THE MAYAN PRIEST.

by Sue Guillou.

The Right of Sue Guillou to be identified as the author of the work has been asserted in accordance with the Coyright,Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means other than what was intended without permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-921642-69-2.

CHAPTER ONE.

Gillian frowned as she sprayed insect repellent on her tanned torso and cursed loudly when another fat, blood filled mosquito landed on her cheek. She wiped her face and looked about, noting that the streets of Guatemala were exactly as she expected. It was hot, sticky and overrun with residents competing for a meagre income from the tourist trade. She grabbed hold of Fred, eager to avoid the crush of the crowd as they hurried to the waiting van driven by an old white-haired guide.

As they were the only passengers that morning, Gillian sat behind the driver, next to her fiance, and reached for his hand. He did not return her affection, so she looked at him in confusion.

Fred was an attractive man, pretty almost, with his thick black hair, piercing blue eyes, chiselled chin and lithe, well-muscled body from years at the gym. She had first thought he was shallow, too focussed on his body image and how the public viewed him to be worth a second thought, but her opinion changed dramatically when she witnessed him in a pair of shorts. He had two large scars running vertically from his knee to his ankle, caused by a motorcycle accident that nearly took his life. The doctors had informed him that only extensive physiotherapy and muscle building exercises would restore full use to his legs, hence the hours at the gym.

Gillian felt particularly small for misjudging him, and their relationship had developed from their unified love and dedication to archaeology. Unfortunately they were equally articulate, determined and very competitive, leading her to understand that he considered this dig to be another contest. She was annoyed and dropped his hand, fearing that her father's dislike for Fred had some weight to it. He did not like Fred and openly voiced his opinion at every available opportunity, much to her vexation.

This was something she had to fix, but how? She did not know.

Gillian subconsciously moved away from Fred, wiped her auburn hair from her eyes and mopped the sweat from her brow. Fred looked equally uncomfortable in the humid climate and she knew he would have much preferred the dry atmosphere of Egypt, but the discovery of a vault on the outskirts of Tikal was too much to resist.

The call had come three days ago from her friend and mentor Professor Richard Deinhart, a kindly sixty-one year old archaeologist with medium length grey hair, a full moustache, beard and mischievous grey eyes. He had been nicknamed 'Santa' by his six year old granddaughter Eva, but his wicked sense of humour and enjoyment of practical jokes far removed him from the Christmas icon. He had been her history lecturer during her studies at the University of Houston, Texas, and was a staunch advocate of and advisor on the board of the Archaeological Institute of America. He was well loved and respected by all who knew him.

'Jilly ... something has come my way which I know you won't be able to resist. It's just your thing,' his voiced boomed down the phone line.

'Well ... don't keep me in suspense, Professor,' laughed Gillian, the professor's strong but cheerful voice bringing memories of times she spent poring over books with him. It had been two years since they had caught up and she missed his company.

'A colleague of mine has spent the last few weeks excavating on the outskirts of Tikal and they have come across a vault ... not unusual in itself, but the hieroglyphics indicate it belongs to someone of importance which is odd considering it's located in the midst of the farmers' precinct. I thought you might like to take a look.'

'Wow ... you really know the way to a girl's heart,' teased Gillian as she heard the professor chuff in amusement.

'It's been a while, but I still know you well, Jilly,' referring to her passion for the ancient american cultures.

'So, when and where?'

'I have arranged for my good friend Mitchell Coates to accompany us. If you remember, he's an expert on hieroglyphics.'

'Us ... who's coming?' queried Gillian, recalling Mitchell Coates with a smile. He was a small man, determined and set in his ways with an ageing body that defied nature. He could outrun and outwork anyone half his age, including Fred. He was Richard's best and most loyal friend.

'You didn't think I'd miss out on this adventure, did you? I'll meet you on Friday,' he paused before continuing, 'bring Fred if you want,' he added as an afterthought before hanging up the phone with a loud clunk.

'Are you all right? It's not like you to miss the scenery,' nudged Fred as the small van hit a bump, forcing her sideways into Fred's arm.

'I was thinking about Professor Deinhart. I'm looking forward to seeing him,' mused Gillian as their driver unexpectedly sped up, racing towards a raucous crowd of native Americans blocking the road less than six hundred feet in front of them.

