Moffat's Secret

by J. C. Williams

  Chad would meet his guide and pilot in the morning. Thinking of Boyer, he recalled his second offer of a bodyguard. It was a reminder of his unwanted companions on this quest – violence and death. It seemed unlikely the guardians or another group could follow this itinerary on such short notice. Certainly, there was no way to stay close to the helicopter flights.

  They were lucky. It usually rains two out of three days in late May in Tikal. The sky was clear as they took off at dawn. The temperature was on its way to the mid-nineties. Chad wore a heavy fabric shirt and shorts liberally sprayed with insect repellant to protect him from the snagging and nagging jungle foliage and pests. In addition to the pilot, Chad, and the two government men, their helicopter carried an archeology student, Jorge, familiar with the three sites. Jorge was fluent in Spanish, which was spoken in Guatemala and Mexico. He also knew three of the twenty-one Mayan languages. They carried food, water, repair parts, emergency medical supplies, and cameras with ultra high-speed film for those dark places where flash was not allowed.

  El Mirador was everything Chad wanted in an excavation site. Though remote, too remote for tourists, at least the casual tourists, it had been well researched and documented from 2003 to 2008 as part of the Mirador Basin Project. With so few people at the site, Chad had easy access to all parts of it. He found an enthusiasm for his quest that spilled over and consumed Jorge as well. Unfortunately, they did not find any clues or references for a man and his three suns. Chad thought those symbols might be a common element for future clues. It was beginning to look like he was wrong. They stopped at mid morning and ate a brief lunch before they took off for Calakmul. In ancient times there was a causeway that linked El Mirador to Calakmul and two other cities. Chad was optimistic that the tablets had been in El Mirador and that Calakmul was their next destination.

  The nearest they could get to Calakmul with the chopper was a point two hours away. An old van and an old man met them at a clearing off the closest highway. They drove into the site, admiring the jungle. Jorge provided an occasional comment about the site or some animal they spotted. The jungle forest was alive with noise, monkeys, and other wildlife. Suddenly a large pyramid became visible over the tops of the trees. The long drive ended at a parking lot that could accommodate only a couple dozen cars. Jorge said there were only about twenty visitors a day. Occasionally a tour bus visited the site. The Calakmul site contains over a hundred stelae, the stone statues of varied faces, clothing, and headgear. In the core area, just under one square mile, there are over one thousand structures. The surrounding area of residential structures covers an area of nearly eight square miles, almost three miles wide and three miles long. It is the size of Williamsburg, VA. The entire Calakmul site contains over six thousand structures. Chad and Jorge concentrated on the core, central city. The government men had not been here before. Chad’s student-guide had been here twice. Several of the buildings rose over hundred and fifty feet, the height of a thirteen-story building. Jorge warned them to be careful climbing any of the structures not open to the public. They were built from limestone. Many of the steps crumbled easily. The government functionaries declared they would be tourists and stay on the public buildings. Chad and Jorge plunged ahead with the intent of looking at as many of the thousand structures as they could.

  Chad paid particular attention to any symbols or writing that depicted gods or sacred objects. His theory was that to be protected, the tablets had to be considered sacred and connected with the gods that they worshipped. How the Jewish high priests planned to carry that out, he didn’t know. The information from Juan regarding the wars between the city-states disturbed him. It was as turbulent in Mexico as it was in the middle-eastern world of Jerusalem and Babylon. He hoped the tablets were sacred enough to be hidden and protected, but not so sacred as to be surrounded by riches making them attractive as war booty or to latter day looters.

  The largest structure was named the Great Pyramid. Its top, over a hundred eighty feet high, rose above the jungle. It was a pyramid built atop another pyramid. It was only recently that the inner pyramid was discovered. The internal pyramid held artifacts and wall paintings. One mural, through multiple scenes, showed in great detail the tale of the defeat of Palenque in April of 599 CE. He knew of Palenque’s prominence as a mid-sized city famous for its art, sculptures, and architecture. Still being optimistic, Chad reasoned that if the tablets eventually reached Palenque, maybe they were brought to Calakmul after the victory. He examined the mural carefully but did not find any clue or symbol that helped.

