More beads of sweat appeared. They dripped into her eyes. Her hands started to tremble. Her gut tied itself in knots.
Silvery moonlight slipped through the treetops, illuminating large patches of ground. On one hand, it allowed her to keep an eye out for snakes and whatever other animals lived in the godforsaken jungle. It also gave her enough visibility that she didn't need to use her flashlight.
But the moonlight had a dark side. It saturated her path back to the dig site. There would be no way to avoid it, not completely.
A roar rang out. Startled, Miranda froze in place. Her sweat beaded up even faster until it felt like a waterfall was pouring down her visage. She knew the roar belonged to a howler monkey. But it sounded like a giant dinosaur was loose in the Lacandon Jungle.
She took a hesitant step. Then another one. Ever so slowly, she made her way back to the dig site.
She breathed a little easier as the clearing, bathed in moonlight, came into view. Then a branch snapped under her right foot. Yohl Ik’nal barked. Alonzo howled at the moon. Heads swiveled in her direction and her nerves ran wild. She didn't want to move, lest she make another sound. But she couldn't afford to be spotted.
She dodged behind a tall tree and pressed her back against the dry bark. She waited for the dogs to quiet down. Then she snuck a peek into the clearing. She was relived to see the others were still gathered around the sarcophagus.
She dialed a number. The satphone rang a few times. Then the line clicked and went straight to voicemail. "Thank you for returning my call. I don't know how to win your trust, but my offer is real." Sweat beaded up on her face all over again. "It's time we joined forces, Votan."
Chapter 20
"What do you mean?" Emily's voice lifted a few decibels. "Surely, it says something about the library."
"I'm getting to that. The plate appears to summarize the creation and purpose of the Library of the Mayas. It was intended to act as a sort of ancient monument. Here's what we've deciphered so far." Dora Manero flipped through her notepad. "This is the new beginning, the end of the old traditions of that place called City X. Here we—"
"Wait a second. Did you say City X?"
"It's just a placeholder name. Unfortunately, the original name has been completely obliterated from the plate."
"I see." Emily clucked impatiently. "Look, forget the word-for-word translation. Just give me the gist of it."
"The tomb was built to honor two individuals, Xbalanque and Hunahpu. Xbalanque, as we know, was a scribe. Hunahpu appears to have been a renowned architect from Palenque."
"Go on."
"Apparently, Hunahpu was given a special honor by a divine ajaw, or king, named Pakal. Pakal tasked him with building a magnificent library. Xbalanque was hired to write the actual books, which would contain the accumulated knowledge and history of the Maya people. He etched those books on individual gold plates. Based on the dates given as well as our understanding of the Maya Long Count Calendar, we believe the library took eighteen years to complete. Over two dozen workers died in the process."
"Why wasn't it built in Palenque?" I asked.
"It was intended to serve as a retreat for scholars, priests, and other elite members of Maya society."
"Does the plate provide a location for the library?" Emily asked.
"Not that we noticed." Dora shrugged. "Of course, we've only translated a small portion of it."
Emily lifted her gaze. "Where have you been?"
Miranda held up her camera as she walked to our group. "I was looking over my photos."
"Are you aware of any buildings around here that might have been used as a library?"
Miranda shook her head.
"So, maybe it's still missing. That would explain why none of the books ever came to light." Emily paced back and forth. "Did you see anything in your photos that could tell us where to find it?"
"Not yet."
"Anyone have an idea?" Emily looked at Pacho. "How about you? You took photos of the tomb."
"I didn't look at them yet." Pacho appeared thoughtful. "But the library can't be far from here. We should check the satellite images."
I glanced at the sealed-up tomb. Pictures appeared in my mind. I saw the shaft, the tunnel, and the chamber. My brain zeroed in on the chamber. I thought about its circular shape as well as the strange rock formations lining the walls. Then it hit me.
"The chamber didn't look like the rest of the tomb," I said. "It was shaped like a bowl with the walls jutting out into the floor space."
"Why does that matter?" Emily asked.
"Maybe it wasn't just a chamber. Maybe it was a giant relief map."
Emily's face lit up. She took Miranda's camera and quickly scanned the photos. "I see what you mean. It looks like a circular depression, complete with rock formations."
"Exactly."
Emily handed the camera back to Miranda. "Can you use this photo to build a three-dimensional model? I'd like to compare it to satellite images of prominent rock structures in this region. We might be able to narrow our search window by a substantial margin, perhaps to just one location."
Miranda nodded. "Sure, but it'll take time."
"Well, get started then." Emily looked at me. "Let's talk."
I followed her to my truck. As soon as we were alone, she spun around and gave me a wily grin.
I cleared my throat. "What do you need?"
Her grin broadened. "I need you."
Chapter 21
She was easy on the eyes. But I'd met plenty of snakes wrapped up in pretty packages before. "Not interested."
"But you haven't heard my offer yet."
"I don't need to."
"Please just hear me out."
I crossed my arms.
"It will take a few weeks to put together another expedition. But when I do, I'd like your help."
"With what?"
"I'm not looking to conduct a full-fledged excavation, at least not at first. I just want to locate and retrieve the lost Library of the Mayas."
"Miranda can do that."
"Miranda's an archaeologist. She's slow, methodical. And between us, I think she prefers giving lectures to digging holes. You're different. You work fast, but you know how to handle a dig site without destroying it. Simply put, you're better suited for the task. I'm prepared to offer reasonable compensation for your assistance."
"That won't be—"
"I'll pay you a flat fee of two hundred thousand dollars, contingent upon a successful excavation, of course."
I arched an eyebrow. Two hundred grand was a lot of money. I could divide the haul three ways and live on my portion while I looked for a normal job.
"What if the library doesn't exist?" I asked.
"I'll throw in a daily stipend of one thousand dollars. If the library turns out to be a legend, then at least you'll receive some compensation for your efforts. However, I'll need assurances you're not stalling just to get a bigger payday."
"I understand."
"Also, for security reasons, the library's exact location must remain a secret. So, if you accept my offer, you'll be required to live on site until your work is finished."
I frowned.
"In addition, you'll need to live in complete isolation. No Internet. No social media. No email. No phone calls."
I wasn't the most social person in the world. And I was far from a technology guru. But even I had my limits. "That's crazy."
"There's no reason to think it'll take more than a week. After all, you salvaged the sarcophagus in a matter of hours."
"What if it takes a year?"
"Fair point." She thought for a moment. "Your initial contract will run for a limited period. If the library still hasn't come to light by then, you can choose to leave or I can release you. Alternatively, you can sign an extension."