Within the Dead Space

by Hutchens, Gary

  At two o’clock Chaco sneaked out the back door of the school. There was a barbed wire fence around the school, which wasn’t out of the ordinary for Lima. He cautiously followed the fence ducking in and out of the bushes when necessary to remain hidden from everybody. Near the gate he hid in the bushes and waited for a bus to arrive. Fifteen minutes later a bus pulled up to the stop. Chaco hurried through the gate, crossed the street and climbed on the bus.

  Chaco saw Sanchez and Jorge standing by their car and he nervously waited for the bus to get moving. What seemed like an eternity was actually only a minute until the bus pulled out into the traffic.

  Chaco thanked Inti that they hadn’t got on board. He slouched in his seat with his eyes peering over the metal window frame. They were following the bus.

  “Ortiz, he’s left the school on a bus and we are following him,” said Sanchez on the phone.

  “Don’t lose him and watch yourself. That kid is strong and tough.”

  “He won’t get the best of us again. I’ll break his neck first.”

  “Not till after we find the gold,” ordered Ortiz. “Call me when you know where he is going.”

  Ortiz hung up the phone and called Professor Manuel. “Professor, this is Dr. Ortiz.”

  “Hello, Doctor.”

  “I stopped by the school to see you and Chaco today. I understand that you are going to Boston later this evening.”

  “That’s correct. I’m giving a guest lecture at Harvard and then several more on the west coast. I won’t be back for three months. If you have pressing business, I could see you about four o’clock for a few minutes.”

  “It isn’t that urgent. I just wanted to spend more time with Chaco and discuss what he knows about the Inca.”

  “Oh, you won’t be able to do that, I’m sorry to say, he’s going with me. Dr. Branston at Harvard has considerable interest in Chaco and has asked him to come and I agreed to take him. As soon as we get back, I’ll arrange for all the time you want with him.”

  The line was silent for a few seconds until Ortiz thought of what to say.

  “Is everything alright, Dr. Ortiz?”

  “Yes, yes, no problem at all. Sorry for the delay, I was trying to do too many things at the same time. Well Professor, have a first rate trip and we’ll talk when you get back.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Ortiz”

  Ortiz immediately called Sanchez, “He’s going to the airport. Go to Lan Peru airlines and take him before he enters the building. Shove him in the back seat and then get out of there. Now get going. Call me when it’s done.”

  Chaco was watching as Sanchez’s car sped by the bus. Now what are they doing? Could they know I’m going to the airport?

  Chaco tried to think through what he should do next. He had never been in a large airport before. How could he possibly know what to do? Get off the bus, was the conclusion he figured out. It was only 3:15 and he had until five to get there.

  At the next stop, which seemed to be a busy corner, Chaco got off the bus. He read the bus schedule on the wall and decided to wait thirty minutes before boarding another bus for the airport.

  Sanchez and Jorge were in position when the bus arrived. Their car was parked next to the bus stop. They waited for the passengers to get off. When the last passenger stepped off the bus both men quickly climbed inside and ran down the aisle to make sure Chaco wasn’t hiding.

  “That little sneak,” said Sanchez. “Where do you think he might be?”

  They waited for the next bus and he wasn’t on it either. Two more buses stopped and no Chaco. While Sanchez was on the phone to Ortiz telling him that Chaco had disappeared, another bus pulled up to the stop. They sat in the car watching everyone unload and then Chaco got off.

  “There he is!” screamed Sanchez as they scrambled from the car.

  Chaco saw them and ran for the door. He looked at the signs overhead and ran toward Lan Peru Airlines. Chaco saw a policeman standing near the ticket counter and ran toward him. Sanchez saw the policeman as well and the men stopped in their tracks.

  “Chaco, over here,” a voice came from a crowd of people waiting in line.

  It was Professor Manuel! Chaco saw the professor and ran to him.