'Hold on!' he yelled, his accent thick and emotionless as he gave the old vehicle as much stick as it could manage. It responded faithfully, lurching forward and pelting directly into the crowd, much to Gillian's dismay.

'What are you doing?! You'll hit them!' she yelled.

'They want your money. If we stop now they will most likely rape and murder you,' responded the elderly man as the van picked up momentum on the downward slope. It was almost as if the crowd refused to believe that they would lose their booty waiting until the last second before moving aside. Gillian felt stupid and naive. The native Americans were well-practised in the art of deception and if Fred had not insisted on using a guide, they could have been killed.

CHAPTER TWO.

As they neared Tikal, Gillian cursed her decision to drive from Aurora Airport to Tikal via Flores. It took six hours longer then if they had flown, and she feared that Richard had started without them. Normally calm and collected, she was now in a minor state of panic. Her life revolved around timeliness, imposed by her father, and she was stressed when she was late.

'We're there,' tapped Fred as she looked up and found herself staring directly at the Temple IV, which at two hundred and twenty-five feet high towered over the adjacent treetops. Gillian gladly stretched her legs and paid the bus driver a small tip before disembarking and proceeding with enthusiasm to the ruins.

Tikal was an enigmatic place overwhelmed by an invasive, fast growing forest that added to its mystery. Indeed it looked like something from a fairytale, with the lichen covered buildings, vast green plateaus and lofty canopies that threatened to engulf the city like a spider on its prey. Gillian shivered. The city was beautiful with its monumental pyramids, ancient palaces and numerous outbuildings, but Gillian knew that they had barely scratched the surface of the treasures this metropolis offered. At one time, approximately 500 AD, Tikal spanned some eight miles and was home to 200 000 people and almost 300 000 buildings of which only a fraction had been uncovered to date. She also found it eerie to be standing on ground that was once a bustling hub of activity. Thousands of men, women and children had walked on this very soil, undertaking their daily duties, and here she was, many lifetimes later standing in the same spot. The feeling was akin to wandering through a long abandoned graveyard, the experience causing shivers to run up her spine.

She allowed herself the luxury of a moment to imagine the colour of Tikal in its heyday. The bright Mayan costumes, the clean fresh limestone buildings towering into the hot sunny sky, the highly decorated palaces no doubt covered in jade and obsidian, fancy corbelled arches wrapped in hieroglyphics and engravings and highly painted iconology probably in the colours of their compass white (north), red (east) yellow (south) and black (west) and green for the centre of the earth.

Gillian smiled to herself in delight, her reverie broken by the screeches of the howler monkeys and a familiar looking figure walking towards her Professor Richard Deinhart 'Professor!' she cried unashamedly as she raced towards her friend and jumped into his arms.

'You haven't changed much,' said Richard, his Irish accent thick with joy as he gave Gillian a peck on the cheek. Richard was born and raised in Ireland until the age of fifteen when his parents immigrated to America. He had been an American citizen for forty-three years, but he still carried his heritage with pride.

'I know, but I do have a new appendage,' she teased, referring to Fred who scowled at her attempt at good humour.

'I've heard. Nice to meet you, Fred,' said Richard, offering his hand in greeting.

Gillian noticed the two men sizing each other up. Fred had a smile of 'you might know a lot, but you're old' and Richard's eyes reflected 'ah, another young whippersnapper who wants to be like me'. Gillian grinned.

'So, where from here, Professor?'

'We're headed about 300 feet past what is known as "the Plaza of the Lost World". It is one of the earliest occupied sites at Tikal, having been built somewhere during the Middle Pre-Classic period around 500 BC. My young friend has discovered the ruins of a farmer's building,' said Richard as they made their way down the Miler Causeway, through the Great Plaza and Central Acropolis before heading past Temple V built around 750 AD.

'What's strange about that? I'm sure there are thousands of them,' mocked Fred, pausing to take a couple of photos of the ancient buildings on their way past.

'Most common buildings were made of wooden poles, thatch and limestone slabs, but this one is entirely of limestone in the shape of a pentagon. It is most unusual, something so unique that we took the trouble to excavate the inner courtyard,' replied Richard, ignoring Fred's comments.

Gillian took Fred's hand and squeezed it gently. She knew Fred was feeling uncomfortable in Richard's company. The professor had a manner about him that reeked of intelligence and this threatened Fred. Fred squeezed back and smiled at her.