  They spoke with two students doing excavation inside. They had not seen any symbols like a man and three suns.

  The plan was to leave Calakmul at last light. Chad picked a tall structure to climb just before the sun set over the jungle. He knew many of the pyramidal structures at sites like Chichen Itza had been aligned in such a way that the light at sunrise or sunset pointed out particular features. Often, certain features were highlighted once a year at the solstices. The summer solstice was just a few weeks from now. He hoped there was some astronomical guidance to show him a clue. It was literally a shot in the dark. He knew that he wasn’t spending nearly enough time at these sites to find the clues that he needed. Henry didn’t have that much time either. The sheer size and number of structures of just the three sites he had visited was overwhelming. More and more it seemed it might be easier to find the locator stone.

  Chad reached the top. He estimated it was a hundred feet high, but still dwarfed by the Great Pyramid.

  The view was spectacular from the western edge. The jungle noises were almost subdued. The tree branches and leaves came close to the steps below him. Chad felt a peacefulness watching the sun grow larger as it neared the horizon. He let his backpack slip to his side. There were four stone columns atop this structure. Perhaps the setting sun would cast its revealing clue to him between the columns.

  He sensed a movement in the columns behind him. Some instinct prompted him to brace himself for an attack. A figure rushed toward him from one of the columns. The attacker’s push was thwarted just enough to give Chad a moment of clear thought as he flew over the edge, falling toward the steps. The ground was ten stories below him. He envisioned bouncing off the steps several times, breaking bones and battering his body before eventually and slamming into the ground. He had one chance. If he could stay upright and control the first bounce, maybe he could jump toward the tops of the trees and thick foliage. These thoughts raced through his mind in the first second and the first sixteen feet that he fell. Chad twisted his body sideways trying to land with both feet on a narrow step without twisting his ankle.

  He did it, bending his knees, absorbing some of the momentum - just how he was taught to fall in his climbing lessons. He stopped his fall, but only for a moment. He didn’t have the balance needed to stay put.

  As he was about to tumble from the step, Chad pushed off from his semi-crouch toward the trees. He pulled his backpack in front of his chest. He crashed through leaves and small branches coming to a sudden stop on a larger limb. The force of the blow knocked the air from his lungs. His arms madly scrambled to grab something. He bounced once and got a hold of another branch. That’s where they found him, forty feet above the ground. He didn’t remember yelling, but Jorge said he did.

  The sun was gone when he reached the jungle floor, climbing carefully down. The lower he went the darker it was. The voices of his companions gave him encouragement. The last fifteen feet required a drop. Safely on the ground, he took a deep breath.

  “What happened?” Jorge said in English.

  “You were right. The limestone is crumbly and treacherous,” Chad answered trying to assess the cuts and scrapes on his hands, arms, and face. It wasn’t until they reached the van that he was able to see the torn clothes and the cuts under them. Luckily they had brought the first aid kit with them. They did the best they could with flashlights before beginning the two-hour ride to the park entrance and the waiting
helicopter.

  Lupa watched from the jungle’s darkness. Archer survived. Duncan would not be happy about the near miss. The tracker and assassin decided to wait a day to make that call. Instead, Lupa called in another helicopter for a pickup with a rope ladder. The same process that the wolf used to reach Calakmul.

  Chapter 76

  The next day, Archer stuck close to Jorge as they walked through the Tikal site. He thought he would be safe if he stayed close to other people. Nevertheless, he was constantly looking over his shoulder. What about that guy in the blue ball cap standing by the Plaza of the Seven Temples? He looked familiar. Chad remembered the man from the airport two days ago. The man stood out because he kept looking at Chad. Of course, Chad admitted, he was looking at the stranger just as often.

  “Dr. Archer?” a male’s voice called from behind Chad.

  Turning, he recognized one of his former students.

  “William Regan,” Chad said and smiled. “Imagine seeing you here.”

  Shaking hands, Chad noted his former student’s clothes and the tools he carried. The dust and dirt were clear signs.

  “Are you working here?” Chad asked.

  “I am. Been here for a year.”

  Chad introduced Jorge to William. The government officials were no longer needed now that they were back in Guatemala and not crossing the borders. They left this morning.