  Sanchez grabbed Jorge’s arm as he tried to run after Chaco. “Look over there.”

  “Oh man, Ortiz isn’t going to like this.” They both melded back into the crowd.

  Sanchez called Ortiz who was irate. “We’re going after him,” was the last thing Ortiz said before the line went dead.

  Chaco and the professor boarded the plane with their first class tickets. Chaco had never seen such luxury. He was allowed to sit by the window.

  Just as the plane’s engines started, Chaco looked out the window toward the terminal and saw Sanchez’s glaring eyes focused on him. Chaco smiled at him, gave him the ‘hi’ sign and settled back in his chair as the plane taxied away.

  He was going to America.

  Chapter 26

  They transferred planes in Miami for their flight to Boston. For Chaco it was a great adventure. He couldn’t believe that he was in the United States. An uneducated peasant from Peru has absolutely no chance of ever going to America…..and yet here he was. Several times during the flight he had wondered what they could ever want to talk to him about at Harvard University. Apparently his Inca heritage was important. In Peru, nobody cared about Inca history.

  It was late in the day when they landed in Boston. They immediately went to a hotel where Chaco had his own room. He and Professor Manuel had a light dinner at a café in the hotel and then returned to their rooms.

  “Get some sleep now. Tomorrow will be a long day. Dr. Branston plans to spend considerable time with you. I’ll call you in the morning an hour before we are to leave. Good night, Chaco.”

  “Good night, Professor.”

  ***

  Back in Lima, Dr. Ortiz had already arranged his flight to the states for Monday of next week. He had made contact with the embassy in Boston to provide a car when he arrived. Sanchez and Jorge would be coming with him. He was good friends with the ambassador and they had done, let us say, several questionable projects together over the years. He told him about Chaco and agreed to cut him in on any gold they found.

  ***

  Harvard University…..Chaco had heard of this place even before meeting Dr. Branston. Only smart people get to go to Harvard. Does that mean I am smart? Maybe, maybe not, he tried to answer the question. One thing I know, he looked out the window and saw the university just ahead…..I’m at Harvard.

  Professor Manuel had several things to do before they would meet Dr. Branston. He left Chaco at a small café, which was on campus near the main hall. An hour later he came back and they went to Dr. Branston’s office.

  It was a large office with lots of stuff on the walls. Chaco scrutinized the people in the room. There were four men and one woman waiting. Two of the men had beards, wore glasses and were casually dressed. The other two men were in suits and dressed stylish. The woman really caught Chaco’s attention. She wasn’t as old as the others. She was tall and was adorned with gold earrings, a necklace, and a watch. Her hair was golden blonde and she stood with a sense of dignity about her. He was definitely infatuated.

  The woman was introduced first. “Chaco this is Dr. Morena Thompson. Her specialty is archaeology with particular emphasis on the Inca.” She reached her hand out for him to shake.

  Chaco took her hand in both of his and speaking in Royal Quechua, the secret language of the ruling Inca elite said, “Only the Sapa Inca, Pachacuti himself, deserves such a wondrous woman.” He bowed to her.

  Dr. Thompson couldn’t believe what she had just heard. She had just been addressed in a language that hadn’t been used for five hundred years. Quechua was still spoken in South America, but to be spoken to in Royal Quechua…..she was enthralled.

  The other men were introduced without nearly as much fanfare. They all sat down and the discussions began. Many quest
ions about the Inca were asked of Chaco concerning history, religion, diet, buildings, and road construction. Chaco was able to talk in depth on all of these subjects shifting from Quechua to Spanish and then into English when they didn’t understand him.

  The conversation turned to a more personal level when Dr. Thompson asked, “Chaco, where were you born?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Well, where or when did you learn so much about the Inca?”

  “I don’t know. I just seem to have a lot of knowledge about my forebears.”

  “Did your parents teach you this?”

  “They might have, but I don’t remember them.”

  “Where have you lived all these years?”