'Can you imagine our surprise when we discovered a slab in the courtyard, most unusual considering courtyards are usually dirt, but then when we removed part of that slab, we found another one underneath, identical and built at the same time. Someone had obviously taken great pains to carry out concealment. Mitchell found this imbedded in the very centre of the base foundation,' said Richard as he opened his palm to reveal a pentagonal shaped tile about the size of a fifty cent piece with a logogram engraved in the centre.

'I know that symbol. It stands for "holy",' said Fred excitedly.

'Yes ... usually representing a holy place or person, so I wonder what it was doing in the middle of a commoner's home,' mused Gillian as she viewed the ancient tile with much thought.

'That's why I've asked you to join us. When we removed this small tile, a greater tablet was found behind it. The tablet was sitting above a large stone block, which we have shifted, albeit with great difficulty. It has revealed a set of stairs leading almost vertically underground. We are yet to venture into the unknown, keen to ensure that we have correctly deciphered the tablet first,' said Richard.

With that Gillian laughed aloud, unable to contain her amusement. 'Don't tell me that you have waited for me to decipher the hieroglyphics for you. You are the professor my professor. The person who taught me what I know. Why ask me?'

'Because you have far exceeded my own miserly skills, my dear. Even I know that,' replied Richard with a chuckle as Fred just looked on, a nonchalant gaze flickering across his eyes.

'Come on, let me introduce you to the team,' grinned Richard as he marched them pass the Plaza of the Seven Temples which dated back to the Pre-Classic period and contained three ball game areas and the unexcavated Southern Acropolis.

They veered left and headed out beyond the Lost World Pyramid and into the dense jungle surrounding the outskirts of the city centre, coming quickly to a roped area which they proceeded to climb under. The farmer's home was virtually indistinguishable, having been concealed by 1500 years of dirt, vines and other unidentifiable vegetation. The limestone walls were barely standing and no roof remained. Still, Gillian could see that this house had been built with care and she found it strange that it was situated just behind the Lost World Pyramid, which had been used for rituals although this would be in keeping if it was the home of a priest or holy man.

They passed through the remains of an arch which were engraved with examples of long-count (Mayan dates) and large drawings of Kinich Ahau (sun god), Ix Chel (moon god) and Chac (rain god) and into a partially excavated courtyard that was approximately thirty feet across from the widest points. It was a large space that would have boasted a well-tended exotic garden in its prime but was currently no more than large mounds of dirt. This saddened Gillian who always felt a sense of loss when uncovering civilisations that had succumbed to the ravages of time, but perhaps this was part of the appeal, exposing the mysteries of past lives and learning from them.

'This is my young friend Redmond Paisley who discovered the disk,' introduced Richard as a slight young man with wide, enthusiastic eyes quickly wiped his dirt covered hand on his shirt before offering a greeting to Gillian. She could barely conceal a grin; the name 'Paisley' suited his outrageously bright clothes and spotted bandana to a tee. She liked him immediately.

And these are my other partners in crime, both of whom you know,' said Richard as he led her to the centre of the courtyard where Mitchell Coates and Richard's long-time partner Julia Charters were digging. Julia was a few years younger than Richard and was the love of his life. Together they had travelled the world, sharing their passion for life and the adventures it offered. Where Gillian would have declined, Julia took up every challenge from sky and scuba diving, abseiling and long treks. She was also a strong, confident businesswoman who frequently donated her time to those less fortunate. Gillian gave Julia a kiss on the cheek. Mitchell did likewise, much to Fred's annoyance, evident by the scowl on his face.

'And last but not least is Samuel Thomas a last-minute inclusion from the Mexican government. He is representing their interests,' said Richard, the slight lowering of his eye and barbed tone of voice speaking volumes to Gillian. He disliked the six foot five, olive skinned man immensely and she could see why. He looked powerful and lean with black flashing eyes, buffed skin and pearl white teeth. His nails were far too neat and clean to be an archaeologist's and he sported a missing ear, partially concealed by his long wavy hair. He had a well-groomed facade, but Gillian somehow guessed that it was just that ... a facade. She suspected his nature was not as unsoiled as he appeared. Even Fred took a step back and went to join Mitchell in removing the last of the dirt that had caved in over the stairs they had uncovered.

'So, what do you think, Jilly?' asked Richard.

