Hamish nodded and said, ‘Yes.’
Yax K’in slowly stood then wandered over to his daughter. She took his offered hand as she stood. The old man waved at Jim. ‘Just go over,’ Arthur said. ‘He’s going to introduce you to his daughter.’
‘Yeah, I can see that,’ Jim said with real annoyance. He was irked by older people stating the obvious, treating him as if his lack of years meant he was mentally deficient.
Jim’s hand was placed over the young woman’s before Yax K’in’s two hands sandwiched them.
Yax K’in said, ‘Jim. Pep’Em Ha.’ He repeated the formula.
Jim understood that the other words were Yax K’in’s daughter’s name.
Hamish and Arthur were asked to leave. Hamish quizzed Jim, asking him if that was all right. Jim dismissed his grandfather like he was a man being treated as a child.
Arthur offered Hamish a drink after they had left the t’o’ohil’s hut. Arthur required its strength to help him convince Michelle to extend her stay.
Hamish worried about Jim and mentioned that to Arthur as they walked.
‘Don’t worry about Jim,’ Arthur said, distracted by his own concerns with Michelle. ‘He’s going to have more fun than you are.’
Chapter 9
Arthur and Hamish sat at the white, moulded-plastic table outside Arthur’s hut. The same one Hamish had seen two bottles of beer under in the pre-dawn light. A bottle of Irish whiskey and two glasses were on the table.
‘Does balche taste bad? As bad as you say in your books? ’ Hamish asked.
‘It looks worse than it tastes,’ Arthur said.
‘It’s that partly religious, drinking ceremony isn’t it?’ Hamish asked. ‘That’s what Yax K’in wants to do with me, right?’
‘Yes. The whole village is involved. At least the men are. It normally goes on for a few days. It’s not a single session of drinking. It’s not like a session at the pub,’ Arthur said. ‘But, it may not last that long. Given how anxious Yax K’in was this morning.’
‘That was Yax K’in being anxious?’ Hamish asked.
Arthur laughed. ‘Yes, very anxious.’
‘I don’t know Arthur,’ Hamish said as he took a tentative sip from his glass of whisky. It was really too early to be drinking, he thought. ‘I know Jim has drunk alcohol before. I know he has been drunk before, but…’
Hamish did not know how much guardianship Jim required. Hamish had forgotten, it had been a long time since his son had grown up. He wondered if things like teenage drinking had changed much. He did not want Jim to get drunk but, also, did not want to deny attendance at the balche sessions.
‘Pep’Em Ha’s brother will also be there. He’s only a few years older than Jim,’ Arthur said. He had let Hamish prevaricate, knowing denial of Jim’s attendance was not an option.
‘I don’t know Arthur. A few years at that age is quite a lot,’ Hamish said. ‘I just don’t know,’ he said slowly.
‘You can’t say no, Hamish,’ Arthur said firmly. ‘Yax K’in has asked for Jim to be present. It would not look good if he wasn’t. Have you looked at Jim? Looked at him not as your grandson? He’s an adult. Certainly physically. And, you know,’ he spoke in a softer voice. ‘We can moderate how much he drinks. I’m sure Yax K’in won’t let him drink too much. Balche is not that alcoholic and he probably won’t like it.’ Arthur lifted his whisky. ‘It’s nothing like this.’ Arthur sipped his drink and put it back on the table.
‘Is Michelle coming?’ Hamish asked.
‘I haven’t asked her yet. I’m fortifying myself for that task.’
‘Are you, well, you know?’ Hamish asked. ‘It doesn’t sound like it’s going that well between you two. You sounded like you were married this morning.’
Arthur smiled grimly. He said quietly, with disappointment, ‘No, it’s not going well.’
‘Will there be KulWinik women there?’ Hamish asked.
‘Will there be KulWinik women, where?’ Michelle said. The men turned their heads. She had come from the direction of her own hut, which was behind Arthur’s. She sat down at the table, closer to Hamish. ‘Are you two still talking about Pep’Em Ha’s mother? She’s not that young, you know. She’s a few years older than me.’
‘Maybe that’s my point,’ said Arthur. The whisky had made him argumentative.
‘What do you mean?’ Michelle said quickly and angrily.
‘Nothing,’ Arthur said. ‘I was telling Hamish about balche sessions and the ceremonies attached to them. He asked if KulWinik women are allowed.’ Arthur turned to Hamish. ‘No, no women are allowed.’
‘What do you call me, Arthur?’ Michelle said. She was ready for an argument.
‘Unless,’ Arthur said, while pointedly staring at Michelle, ‘that woman happens to be you, Michelle. Who is not a KulWinik woman. I’ve already told Hamish that you’ve been involved in the balche sessions and ceremonies, over many years. He knows that, I don’t need to tell him that again.’
‘So, has Yax K’in invited Hamish to a balche session?’ Michelle said to Arthur. ‘Has he?’ she repeated immediately, combatively, and then turned to Hamish, ‘And I would assume Jim?’
‘It would appear so,’ Hamish said.
Michelle’s face contracted.