  He said near Cuzco, so that he wouldn’t be caught in a lie from what he had told Professor Manuel earlier.

  “Do you have any family?”

  “I used to have a little brother, but he died. He wasn’t really a brother but I loved him as one.”

  The conversation continued for a while longer before Professor Branston called a student in to take Chaco to lunch. The others remained in his office and had a working lunch.

  “This kid is a walking encyclopedia of Inca knowledge. So much of the time he talks as if he was there. I can’t believe what we are hearing.”

  “I agree,” was the response of everyone else.

  “I think it would be of great benefit to the university to have Chaco give a lecture on Inca history,” said Dr. Thompson. “We have many experts throughout our history department who would love to hear him. They could even ask questions. He doesn’t seem to mind. I haven’t been able to refute anything he has said today. Much of his information I have never heard before.”

  “Professor Manuel, do you think he can speak in front of a large group of people?”

  The professor thought for a minute and then said, “I can’t say for sure. I don’t know him very well, but he has shown today that he isn’t intimidated by adults or for that matter by some of the leading experts in Inca history. I say give him a chance. The professor fiddled with his glasses for a couple of seconds and then said, we should ask him what he thinks about it.” They all shook their heads in unison.

  When Chaco returned he was surprised that they wanted him to make a speech in front of a lot of people. “I will if you want me to. What should I talk about?”

  “Why don’t you start with the Sapa Inca, Pachacuti. Tell what you know about him and what life was like back then. How does that sound?”

  “I can do that. He was a great man whom his name signifies…..earth-shaker.” Chaco continued about Pachacuti for a few more minutes. The details were unbelievable, even personal details of Pachacuti’s early childhood.

  “I don’t know how you could possibly know this information, Chaco. It isn’t written in any book and yet, I believe that what you are telling us is true. People will love hearing your stories.”

  “I’ll set this up for a week from today, about seven in the evening. I’ll see if we can get PBS to carry it live. I don’t know if this will be enough lead time for them but I’ll check. They are currently on campus doing another special so maybe they will be interested. Everybody check your schedule and get back to me later today if next week is workable. I want to thank you for coming, and thank you, Chaco and Professor Manuel, for sharing your knowledge with us.”

  Early the next afternoon, it was confirmed that Chaco’s Inca presentation was confirmed for Tuesday next week at seven in the evening. Dr. Branston’s discussions with PBS regarding Chaco convinced them that something unique was in the offing and they committed to carry it.

  Chaco spent time with several Hispanic and historical scholars over the next few days. He also had plenty of time to roam around Cambridge. Most of it was spent with Professor Manuel except one really terrific day he went to lunch with Dr. Morena Thompson. He couldn’t have dreamed a more perfect afternoon. She even asked him to call her Morena when they were alone. She was at least twice his age if not more but it didn’t hurt to dream.

  While they were eating, their discussions dwelt on the social structure of the ruling elite and their educational system. Chaco talked with great authority about the Yachay Wasis, houses of knowledge, which most young members in the family attended.

  “How do you know that? You talk as if you were there.” Dr. Thompson was enamored with this young boy. His depth of knowledge superseded all existing information available and his explanations brought Inca life alive.

  After lunch, Chaco spent the rest of the afternoon by himself wandering the streets of Cambridge. To his surprise, he found another dead space area in the park. It was near a large fountain and the mist from the water created a slight aberration in the light that he was able to see. It was in the late afternoon and he was going to check it out. It was the second one he had found since arriving in Cambridge. The other one was in the sitting room near the entrance to Dr. Branston’s office. He waited on a bench near the fountain watching the birds and noticed they were exhibiting a very strange behavior. They would be flying in a straight line and then at the last second divert away from a certain area. He watched bird after bird do this. After inspecting the area he found what he was looking for. He was able to find the shadow seam and climbed inside. He remained there for about fifteen minutes with several people walking by. Once he was too close to the exterior and one of the passerby’s was startled for a second by his image and then went off mumbling, “I must be seeing things.” He kept looking back to where Chaco was hiding but couldn’t see a thing.

