Beverly looked at Renau. "Does the plate actually refer to 2012?"
He nodded. "I wouldn't read a lot into it though. According to the plate, the Mayas came here on 10.0.0.0.0, or at the end of the tenth b'ak'tun. Most likely they had b'ak'tuns on the brain."
"That makes sense," I said. "But I can't believe they thought the death gods lived here."
"They didn't just believe it. They actually succeeded in trapping Hun-Came and Vucub-Came. At least that's what the plate says." Renau shrugged. "But the death gods had the last laugh. They infected Hunahpu and Xbalanque with a horrible disease. The workers, devoted to the end, removed their bodies to the jungle for burial."
"Incredible," I muttered. "Absolutely incredible."
"Again, don't take it too seriously." Dora smiled. "This place is a remarkable find on many levels. But the story etched on the plate is just a story. It's not like Hun-Came and Vucub-Came actually exist."
"Maybe not in the way we imagine them," I said tightly. "But that doesn't mean they don't exist."
Chapter 60
"You think the death gods are real?" Graham made a face. "You can't be serious."
Heavy rain struck the limestone and cascaded down the pyramid's southern face. From there, it spilt onto the ground, mixing with the marsh, and forming an ever-larger quagmire.
"I know it's just a myth. But it could still have a basis in reality."
"Unless it was just dreamt up by Hunahpu to improve productivity. Think about it. He needed workers to spend eighteen years building the pyramid. That's a long time. Spreading false stories about sealing up death gods would be a good way to keep people motivated."
"That's pretty cynical."
He shrugged. "The truth is educated Mayas had little use for the plethora of Maya gods. They knew the gods were just a convenient way for divine ajaws to exert control over peasants."
My eyes traveled up the south wall. Darkness and misty haze surrounded the ancient structure. Suddenly, my gaze tightened. "Did you see that?"
"See what?"
I pointed at the southwest edge. "I think I saw an animal up there."
He gave me a doubtful look."
"There could be a crevice. Maybe we can use it to get inside."
"We won't need it."
I twisted toward him. "What do you mean?"
A giant grin crossed his wrinkled face. "I fixed Alice."
He pulled a camera out of his bag and handed it to me. I pushed the power button and an image appeared. For the most part, it was colored blue. However, I noticed traces of slanted light red lines on the upper half of the pyramid. They were parallel to each other and spread evenly apart.
"Nice work. This is from the north wall, right?"
He nodded.
I took a closer look at the image. Light red blobs were gathered around the edges of the wall. They were evenly spaced and relatively close to the ground. I estimated the lowest one was just ten feet off the marsh.
My heart skipped a beat. "You know what this is, right?"
"Well, of course. It's—"
"It's the answer to how Hunahpu built the pyramid."
He frowned. "It is?"
"Remember the mural from the summit shrine? It showed an exterior ramp leading to the pyramid. But in the picture, the ramp had already reached the edge of the clearing and the pyramid was only about a quarter of the way to completion. There simply wasn't room to build a longer ramp. Plus, we haven't found any traces of it."
"That's right." He nodded slowly. "And as I recall, you didn't think a spiraling ramp could finish the job."
"Not an exterior spiraling ramp. But an interior one could've done it."
He gave me a puzzled look.
"As the pyramid got taller, Hunahpu must've built a spiraling ramp inside it. At that point, the first ramp was no longer necessary. Most likely, it was broken down and the limestone blocks were hauled up the internal ramp to build the rest of the structure." I nodded at the slanted red lines. "I think those lines are what's left of the internal ramp."
"Well, I'll be damned. But what about those blobs around the edges?"
I stared at the blobs for a long time. "I don't know."
"I almost forgot." He pointed at the image. "Check that out."
I followed his finger to the bottom of the wall. Light red lines outlined a large stone block. "There are hollow spaces around it," I said softly.
"Do you know what that means?"
"It's not a block. It's a plug." My heart thumped against my chest. "You found the entrance."
Chapter 61
"Step on the gas," I shouted. "We need more force."
The tractor's engine raced. The treads spun, sending gobs of foliage and wet soil into the air. But the giant stone plug refused to move.
At first, I'd been reluctant to use the tractor. Between the rain and the soggy marsh, I was certain it would bog down. But Rigoberta had climbed into the cab anyway and before long, the tractor was heading for the pyramid, chewing up the water and wet soil with ease.
"It's not working," I called out. "Turn it off for a second."
Rigoberta cut the engine. I rotated toward her and saw the rest of our group. Like me, they wore respirators.
Graham and Beverly stood together, chatting quietly. Tum and the Maneros were spread out. With Alonzo's help, they kept a close eye on the jungle. Miranda and Pacho had taken up position near the tractor, offering words of advice and encouragement to Rigoberta. A few feet away, Emily and Crowley watched the pyramid, seemingly transfixed by it. Even Dr. Wu, who had barely left his clinic since our arrival, had come out to see us try to remove the plug.
"See?" Miranda's soft voice drifted across the marsh. "I told you it wouldn't work. It must be catching on the soil."
"Have patience," Emily called out. "Aren't you the one who told me archaeology wasn't a race?"
"This isn't archaeology," Miranda retorted.
I knelt down to study the stone plug. It measured four feet tall and was partially buried in the marsh. It carried a width of about six feet. Outside of a few small gaps, it was a nearly perfect fit with the north wall.
I'd used Graham's image to track down the plug. Then I'd placed my cheek next to its edges. I hadn't felt any airflow. So, I'd lit a match. Cupping it carefully, I'd held it close to the gap between the plug and the block above it. The match had blown out.
"Not as easy as you thought, huh?"
I glanced at Graham. "I suppose you've got a better idea?"
"Sure," he said. "We use the saws."
Between her two trips, Emily had brought every possible tool into the canyon. That included a pair of diamond saws. Assuming they'd survived the EMP, I knew they'd be effective. Still, I had reservations. "They'll destroy the plug."
"Exactly."
"I'd rather preserve it."
"Suit yourself. But I don't know how you're going to get it out of there."
I studied the plug. There was no way to cut around it. And it was far too heavy to move by hand.
"Let's try again," I said. "Maybe we'll get lucky this time."
Rigoberta wiped her brow and started up the engine. Half a dozen steel cables grew taut. They were attached to anchors, which Beverly had secured deep into the plug.
The plug trembled, but refused to budge. I leaned in for a closer look and noticed it had shifted a fraction of an inch into the air.
"Shut it down," I shouted.
Pacho signaled Rigoberta. Rigoberta cut the engine. A brief moment of silence overtook the clearing.
I waved at Beverly and Graham. They joined me by the pyramid.