'Well ... for one thing, the dates in long count on the entrance archway indicate that this home was built somewhere around 520 AD. That puts it well before any of the more infamous temples such as the Temple of the Great Jaguar erected as a tomb for 'Hasaw Chan Kawil' about 700 AD. I would imagine that it belongs to a priest or shaman although I think priest is more likely,' she responded.

'Perhaps this hole is a chultune used to store the food and precious objects of their owners,' suggested Fred as he knelt down and examined the stone blocks they had removed to gain access to the stairs.

'I don't think so,' replied Gillian. 'These blocks are covered in engravings of Itzamn and Ix Chel who were the deities of medicine. Priests and healers invoked them in their prayers.'

'See? That's why I wanted you along,' grinned Richard as Mitchell hollered loudly.

'Everyone! Come and look! It's incredible!'

Julia went first, followed eagerly by Fred, then Redmond, Richard, Samuel and lastly Gillian who had been so intent on the engravings that she had barely heard the call.

The tunnel was dark, lit only by the small torches they were carrying. It descended almost vertically into the ground for twenty feet before levelling off and running in a southerly direction away from Tikal centre.

Initially the walls were plain and unadorned, but the further they ventured, evidence of the richness of Mayan life came into light. The cold air and lack of humidity had served as a preservation tool for the wonderfully rich Mayan paintings, and they paused to gaze at scenes of gods, Tikal at its peak, a royal ceremony depicting the announcement of a new heir and ancient scenery. Gillian noticed with a passing curiosity that the heir was a girl, something she had never seen before. She made a point to remember to study it on the way out.

They had walked close to a hundred feet before Mitchell came into view.

'Took you long enough,' he snarled, his pretence at anger producing a chuckle from Julia.

'You always try so hard to be assertive, but you fail miserably,' she said.

'Familiarity produces complacency, so I'm going to have to try a new tack,' asserted Mitchell as Julia patted him fondly on the shoulder.

'So, what have you discovered, Mitch?' she asked as he stepped aside and used the battery powered lantern he'd been carrying to illuminate the entire wall before him.

They all stood mouths agape at a corbelled archway built from solid jade with such precision that there was barely a visible join. On both sides of the arch was a glorious impression of a priest that had been hand carved with an exactness that was beyond comprehension. In the dark, it was almost as if you were looking at the man himself, but in reality Gillian knew he would be formed from jade, obsidian and other precious jewels.

Above the pillars in the unique stepped pattern invented by the Mayans was a distinctive arrangement of glyphs. Supposed to be read in columns of two starting from the top to bottom, Richard began to decipher what had been carved.

'The first few columns appear to say something like "you are", then we have a picture of a shield followed by two glyphs representing the sun and moon god. After that appears further characters representing friendship and B'alam which of course means "jaguar", the most revered animal in the Mayan world.'

'So ... what does it mean?' asked Redmond in breathless, youthful enthusiasm.

'I know,' commented Fred with confidence as everyone shone their lights on him and waited expectantly for his explanation.

'This is the tomb of a king. I would have thought that was conclusive considering the two uppermost gods, and the jaguar symbol commonly used by the kings are clearly evident.'

'Well ... I disagree,' added Gillian, knowing that only the darkness shielded her from Fred's scathing look.

'Those life-size carvings are clearly of a priest,' she said, gesturing to the side pillars. 'It is evident by his clothing and simple headgear. A king would be decked in his full regalia. The hieroglyphics in my view say something like "you are protected by the gods of the sun and moon. You are my friend and that of the Jaguar". I think this magnificent archway was carved as a dedication to a friend and priest,' concluded Gillian as Richard and Mitchell murmured in agreement.

'Is there a tomb here or not?' boomed Samuel irritably, his deep, resonating voice taking everyone by surprise. This was the first time he had spoken since Gillian and Fred were first introduced to him.

'Of course,' replied Gillian confidently. 'I just don't know how to gain access yet.'

'Blow the bloody door. It's not as if we're dealing with the Egyptians and all of their fancy traps. These people were primitive,' snarled Samuel, his expression of disregard for history sickening Gillian. She wondered how he ever got the job here.

'You're a real piece of work, Samuel. Can you imagine what damage you could do if you used explosives in here? Not disregarding the treasure that may lie on the other side of that panel,' said Mitchell as Samuel snarled in a reluctant concurrence.

