My heart pumped faster. "The library … it's not written on paper, is it?"
Emily shook her head. "We believe the Mayas wrote their knowledge on the gold plates Hope saw after his crash."
"He mentioned six hundred and seventy-six plates," Miranda added. "That's not a lot of books by today's standards, but it dwarves the amount of available Classic Maya material. Along with medical knowledge, the library will hopefully contain a first-hand account of the collapse."
"So, the books aren't in the sarcophagus." I glanced at the sealed-up tomb. "That means they're still down there."
Emily frowned. "That's not what I wanted to hear."
"Didn't you take pictures of the chamber?" Beverly asked Miranda.
Miranda nodded.
"You should look them over. Maybe you'll see the plates."
"Good idea." Miranda produced her camera. Quickly, she scanned through the photos.
"So, what kind of deal did you work out with the Mexican authorities?" I asked Emily. "They get the library and you get a cut of the profits?"
"Actually, they don't know about the library," she replied. "And they won't until I've got it under lock and key."
"You didn't tell them?"
"Please try to understand." She wiped a single bead of sweat from her brow. "I have a deep passion for history. However, this is a business venture first and foremost. Billions of dollars—along with potential cures for millions of people—are at stake. I can't expect the INAH to understand that."
I could see her quandary. Most archaeologists I knew lived in a bubble, largely divorced from the realities faced by businesspeople. They didn't spend their own money. They weren't required to show profits. And most importantly, their livelihoods didn't depend on progress.
Indeed, archaeologists hated progress. Progress meant newness. New roads, new buildings, new parking lots. Things that destroyed history. If anything, archaeologists were biased toward stagnation.
"Where do you plan on taking it?" I asked.
"To the United States. But I can assure you it will only be on a temporary basis. Once I'm done with it, I'll—"
"We found something," Pacho shouted.
Miranda swiveled toward him. "What is it?"
"It's a large gold plate, crimped on one side. It looks like a good fit for Hope's piece."
"Did you find any others?"
"I'm afraid not."
"Where is it?"
"Still in the sarcophagus. But Tum took a good picture of it." He handed Miranda a compact camera.
Miranda studied the image for a few seconds. "It's engraved," she said in a hushed voice. "The entire surface is covered with hieroglyphics."
"Yup. The Maneros are translating them as we speak." He pointed at the camera. "Increase the magnification on that section."
Miranda manipulated the controls. "Okay, I see two pictures etched onto the plate. One is a pyramid. The other looks like a pair of domes."
Emily arched an eyebrow. "Do you recognize the pyramid?"
"No. But these domes are curious. They're divided into little sections, all covered with tiny hieroglyphics." Miranda's face tightened. "I don't think Hope actually saw gold plates. He just saw this old drawing of them."
Emily visibly deflated.
"He must've thought there was something to the drawing," I said. "Otherwise, why would he want to come back here?"
"You're right," Miranda said slowly. "Hope didn't find the Library of the Mayas. But maybe he found proof of its existence."
Chapter 19
"I got your message." The disembodied voice echoed in Miranda's ear. "Needless to say, I'm impressed you were able to track down my number. You're more resourceful than I realized."
Sweat dripped down Miranda's face, wetting her lips. She licked them and tasted salty grit. More sweat beaded up on her forehead. Lifting a hand, she swiped it away. But it didn't help matters. Her pores produced perspiration faster than she could deal with it.
"Your offer intrigues me," the voice continued. "But how do I know I can trust you?"
The line clicked as the recording came to an end. Miranda turned off the satphone. She didn't like being so far from the dig site. But she couldn't very well listen to the message out in the open.
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."
I rubbed my jaw. "What happens after you get the library?"
"Miranda will take charge of the excavation. I imagine Rigoberta and Pacho will assume control of daily operations. Regardless, I've agreed to fully fund the dig for eighteen months. I'll still be involved of course, but only on a limited basis."
The distant sky, dark and swirling, caught my attention. Nearby, I heard soft snoring noises as Alonzo and Yohl Ik’nal napped in the grass. It was late. I needed to make a decision, one way or the other.
"Thanks for the offer." I extended my hand. "But I'm going to have to pass. Good luck to you."
"I'll tell you what. If you're successful, I'll throw in a bonus. I'll completely outfit your team with brand new equipment." Her gaze flitted to Graham. He continued to toil over Eve. "Think of all the artifacts you could save."
"I don't need new equipment." I took a deep breath. "This is my last day in the field. I'm retiring."
She stared into my eyes, watching me, reading me. I had the eerie sense she could see into my soul. "You're not ready to quit."
"Excuse me?"
"I made a few phone calls before I agreed to let Miranda hire you. Until four months ago, you were considered archaeology's most infamous outcast. People described you as a treasure hunter who sought artifacts with almost reckless abandon. You broke rules, flouted the law, and generally did the impossible. Then you locked horns with Votan. Two people died. Understandably, the incident left a bad taste in your mouth. You told everyone you were retiring, settling down to a normal life." Her eyes glinted. "And yet, you came here."
"This is a one-time thing."
"If that was the case, you wouldn't have accepted my offer to stay a few extra hours." She studied my visage. "No, I think you're still trying to figure out if you want to be a treasure hunter."
I frowned.
"So, come with me. Help me find the Library of the Mayas. Once you set eyes on those gold plates, I guarantee you'll know if treasure hunting is truly your calling."