Behind the great pyramid was another called that of the `Warriors’? Alongside it was a vast, now roofless, hall, from the floor of which rose a thousand stone columns. In it stood an altar on which new fire had been created every fifty two years. A lower pyramid had been named after Venus, because of the star upon it. Beside this was a path that had once been a fine, paved way. Following it through the jungle for half a mile they came to a huge, natural well. It formed a crater some hundred yards in diameter and a hundred feet deep. The chosen Vestal Virgins had first been drugged and then thrown into it to drown and become brides of the Rain God.
Facing the great pyramid, but a quarter of a mile away across the flat surface of the ground, was a colonnade with a fresco of skulls. Behind it was the largest of the seven Ball Courts. There the Mayas had played some game of still unknown religious significance. It was two hundred feet long by forty wide. On either side it had raised walkways below high walls. Halfway along both walls, a large stone ring stood out through which the ball had had to pass to score a goal. It was said that in this sacred game there were seven men a side. They were not permitted to touch the ball with their hands or feet, only with their hips or elbows, and the captain of the losing team paid for defeat with his life. This appeared to be borne out by a carving in stone inserted into one of the low walkways under the tall walls.
They lunched at the hotel then, in the intense heat of the early afternoon, made a round of the ruins on the right side of the road. to reach them they had to walk half a mile along a twisting jungle path. In that area lay the Pyramid of the Brothers, the Nunnery, which was pure early Maya architecture, and a circular Maya observatory to which the Toltecs had later added a square top. Another early building consisted of a series of 'corbelled' arches, formed by each layer of stone on both sides protruding a little beyond that below it until the gap was closed and they met.
Looking at them, Adam remarked, `I've seen photographs of Minoan buildings with arches exactly like these, and they are said to be the earliest form of arch devised by man. Of course, it might be just coincidence, but it does support the possibility that the Cretans did cross the Atlantic and founded colonies here.'
Chela squeezed his arm and laughed. `Poor Christopher Columbus. How upset he would be if he knew that people are beginning to believe that the ancients beat him in his discovery of America by two thousand years.'
Adam found these vast remains of a long dead civilisation fascinating. Although he had had no definite revelation, seeing he ruins of Chichen Itza convinced him that he had succeeded n escaping from the Chichimecs and rejoined his own people here. He had a strong impression that they had found it already abandoned by the Mayas, restored it, added to it and made it their new capital.
Tired out and dripping with perspiration, they had long drinks at the hotel, then returned to their car. As it had had the sun seating on its roof for several hours, the interior was like a furnace. When, with all the windows down, it moved off, they were incredibly grateful for the small breeze.
Fitfully, they dozed on the way back to Merida but, on arriving here, they had a dip in the pool and afterwards felt much refreshed. Chela then told Adam that she had found a letter awaiting her with orders that next day they should move on to Uxmal; so they telephoned for rooms at the Hacienda Hotel there. By dinner time they had recovered from their fatigue and, this being the last night they might have together for some time, they made the most of it.
Next morning they were driven in their hired car the one and a quarter hours' run to Uxmal. For the first hour the road was again dead flat, then the car ascended a slight rise. At the top they stopped the car to get out and look at the view. It was unlike any that Adam had ever seen. For as far as he could see the flat, brownish green landscape continued in front and to either side, unbroken by a single low hill or building of any kind.
At Uxmal he again found the hotel much more attractive than he had expected. It did not compare with the Pan Americana at Merida, but was a two storey building, three sides of which enclosed a swimming pool, arching over which there were trees from which birds with colourful plumage flew to and fro, and beyond which there was a well cared for two acre garden.
Again they had adjoining rooms, which were not air conditioned but had wire screens to keep out the mosquitoes and were pleasantly cool after the intense heat in the open. When their bags were brought along, the porter was accompanied by a waiter, bringing them tumblers of iced pineapple juice, with the compliments of the management. Although their journey had not been a long one, the car had been like an oven, so the iced drink went down like nectar.
Changing at once into bathing things, they went out to the pool, which was partly shaded by the trees on its far side, spent half an hour there then, in their wraps, drank Mayaland cocktails sitting outside the bar.
There were not many people in the hotel and most of them were elderly Americans. That had been the case in all the larger hotels at which Adam had stayed and, as he lounged in this perfect holiday setting, he thought how sad it was that so few young people had the money to travel to distant places and stay in such delightful surroundings.
About the three sided Hacienda, with its interior surround of covered walkways outside the ground floor bedrooms, the pool dappled by sunlight coming through the leaves of the trees, the stillness broken only by the cawing of the brightly hued birds and the occasional movement of servants or visitors, there was such an air of peace and normality that Adam could hardly credit that he had involved himself in a dangerous conspiracy. But he was soon to have evidence of it.
As they went in to lunch, a short man in dark clothes, with a round, pink face, half rose from his table and bowed to Chela. She acknowledged his bow but did not stop to speak to him. The lunch proved excellent, the main course being duck, and they were given one apiece. They were quite small, but did not taste like wild duck, and Adam demolished his with gusto. Down here in the hot lands there was a greater variety of fruit than Adam had ever before seen. For dessert a big basket was placed before them, in which were heaped mangoes, figs, guavas, apricots, pomegranates, mammees, tiny red bananas and zapotes. The last were green, peach shaped fruit with black flesh, and he found heir flavour unique.
On leaving the dining room they found the short, round faced man waiting for them and Chela introduced him in a low voice is Father Lopez. He did not extend his hand to Adam, but made him a grave bow then said
`I am honoured, senor. May I request a short conversation with you? It is a private matter, so perhaps it would be best if we took a walk round the garden.'
This request by a priest jolted Adam back to the unpleasant
reality that his glorious, unofficial honeymoon was about to come to an end and that he would soon be called on to carry out his promise to Chela. As he assented, Father Lopez murmured with a smile, `We have no secrets from the Senorita, and I should be happy for her to accompany us.'
For a few hundred yards the three of them walked in Indian file along a winding, concrete path bordered by banana palms, frangipane trees and clumps of flowers. The path led down a slope and when they came to an open, circular space at the bottom where several paths met, the priest said:
`We must not stay long under the blazing sun, so I will be as brief as possible. There will be two ceremonies at which the presence of the Man God is required: one here, and a second in another place. The first will be that of Recognition. Participation in the sacrifice at San Luis Caliente was unheralded and the congregation there consisted almost entirely of people of little importance. It is, therefore, necessary that the Man God should appear to the leaders of our sacred movement from all over the country. They will then be able to vouch to their followers that the return of Quetzalcoatl is no idle rumour, but that they have seen the Man God with their own eyes. To that end they will assemble here.'