‘Why haven’t you told me?’ Michelle said to Arthur. She was, again, angry.
Arthur fiddled with his drink. The weeks with Michelle in the KulWinik village and working together at Yaxchilan had not been how he imagined. He had dreamed of a reconciliation but had hoped for friendliness and civility. He wondered why she had agreed to come, if she was going to be annoyed with him all the time. Perhaps, he thought as he prepared to reply to her angry question, she had intended to be nice but being close to him had turned her nasty. Her eyes were dark with anger, he saw. She was a predator waiting to pounce on his reply. He had made a big mistake. He sighed. The mistake that lived ten years ago.
‘I haven’t told you, Michelle,’ he said, ‘because we only found out in the last few minutes.’
‘Well, I won’t stay,’ she said. Hamish watched the anger in Michelle like it was bubbling ready to boil over and half expected her to make a movement to leave the village immediately.
‘Pep’Em Ha does all the rituals now. Did you know that?’
Michelle stared at Arthur. Her eyes were unblinking.
‘Would you like a drink?’ Arthur asked.
‘Yes,’ she said vacantly.
Hamish went inside Arthur’s hut and returned with a glass that was not too dirty, as if Arthur’s offer to provide Michelle with a drink had been his obligation. Michelle’s mood had changed quickly and he wanted to help his friend by pouring Michelle’s drink quickly.
‘That’s unprecedented Arthur,’ Michelle said.
‘I know,’ he said, agreeing quickly.
‘Well,’ Michelle said slowly, ‘Maybe I could postpone a few things.’
Hamish was confused, he did not understand the significance of Arthur’s information, but he did not want to interrupt for an explanation because of the electric effect it had on Michelle. He topped up his own glass of whisky, sipped from it, placed it back on the table and then peered over Arthur’s shoulder at nothing in particular.
‘He’s as slippery as usual,’ Arthur said.
Michelle laughed. ‘Yes, I know that well. He’s the master of how to answer a question with all possible answers. Especially questions he doesn’t want asked.’
Michelle’s laugh was contagious. Arthur loved seeing her happy. She may not hate him, he hoped, only what he had done.
‘There’s more,’ he said.
‘What?’ she asked.
Hamish perked up and focussed on Arthur as if his own confusion was about to be resolved, although he doubted it.
‘Yax K’in promised,’ Arthur continued, ‘that we’ll be allowed to listen to Pep’Em Ha’s story telling. After the balche sessions are complete.’
‘I’ve heard that rumor,’ she said,
deflating the effect Arthur had expected. He had hoped Pep’Em Ha’s extraordinary story-telling prowess was unknown. ‘The women talk about Pep’Em Ha, and her talent, when she’s not there. What do the men say?’
‘Well, they say she’s better than Yax K’in.’ Arthur hoped it didn’t sound like too much of an exaggeration.
‘Really?’
‘I know. I don’t believe it either,’ Arthur said enthusiastically. ‘But the elders say she’s as good as her grandfather.’
‘I never knew him,’ Michelle said.
‘Yes, I know. He died when I was here the first time. He was an extraordinary t’o’ohil.’
Michelle took a sip of the whiskey Hamish had placed in front of her. She smiled a belated thanks, acknowledging his presence. She spoke slowly and quietly, mostly to herself, ‘What’s he doing?’
Hamish took another sip of his whisky. His two friends appeared to be wistfully dreaming of something, he became annoyed and spoke into the silence, ‘I don’t have the faintest idea what you’re talking about,’ he said, but was ignored.
‘I think I know what he’s doing,’ Arthur said. ‘It would make your precedent of sitting in on the balche sessions look tiny, minuscule even.’
Michelle’s eyes widened in shock. ‘No,’ she exclaimed in a long, low voice. She hushed her voice as if subterfuge was necessary, ‘Do you think the elders are onto him?’
‘They’re not silly but I don’t think they’ve put two and two together. Not yet. They just think she’s good at those things and Yax K’in is not training her.’
‘Have you asked Yax K’in? I mean, for what that’s worth,’ Michelle said.
Hamish drummed his fingers on the table. He had almost decided to leave Michelle and Arthur to their nonsensical, obscure conversation, but he was enjoying the whisky now, once he had drunk enough of it to have an affect, and did not feel like being in an angry mood. He resigned himself to being unnoticed. Maybe I’ll just get silently, pointedly drunk before lunchtime, he thought.
‘Yes. Just a little while ago,’ Arthur said.
‘Well, what did he say?’ she asked excitedly. She glanced at Hamish’s drumming fingers and frowned as if the interruption was rude.
‘He smiled. He prevaricated. That’s all.’
‘Shit,’ Michelle said softly. ‘All right,’ she said with a firm resolution. ‘You win. I’ll move my commitments. This is something I would not want to miss. Do you think we could publish anything?’
‘Of course. A joint paper if you want,’ Arthur said.
‘Fuck guys!’ Hamish exclaimed. The whisky had broken a social barrier within him. ‘What are you two talking about? I’m still here, you know.’
