Torrent

I glared at them. "Stop arguing."

"Open your mind," Tum said to Dr. Wu. "There's more to health than Western medicine."

"Western medicine is real. Folk medicine isn't." The doc quickly jabbed the needle into Pacho's arm.

Pacho flinched. A pained look crossed his face.

I waited for Pacho to calm down. Then I released his arms and touched his forehead. It was slick with sweat. But it felt a little cooler.

"I think his fever is breaking," I said. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Who knows?" Dr. Wu exhaled loudly. "Our resident shaman could've fed him poison for all I know."

"Poison?" Tum's eyes flashed. "I saved his life."

"You're delusional."

They stared defiantly at each other.

"Carlos." I narrowed my eyes. "Go."

Tum looked at me. "But—"

"Just go."

He turned around and exited the clinic.

Dr. Wu wiped sweat from his brow. "Thanks for your help."

I nodded.

"I know Tum seems nice. But I'd stay away from him if I were you."

"Why?"

"I can't put my finger on it," the doc replied. "It's not just the shaman stuff. There's something else wrong with him. Very, very wrong."

Chapter 47

"Dutch and I checked every inch of it. We couldn't find any hidden tunnels or passages. Other than the trap, it was completely empty."

I winced as I touched the bandages on the back of my head. "So, it's a decoy tunnel."

"Unfortunately, yes." Beverly glanced toward the summit shrine. "Emily is still up there. I asked her about what happened. She says she just lost her balance."

"That's ridiculous. What about her scream? Right before she hit me, she yelled, 'Get away. It's mine.'"

"She claims she said, 'Get away from the incline.'" Beverly rolled her eyes. "Of course, no one actually believes that."

"We need to keep an eye on her. And she's not the only one."

I quickly told her about Tum. When I was finished, Beverly cleared her throat. "He's a strange one all right."

"He's a shaman." I shrugged. "Strangeness goes with the territory."

"How'd the doc handle it?"

"As well as you might expect. Dr. Wu told me Tum specializes in herbal remedies. He gets them from the Lacandon Jungle. Also, he uses divination, specifically a form called 'the blood speaking.'"

She arched an eyebrow.

"Apparently, he undergoes elaborate rituals that put him into a trance. He peels back the layers that divide him from the spirit world. Then he probes his patient's veins, searching for pulses, letting the spirits inform him about what's out of balance."

"Wow. Just … wow."

"Cy?"

I turned around. "What do you want?"

Tum, surrounded by falling rain, stepped forward. "I'd like to talk."

I gave Beverly a nod. Then I walked a short distance with Tum. "What did you do to Pacho?"

"I helped him."

"Dr. Wu is smart. He knows what he's doing."

"Agreed. But he's also limited. If a treatment doesn't fit into his paradigm, he's unwilling to even consider it."

"Are you any different?"

"Not really," he said with a chuckle. "Are you hungry?"

The question surprised me. "I guess, but—"

"Try this."

I stared at the round purplish fruit nestled in his palm. "What is it?"

"A star apple."

My stomach growled. I was tempted. At the same time, I was wary of eating something I'd never seen before. "No thanks."

"Suit yourself."

Using a small knife, he cut the fruit in half. A sweet odor wafted into the rain-soaked air.

On the inside, the fruit looked like a white starfish edged in light purple pulp. Tum picked out the seeds and cut a chunk of the fruit. Lifting it to his mouth, he placed it on his tongue. His eyes closed as he swallowed it. A tiny smile danced across his mouth.

My stomach growled again. "Do you have another one?"

He produced an identical fruit from his shoulder bag. I used my machete to peel off the skin. The seeds were light brown and felt hard to the touch. I scraped them away, cut myself a slice of the fruit, and tasted it.

It was delicious. Sweet and just the right texture. Hungrily, I devoured another slice.

"Pretty good, right?" Tum said.

I nodded. "Where'd you find it?"

"In the jungle. With the chi ke' leaves."

"You mean the stuff you fed to Pacho?"

"Yes."

I stared at him, then at the fruit.

"They both come from a tropical tree best known as the cainito. It's relatively new to this continent."

"And the leaves … they've really got medicinal properties?"

"I use them to treat fevers, aching bones and muscles, diabetes, and articular rheumatism. Also, the tree's bark is a tonic and a stimulant. And this fruit," he held up the rind for me to see, "contains antioxidant properties."

I was dumbfounded.

"Shamans aren't bad, you know. We use our knowledge to help people cope with problems of both a spiritual and physical nature."

I took another bite. "You still should've asked Dr. Wu before you pulled that stunt."

"I saw a person in need and I helped him. I don't see why that's such a big deal."

I took another bite. Maybe Tum wasn't such a nutcase after all.

"Well, that's all I wanted to say. I hope we can be friends now." Tum held out his hand and gathered some rain. "By the way, what do you make of this storm?"

"I hate it."

He chuckled. "I'll give you one thing. This rain is strange."

"Strange?"

"I've seen a lot of rain in my life. But this is different. It's almost like we're being punished, like we shouldn't be here." His expression turned thoughtful. "Or maybe it's the opposite. Maybe we're supposed to be here and this is just Chaac's way of showing his appreciation."

"Who is Chaac?"

"Just an old Maya legend." Laughing heartily, he clapped me on the back. "That's all."

As he strode away, an eerie sensation passed through me. I'd felt something in the canyon ever since our arrival. It was an odd, crackling energy. An evil energy.

And I couldn't help but wonder if Tum felt it too.

Chapter 48

"Come on, Hunahpu." I studied the north wall. "Where is it?"

After returning to the pyramid, I'd spent several hours inspecting its surfaces. I'd walked along its edges dozens of times. I'd taken hundreds, if not thousands of closer looks. And yet, I'd found no sign of a hidden entrance.

I walked around the northwestern edge. Through the mist, I saw a lone figure approaching me. My eyes widened. "What are you doing out of bed?" My voice sounded fuzzy through my respirator.

Pacho walked forward. He looked far better than I remembered. "I'm feeling better now. Those leaves really did the trick."

"They did?"

He nodded. "I gave some to Rigoberta on the sly. She's feeling better too. I think she'll be up and about by morning."

I hesitated. "Does she know about Yohl Ik’nal?"

"Yeah, she knows." he sighed. "She's been crying for the last hour. I tried to get Alonzo to comfort her, but all he wants to do is stare at the jungle."

"After what he went through, I don't blame him."

"Me neither." He paused. "Anyway the doc told me to rest so I can't stay long. But I wanted to thank you. I don't actually remember it, but he said you helped him take care of me."

"You don't remember it?" I frowned. "But you were talking the whole time."

"Truthfully, I don't remember a single thing from the last couple of days." He nodded at the respirator. "By the way, why are you wearing that thing out here?"

"Dr. Wu gave it to me. He says it'll filter close to one hundred percent of all non-oil based airborne particles."