'I might be wrong, but I think this is what we're looking for,' said Julia unexpectedly as she took the lantern from Richard. She lifted it up to a fully working Calendar Round, the Mayan calendar that could calculate up to fifty-two years with two rotating cycles, one inside the other. It was fashioned from jade, was five inches across and had a pattern of inverted hieroglyphics. Right in the centre was a hexagonal shaped ruby about the size of a walnut. 'I've seen many of these before but never with a stone in the middle. As the stone is clearly significant and the inscription above it means "entrance", it's my guess that this is the key,' and with that Julia lifted her hand to press the glittering centrepiece.

Gillian momentarily scanned the hallway, taking everything in. She looked at the paintings, carvings and colour, realising that the creator of this room was not ostentatious. He had simply depicted Mayan life as best as he could, dedicating his work to his friend. It was unclear if this passageway had been created before or after the death of the priest, but either way the only jewels used had been to embellish the priest's image. It was totally out of keeping having a jewel of such large proportions imbedded in the Calendar Round. She suddenly experienced a sinking sensation that something was wrong, out of place, planted. Gillian opened her mouth ready to voice a warning, but it was too late. Julia had pressed the stone and a deep, earthly groan rumbled beneath them.

The entire back wall had begun to shift sideways. Created from a solid block of stone that must have weighed many tons, Gillian expected that it would be stiff and noisy, but it moved as fluidly as water flowing down a stream. She was utterly amazed by the expert artisanship not seen before in the Mayan world.

'Wow!' exclaimed Richard and Mitchell in unison as the limestone disappeared into the wall and an elaborately painted room of approximately thirteen foot square came into view. It was totally covered by murals with not a blank space visible. Again it depicted the life in Tikal, but this time it was a little more personal, with paintings of the same priest in various scenes before a king and in his personal life at home.

Richard, Mitchell, Julia and Redmond moved enthusiastically to the back of the room, enthralled by the treasure trove of information before them. They stepped aside for Fred who shuffled in beside them, photographing the room for later studies. Gillian knew he would spend the next few weeks decoding the meaning behind the paintings and create meticulous records of their discoveries.

'Come and look, Gillian!' called Fred in awe as she turned to go to him, a swift, almost shocking crunch escaping from the roof above her head. Acting on instinct, Gillian dropped to her stomach and rolled away from the noise. She hit her knees and elbows hard against the floor, the pain going unnoticed as an iron gate plummeted to the ground, missing her by less than an inch.

Gillian groaned and sat up quickly, realising that she was on the opposite side of the gate to her friends. They were trapped, and the look of horror on her friends' faces as the limestone block reappeared terrified her. She yelled and screamed, but there was nothing she could do as the limestone wall slid back across the opening, almost sealing shut before Redmond slammed the pickaxe he'd been carrying with seconds to spare.

Gillian stood up, almost tripping over Samuel's unconscious body as she hurried to her friends. She was surprised to find that he had also escaped, and a quick check of his vitals revealed that he was going to be fine.

She rushed to the gap created by Redmond and called. 'Are you all okay?! If you give me a moment, I'll find a way to get you out!'

'Jilly ... I fear we're stuck here. The inner walls are made of a thin wood veneer that is likely to collapse with any drastic movement. We would be killed instantly. I still can't believe that we were dumb enough to fall into this trap,' moaned Richard.

'And you might want this. I can't be sure what it is, but I have a hunch this is the clue to our escape,' he added, reaching through the gap and passing her a square jade tile approximately two inches in diameter 'I found it imbedded in a hole on the inside of the wall, but it's too dark to translate the inscription ... although if I'm not mistaken, its medieval Latin with an arrangement of unusual hieroglyphs on the back.'

'I don't understand. Latin was not introduced to America until Christopher Columbus in 1492,' replied Gillian as the handle of the pickaxe began to splinter, the weight of the wall too much for the small tool.

'Yes, but this room is genuine. Look, Jilly, we don't have much time. A few months ago, I unearthed a box at the base of the Temple of the Sun in Teotihuacan. It has these inscriptions on it and engravings that match this plaque. You need to get it and find out what's inside. You'll find it on my shelving, under "M" ... oh ... and not to put any pressure on you, but we have just found a small crack in the floor. It seems we are hanging over a deep pit of some sort. Goodness knows what's at the bottom, but we don't really want to find out,' added Richard, and with that, the axe gave way and fell into the abyss below.