"Tum got to it."
"He didn't have to go past Votan's little army," I replied. "We do. And even if we survived a gunfight, the radiation would kill us if we tried to remove the plates. And that's not the worst of it. If Beverly's georeactor theory is correct, this whole place could blow up at any second."
"The library will lead to cures. It'll help people."
"Or maybe it'll lead to nothing."
"He might be right," Dr. Wu said. "The information contained on those plates might not be as significant as we hope."
Emily glared at him.
"The Classic Maya civilization accomplished a lot of things, a complex writing system among them," I said. "And yet they never figured out how to make a true arch."
Emily shook her head. "I don't follow."
"In other words, they weren't infallible geniuses. And these cures you're so desperate to find might not even exist. It's not like the ancient Mayas were known for their life expectancy."
"That's true," Graham said. "I read once that studies of ancient bones and teeth show Maya peasants in this region were malnourished and in poor health. The average lifespan was quite low. And it didn't get better over time. It got worse, all the way up to the collapse."
"Those were just the peasants," Emily retorted. "The elites would've saved the best stuff for themselves."
"Maybe." Graham arched an eyebrow. "But what if you're wrong? Are you really going to risk your life on it?"
"The library is bigger than me. It's bigger than all of us. Someone has to save it." Emily nodded at the canoes. "Go. Tum and I don't need you. We can do this alone."
She walked to the edge of the cove and peered around the corner. I knew she'd made up her mind. As for Tum, I didn't like the idea of leaving him behind. At the same time, something about his behavior unnerved me. Why hadn't he followed the rest of us to the cove? Why was he sneaking out to the domes by himself?
I helped Dr. Wu place a canoe in the water. He and Graham climbed inside it. Beverly handed paddles to them. Then I bent down and pushed the boat away from the limestone. They paddled silently out into the river.
I ran to the other canoe. With Beverly's help, I hauled it into the river. Beverly scrambled inside it. I handed her the paddles.
"Maybe we should wait for Tum," I said as I clambered into the canoe.
Loud bursts sounded out. Bullets whooshed over Graham's head.
I grabbed a paddle and pushed away from the rocky ledge. Then I pulled out my pistol and fired a few times in rapid succession.
The gunfire paused. The current caught hold of Graham's canoe and within seconds, it was shooting through the tunnel.
Gunfire sounded out again. I felt soft breezes as bullets flew past me.
"We can't wait any longer." Beverly began paddling at the water.
I started paddling as well. We quickly got in sync and began propelling the canoe toward the waterway.
Footsteps pounded against limestone. More bursts filled the air.
We slipped into the river. The raging water splashed against our ancient watercraft. The force nearly sent us spinning. But somehow we managed to keep it steady.
Moments later, we shot into the tunnel at incredible speed. I snuck a quick peek over my shoulder as we approached a bend. Votan's army stood on the ledge, helpless to stop us.
My stomach twisted into knots. We'd escaped. Even better, we were starting to put some distance between the meteorites and us. But would it be enough if they actually did go supercritical?
Faster. We've got to go faster.
Chapter 113
Tum's adrenaline surged as gunshots rang out. He ducked down, making sure to keep the semtex above water.
He waited a few seconds. Then he resurfaced. His eyes flitted down the massive river, past the stunning rock formations. He caught sight of Votan's army. They aimed guns at the opposite end of the river.
Breathing a little easier, Tum studied the dome in front of him. It was smaller than the other one. Thousands of gold plates adorned its surface. Each one had been carefully inscribed with Maya hieroglyphics.
The Library was far more exquisite than he'd ever imagined. The craftsmanship was stunning. The hieroglyphics were among the most beautiful and legible examples in existence.
He'd spent his entire life learning about the Classic Maya civilization. He'd devoured every fact and memorized every ancient inscription. And yet, he'd never truly understood his ancestors and the society in which they'd lived. Their daily lives, their interests, their hopes and dreams … despite years of research, these things had completely eluded him.
He felt a twinge of doubt. How could Chaac and the other Maya gods want him to destroy such a treasure trove of information?
He took a moment to steel himself. The library was a sacrifice. It needed to be destroyed in order to defeat the death gods. And anyway the fourth world was nearing its end. It would soon be forgotten, just as knowledge of the previous three worlds had been erased from existence.
He made some final adjustments to the blasting caps. Then he sank under the cool water, exhaled a quick breath, and started to swim.
His lungs ached for air. But he kept his head down. In a few short minutes, the georeactors would explode. At long last, the cursed fourth world and all its problems would come to an end. What would come next? Could he survive the explosion? Could he live long enough to see the fifth world?
He swam faster.
Chapter 114
Votan watched his men gather around a body. As they dragged it to the ledge, he turned back to the river. He could no longer see Reed or the mysterious watercraft.
He twisted toward the domes. The cavern was a place of beauty, an underground paradise that had survived many centuries without the interference of mankind. And the domes were even more magnificent.
He looked back at the river, at the darkness. A large part of him wanted to let Reed go. After all, he had the library in his possession. And the odds of Reed escaping the massive cave system seemed small at best.
"Votan?"
He turned toward the voice. "What is it?"
"It's Dora. She's been shot."
His heart leapt to his throat. He raced across the ledge and helped his men pull Dora out of the water. She was still. Her skin felt cold to the touch.
Frantically, he tried to revive her. But she failed to respond to his efforts and after several minutes, he crumpled to the ledge.
"No." He took a few deep breaths. "This can't be happening."
A short, bulky man cleared his throat. "What do you want us to do?"
Votan's brain churned as he recalled the last few minutes. Only one person had taken shots at them.
He snapped his fingers and pointed at the rafts. The rest of his men quickly waded to shore. Then they grabbed their gear and climbed into the boats. Votan joined them.
As they pushed away from the ledge, strength flowed through his body. His resolve intensified.
Cy Reed had to die.
No matter what.
Chapter 115
"Do you hear that?" Beverly cocked her head. "It sounds like …"
"Rushing water." My gaze hardened. "And we're heading toward it."
"A waterfall?"
I nodded. "A big one too, from the sound of it."
"Maybe we should slow down."
"No can do." I jabbed my paddle into the water. "We need to get as far away from those meteorites as possible."
After escaping the cavern, we'd raced downstream until we'd caught up with the other canoe. Then we'd pushed even harder, willing ourselves to navigate the river at the fastest speed possible. I had no idea how far we'd traveled but with each stroke, my chest loosened just a bit.