‘I’m sorry Hamish.’ Michelle was smiling and didn’t answer Hamish’s question. ‘But this is really exciting.’
‘To who? What is? You’ve made no sense at all for the last five minutes,’ Hamish said. He was angry but calmed down when he saw Arthur’s happiness. He wondered if he would ever again be as happy as Arthur looked. He doubted it.
‘We think that Yax K’in may be training Pep’Em Ha to be the next t’o’ohil,’ Michelle said. ‘The next religious leader of the KulWinik. Which is impossible, of course. Women have never been allowed into the religious ceremonies. They are not the holders of the ancient stories.’
Arthur nodded his agreement.
Hamish was forgotten again. ‘That can’t be all,’ she said to Arthur. ‘He would be overruled too easily. A woman leader would be too much. Even for his authority.’
‘Unless,’ Arthur said. ‘He had something else up his sleeve. I agree. I think Jim must be a part of his plan. That would be why Hamish had to come.’ Arthur watched Hamish drink from his glass. ‘Sorry, Hamish, but we never needed a geologist. You were right, of course, about all the limestone, I mean.’
Hamish thought about getting angry with his friend for his deception but then decided that he didn’t really want to do any geology. Jim was occupied and he was safe, and they were away from Boston and the constant reminders. He shrugged his shoulders and had another sip from his glass. OK, he thought, he was officially on holiday but then wondered if that was a good thing or not.
Somehow,’ Arthur turned back to Michelle, ‘the use of twins and their significance in the creation stories is involved with all this.’
‘Pep’Em Ha is by far the best choice,’ Michelle said. ‘Her age might be a problem.’
‘Maybe,’ Arthur said. ‘But he has plenty of time to train her. Yax K’in could make two hundred. He looks great, he hasn’t aged at all in the years I’ve known him. That’s, what, about forty years.’
‘So, you don’t think there really is another excavation site? He just wants us, and Jim, here?’ Michelle asked.
‘There is a site, I know that, and it has to do with the succession. There’s something of value we have to find. Whatever it is, it’s exceptionally important to Yax K’in,’ Arthur said.
‘You could be here at a pivotal moment,’ Arthur explained to Hamish. ‘Maybe you and Jim are the pivots.’ He laughed. ‘I don’t know. But the t’o’ohil of the KulWinik is at the end of a direct, unbroken line from the priests and rulers of the ancient Maya. I think that’s something worth preserving.’ Arthur smiled at Michelle. ‘Maybe the next king will be a queen.’
The three sat quietly at the table for sometime, each in their own thoughts. Hamish worried about Jim. Arthur thought of Michelle and keeping her close by. Michelle thought of opportunity and, a little, about the Arthur she had known. The one she had loved. Their silence was punctuated by the sound of pounding coming from the KulWinik section of the village. It had started as if on cue to end their conversation. Pep’Em Ha’s brother pounded bark from the balche tree. He would later add water and sugar, in a carved mahogany tub, where it would ferment, by the next day, into a bitter, dark-colored alcoholic beverage.
Chapter 10
Hamish sat on a chair on the veranda of the tourist hut trying to not look like he was waiting for Jim. He had not seen his grandson since he had left him in Yax K’in’s hut. It was dark and had been for a long time. He waited and he worried.
The thin light, from the single bare globe in the room behind him, was feeble and did not attempt to worry the night further than the edge of the veranda. Hamish sat quietly and watched nothing in front of him.
The bobbing light from a hand held torch approached the hut. When the light was close Hamish could hear the soft, padding sound of footsteps on thick grass.
‘Where have you been Jim?’
‘Doing stuff.’
‘Doing what?’
‘Just stuff.’
‘Have you been with Pep’Em Ha all this time?’
‘Yeah. So?’
‘I’m just asking. Have you eaten anything? You didn’t come over to the dining hut.’
‘Yeah. I ate something.’
‘I was wondering what happened to you?’
‘I was all right. Don’t worry about me.’
‘Well, I did worry.’
‘Don’t then. I’m OK. I ate something. Over with the others.’
‘The others?’
‘The KulWinik. In their part of the village.’
‘Were you invited?’
‘I went with Pep’Em Ha.’
‘You mean you just lobbed and asked for dinner?’
‘No. It was, sort of, expected.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Expected. Like what I said. What’s there to not understand?’
‘You mean, you went, with Pep’Em Ha, and ate with the villagers? I thought they liked to eat separately?’
‘Yes.’
‘Yes, what?’
‘Just yes. The answer to your question, is yes.’
‘Is there any more information? I mean who else was there?’
‘Everyone, I guess. I don’t know.’
‘Well. Was Yax K’in there?’
‘Yes.’
‘Did y
ou meet Pep’Em Ha’s mother?’
‘Yes.’
‘Who else was there?’
‘Everyone.’
‘And they were happy that you were there?’
‘Yes. Why wouldn’t they be? What’s the problem? I had dinner over there, that’s all.’
‘I just want to know, Jim. I’m interested and I worry.’
At the End of the World Page 4
