut down. At Cannae, they pinned them against a river, and the slaughter was even worse. The Punic forces gradually gave way until the Romans were stretched out all along the river, and then the cavalry came down from the high ground, encircled, and slaughtered them. Rome’s force was so large, and their defeat so complete, that they say many of the soldiers were just waiting to be killed when the forces of Carthage finally cut through the outer ranks to get to them. They even found Roman soldiers who had grown tired of waiting for the inevitable and had buried their heads in the dirt and suffocated themselves.
“That’s crazy, dude.” Bones shook his head. “So no safety on the low ground or in the water.”
“Here goes nothing.” Dane stepped onto the square in front of the mountains and took hold of the cold, iron ring. He took a deep breath, turned and winked at Kaylin, and pulled.
The plug slowly gave way and, when it was extended about six inches, it stopped with a loud clunk. The floor began to vibrate and Dane tensed, but nothing dropped out from beneath him, nor did anything come crashing down. Instead, the block on which he was standing sank slowly down into the floor. Sheer, dark stone slipped past, and a new passageway rose up before him. He smelled fresh air, saw a glimmer of light, and he knew they had made it.
When the remainder of the group had reached the bottom, they all stared in silence toward the end of the tunnel, which was partially obscured by hanging vines and low-growing flora. The question seemed to hang in the air. What would they find on the other side?
Chapter 26
Dane stepped through the curtain of vines and into the late afternoon sun, then stopped in stunned amazement. Below him stretched a valley teeming with life. A stream ran down the center, wending its way between cultivated gardens on one side and orchards on the other. Giant kapok trees were scattered here and there among the fields. He could see people tending to the crops, but none of this was what shocked him. At the far end of the valley, beyond the orchards and cultivated fields, the jungle grew wild in a thick, dark, tangle, and rising up behind it stood a pyramid. Its dark, weathered stone speaking of age and mystery. Trees and plants had rooted in various places on its surface as the jungle struggled to claim it. What was a pyramid doing in this part of the world?
“Mayan?” Tam asked, staring at it in confusion. “But it couldn’t be. This is the wrong place for it.”
“Right.” Dane continued to stare at the pyramid. It bore some resemblance to Mayan architecture, but something wasn’t quite right about it. Something about the angles gave it a different feel than the Mayan pyramids he had seen. “It almost looks like it has some Incan influence, or something, doesn’t it?”
“The influence was Egyptian, actually.”
Dane was surprised to see a man staring up at them from down the path that descended into the valley. He had wavy brown hair, dark eyes, and a large, curved nose. His skin was deeply tanned, making his teeth seem even whiter when he smiled. He carried a small bow, but he did not have an arrow nocked.
Good thing for him, Dane thought. He was not sufficiently armed to cause them any trouble.
“I am Mago and I welcome you to Kephises.” He bowed. “Please put down your weapons. You have my word that we mean you no harm.”
“I only see one of you,” Matt scoffed.
“That, I think, is the point.” Mago’s smile widened.
“There’s at least two guys hiding in the brush over that way,” Bones said, inclining his head to the right. “They’ve got arrows trained on us. I’m guessing there are a few more I haven’t spotted.”
“You would be correct,” Mago said. “Your weapons, I’m sure, are formidable, but you would be killed.”
Dane had to go with his gut. They were in an exposed position, and this man truly did not seem to want to hurt them. Could he blame these people for wanting to protect themselves from intruders in their realm? Besides, what choice did they have? Sure, they could fight, but at least some of their number would be killed, and probably for nothing. They had come this far to find out the truth behind Fawcett’s final expedition, and hopefully to find Thomas, and that was what they were going to do.
“All right,” he said, laying first his M-16, and then his Walther, on the ground. “But I have to warn you, there are dangerous men after us, who are better armed than we are. We mean you no harm either, and it would be a good idea to let us keep our weapons.”
“We shall see,” Mago said. When the remainder of Dane’s party had laid down their weapons, he made a quick gesture and several figures appeared, as if from nowhere, to collect their weapons. “Now, if you will please follow me.”
He led them down the trail into the valley, with his comrades trailing behind, some carrying the confiscated weapons and backpacks, and others keeping arrows trained on their backs.
Dane ignored them, hungry to take in the incredible scene. This was Kephises, the lost city so desperately sought after by Fawcett. Its very existence defied belief. He understood how this place had gone undiscovered. It was too far off the beaten path, and too well hidden, not to mention protected by the tribesmen below, for an explorer to stumble across it. Furthermore, with the heavy jungle growth all around, and the trees interspersed between the gardens, it would take the most detailed scrutiny of an aerial photo or satellite image to realize this was anything more than another patch of green in the midst of the vast Amazon region.
The people tending the crops stared at them as they passed. They lacked Mago’s distinctive Mediterranean features, and instead bore some resemblance to the natives of the area, though their height, eye color, and complexion suggested a mixed ancestry.
“May I ask you a question?” Dane actually had a hundred or more questions he wanted to ask, but he thought he’d start small.
Mago shook his head. “I am not the person to answer questions. When we reach the temple, there are others who will speak to you.”
A jaguar emerged from the cover of the trees and slunk toward them. Dane tensed, wishing he had a weapon, but their escort smiled at it as it padded up to him and nuzzled his hand. He scratched it behind its ears and spoke to it in gentle tones, as if it was a favorite pet. It left Mago and sidled up to Dane. He froze, wondering if this beautiful but deadly beast was docile only for its master, but then the big cat rubbed against his thigh and purred.
“Isa likes to be scratched behind the ears and between the shoulder blades,” Mago said. “Go on. She won’t hurt you.”
Dane reached down and scratched the jaguar, whose purr sounded like a Harley revving up. Kaylin knelt down and stroked Isa’s back.
“She’s magnificent. And she is tame?”
“She will do violence only in defense of her life. All the animals in Kephises are that way.” That raised another question Dane wanted to ask, but Mago was already moving again. One of their armed escort motioned with his bow, indicating they should move on.