“I translated the basic mechanics of the rounds, and how we should manipulate the positions to control the location, but I haven’t finished the entire translation. Several parts seemed…”
Sheepishly, she tried to shrug away her unease, but she couldn’t. Her gut instinct told her something had gone terribly wrong. “I didn’t feel like we had the entire picture yet. The language of Zuyua is famous for being twisted with double meanings and tricks. I wanted to know the codex inside and out, along with all the inscriptions on the walls of the temple before attempting anything as drastic as opening the portal ourselves.”
“Where could the portal lead to?” Madelyn wrung her hands. “If he ended up in Tulan Zuyua as he hoped, great. But how will he get back? Where else could he have gone?”
Staring down at the glyphs on the rounds, Jaid felt an icy trickle of dread down her spine. “He could have ended up anywhere. In fact, I suspect any time might be an option, too. He might be in any of the major Maya cities, perhaps in the past when they were at their height or before the collapse. Who knows? He could have even…” She swallowed hard and raised her gaze to Sam’s. She hadn’t told him about the recording, let alone the corpse-like creature she and Geoffrey had seen. Was that thing something dead that had crawled out of the portal by accident? Some sort of guardian? Or something more sinister? Her father’s warning echoed in her head. Don’t trust anybody. “He could have gone to Xibalba.”
Sam’s hands trembled so badly he dropped his hat. “The caves and portals lead through the Underworld.”
Jaid nodded jerkily. “The Maya knew how to use the portal to bypass the Place of Fright. But what if he didn’t? What if he’s in the Maya hell even as we speak?” Staring at the glyphs through a sheen of tears, she fought not to break down again. “I translated the glyphs, yes, but I never actually thought about them, if that makes sense. I took each page apart piece by piece, but I never read the book as a whole, not like Dad would have been doing as I translated.”
Her stomach felt like a cold pit of lead. “Wherever he is, I have no idea how to bring him out again.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Do you need anything else?” Sam asked.
Jaid tucked her father’s carefully detailed leather journal into her carryall and shook her head. “Just some time. I don’t expect that he left any clues in his journal, but I’ll scan it quickly tonight and then start going through his notes. He would have been careful in his documentation, even if he was suspicious or paranoid. We’ll figure out what he was trying to do and how, I’m sure.”
Drawn and pale, Madelyn gripped her shoulders and forced a smile. “If you need anything, please let me know. I’ll be happy to help you track down any of Charlie’s documentation. I know his filing and shorthand system he used for notes.”
Nodding, Jaid bit back a bitter comment. She might not know about her father’s relationship or exactly what he’d attempted, but she knew his techniques better than anyone. She didn’t need help translating his cryptic comments or notes. She could read his unique shorthand as easily as a Maya glyph.
Madelyn left while Sam gave her directions to her private cabana. “Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you?”
“No thanks.” Jaid forced a small smile so he wouldn’t be insulted. “Some alone time to think everything through will be best for me right now.”
Sam jammed his hat on his head, lingering as though he hated to leave her alone for even a moment. “I do have an early appointment tomorrow morning with the Antigua officials.”
Was he afraid she’d bail and run back home? Not while her father needed her so badly.
Well, her private library and research materials sounded heavenly right now, not to mention her own bed. At least the compound’s main building was air-conditioned, so she barely had to pretend
Sheepishly, she tried to shrug away her unease, but she couldn’t. Her gut instinct told her something had gone terribly wrong. “I didn’t feel like we had the entire picture yet. The language of Zuyua is famous for being twisted with double meanings and tricks. I wanted to know the codex inside and out, along with all the inscriptions on the walls of the temple before attempting anything as drastic as opening the portal ourselves.”
“Where could the portal lead to?” Madelyn wrung her hands. “If he ended up in Tulan Zuyua as he hoped, great. But how will he get back? Where else could he have gone?”
Staring down at the glyphs on the rounds, Jaid felt an icy trickle of dread down her spine. “He could have ended up anywhere. In fact, I suspect any time might be an option, too. He might be in any of the major Maya cities, perhaps in the past when they were at their height or before the collapse. Who knows? He could have even…” She swallowed hard and raised her gaze to Sam’s. She hadn’t told him about the recording, let alone the corpse-like creature she and Geoffrey had seen. Was that thing something dead that had crawled out of the portal by accident? Some sort of guardian? Or something more sinister? Her father’s warning echoed in her head. Don’t trust anybody. “He could have gone to Xibalba.”
Sam’s hands trembled so badly he dropped his hat. “The caves and portals lead through the Underworld.”
Jaid nodded jerkily. “The Maya knew how to use the portal to bypass the Place of Fright. But what if he didn’t? What if he’s in the Maya hell even as we speak?” Staring at the glyphs through a sheen of tears, she fought not to break down again. “I translated the glyphs, yes, but I never actually thought about them, if that makes sense. I took each page apart piece by piece, but I never read the book as a whole, not like Dad would have been doing as I translated.”
Her stomach felt like a cold pit of lead. “Wherever he is, I have no idea how to bring him out again.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Do you need anything else?” Sam asked.
Jaid tucked her father’s carefully detailed leather journal into her carryall and shook her head. “Just some time. I don’t expect that he left any clues in his journal, but I’ll scan it quickly tonight and then start going through his notes. He would have been careful in his documentation, even if he was suspicious or paranoid. We’ll figure out what he was trying to do and how, I’m sure.”
Drawn and pale, Madelyn gripped her shoulders and forced a smile. “If you need anything, please let me know. I’ll be happy to help you track down any of Charlie’s documentation. I know his filing and shorthand system he used for notes.”
Nodding, Jaid bit back a bitter comment. She might not know about her father’s relationship or exactly what he’d attempted, but she knew his techniques better than anyone. She didn’t need help translating his cryptic comments or notes. She could read his unique shorthand as easily as a Maya glyph.
Madelyn left while Sam gave her directions to her private cabana. “Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you?”
“No thanks.” Jaid forced a small smile so he wouldn’t be insulted. “Some alone time to think everything through will be best for me right now.”
Sam jammed his hat on his head, lingering as though he hated to leave her alone for even a moment. “I do have an early appointment tomorrow morning with the Antigua officials.”
Was he afraid she’d bail and run back home? Not while her father needed her so badly.
Well, her private library and research materials sounded heavenly right now, not to mention her own bed. At least the compound’s main building was air-conditioned, so she barely had to pretend
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