  The days went by rapidly and at last the Harvard lecture was only two hours away.

  Chapter 27

  There were several hundred people in the Harvard lecture hall. Pamphlets had been displayed prominently throughout campus about tonight’s event. Word had slipped out that Chaco was a reincarnated son of an Inca king and people had lined up hours before the lecture to get one of the few seats still available. Chaco had become quite a celebrity on campus. While he stood to the side of the stage waiting for his name to be called he observed a dead space in the middle of the stage. Usually, he thought, dead space is near a wall or solid object.

  Dr. Branston gave a very flattering introduction for Chaco. He explained what Chaco would be talking about and gave a brief history of the Inca civilization.

  “And now I would like to present Chaco.” There was an enthusiastic round of applause.

  Dr. Branston showed Chaco how to use the microphone before he could begin.

  “Hi there,” Chaco said in a wavering voice, “I haven’t any experience talking to a large group so please try to put up with my lack of skill. I will try to remember to speak English if at all possible but I can guarantee you that at times I will inadvertently speak Quechua or Spanish. First off, I would like to say…..I am of Inca heritage.” And then Chaco began…..

  The great Inca civilization began with the Sapa Inca, Pachacuti. During his reign, much of what is now Peru and Ecuador came under Inca control. I will speak today about the Inca civilization that is not in the history books.

  I want to talk about Pusca and the end of the Inca Empire. Pusca was the son of Atahualpa. He was with his father at Cajamarca when Atahualpa tried to negotiate with Pizarro and a friar named Vincente de Valverde about coming under the empire of King Charles I of Spain. In the negotiations Pusca’s father didn’t understand what the friar was saying about the Christian faith. The Spanish became impatient with him and attacked Atahualpa’s entourage and took him and his family hostage. Atahualpa offered the Spaniards enough gold to fill the room he was imprisoned in and twice that amount of silver, in two months if they would release him and his entourage.

  The gold and silver was brought forward and placed in El Cuarto del Rescate (The Ransom Room) and Atahualpa had fulfilled his offer, but Pizarro seized the gold and silver and refused to release them. Atahualpa’s son, Pusca and his mother were dragged into the hallway along with the gold and silver.

&
nbsp; “Liars! Cheats! Honor thy word!” screamed Pusca.

  The audience jumped in their seats as they watched a transformation of Chaco into Pusca. Pusca was now on stage telling the story.

  “Hmmmph,” came a muffled noise from Pusca’s throat. They killed my mother with a club.

  “Noooo. I’ll kill you,” Pusca broke loose from the guard holding him and rushed across the stage toward his mother’s murderer. He fought like a demon with the guard.

  Everyone in the audience was glued to their seats and startled beyond belief at what they were seeing.

  Pusca was thrown in the air and landed head first on the floor. His head hit violently with a thud and he lost consciousness. He laid on the stage unable to move for several minutes.

  “Help him,” someone screamed out from the audience. Several people started running toward the stage.

  In that instant Pusca jumped to his feet and continued his story.

  While I was unconscious my brother and sister were taken away and were never heard from again. Most likely they were sent to work in the silver mines where no one survives. Between the filthy diseases and the greedy barbaric Spanish who justified everything in the name of Christianity…..the Inca civilization was destroyed.

  Chaco’s audience was spell bound. He was using multiple voices for the different people in his narrative and switching from Quechua to Spanish and then English. And on top of that, Chaco and Pusca were melding together as one person in one breath and separate individuals in the next. The pain and screaming and the guttural inflections in his voice made the audience think they were watching a professional theatrical production.

  Pusca fell silent. The room hushed. Not a whisper or even the crinkle of a sheet of paper could be heard. All eyes were affixed on Pusca. He slowly lay down on the floor.