  “Wonderful. How is it going?” Chad asked, recalling William as one of the most inquisitive and restless of his pupils.

  “Really well. I never knew I could learn so much. Each day, each week, each month brings more knowledge. There is so much here in Tikal. Over a thousand years of history. We’ll never know it all. More interesting is the interaction of Tikal’s society with other Maya sites. There have been great side trips. Why am I telling you this? You know all of that.”

  “No. No, I don’t. It’s fascinating. I wonder. Can you take time off to walk us through the site and tell us about it? I didn’t realize how large it is. Jorge has been here several times, but you’ll know more.”

  Jorge nodded agreement.

  “How much time do you have? There are over three thousand structures mapped.”

  “I was planning on a day, but can make it two. I know the rainforest engulfed the city after its abandonment. How much has been cleared?”

  “It was re-discovered in the mid 1800s. There has been numerous expeditions and excavations over the last hundred and sixty years. So, all of it has been mapped, but not all cleared yet. And, only a fraction has been actually excavated. The area is a National Park, which helps to protect it from looters and vandalism. Fees generate monies for continued investigation. What’s your interest? Surely you are not a tourist.”

  Chad gave the answer he had prepared for the trip and had shared several times.

  “I’m doing research in preparation for a grant request. I have two lines of thought. Both are a combination of archeology and history.”

  “So it fits into your Forensic History?”

  Chad laughed. “You remember. Yes. They do. The first is to explore the reports of visitors from Europe to the Americas before the fourteenth century. I am looking at the time period 1000 CE or earlier. Even back to BCE. There were adventurous sailors as early as 500 BCE around Africa. Some may have come here. Many people say that the knowledge of the stars and direction on the oceans was not well enough established to make the journey. I disagree. There was certainly an understanding of celestial bodies and patterns. Evidence the pyramids in Egypt, in Mexico, and Stonehenge. Why couldn’t it have happened?”

  “Sounds fun,” Regan commented. “It would include Mexico, the Maya regions, the Caribbean islands, and parts of the United States?”

  “Yes. And don’t forget the possibility of travelers from the Orient or the Pacific, though that trip would be farther and harder. The other possibility for a project is to look for items from the Maya time period that were considered sacred and then ended up in the loot taken to Europe. It could even be objects from earlier times like the Olmec culture, or perhaps later like the Aztecs. I want to find the records and evidence here in Mesoamerica to begin with and then look at collections in Europe. I need to look at hieroglyphs, scripts, pictures, and sculptures.”

  “Both sound like great ideas,” Regan said. “Would you keep me in mind if you get a grant.”

  “Absolutely. I would love to work with you. Considering those two ideas, have you come across anything that might point me this direction?” Chad asked.

  “Perhaps. We’ll look around as we go through the site today. Let me get the dig manager and check with him. Oh, and regarding travel from Europe or Africa to Mesoamerica, I may know someone who can help. I went to a seminar in Mexico City. A professor at a university there had a great presentation on the early cultural exchanges of Mesoamerica both within Latin America and with other cultures. It was helpful to me when I found strange items in a dig that do not fit what I would expect. You may want to contact her. I’ll get her name for you.”

  “Thanks. That will help.” Chad needed some academic knowledge of Mesoamerica beyond what Juan Ramirez knew.

  -----

  On the second day of the Tikal exploration, Chad, Jorge, and William entered one of the oldest buildings on the site. So far there had been no clues.

  They wore head mounted lights and carried powerful flashlights.

  William explained. “This structure was just opened a few years ago. It was initially passed by because it is much smaller in height than the others. We were excited when we found more than the usual amount of paintings and wall art. It is in better shape than some of the others. It has been protected from artificial light, fires, and other damaging activities.”

  Chad noticed that some of the structures at Tikal rose to over two hundred feet, higher than at Calakmul. William shared that some of the buildings dated to the early 400 and 300 BCE. Construction continued as late as 800 CE. The early construction fit with what Juan had told him and could be a time period that coincided with El Mirador’s decline. Once again, Chad allowed his optimism to surface. The simple logic he used was that if it was not at La Venta, not at El Mirador, not at Calakmul, it had to be at Tikal. He even smiled at his attempt to convince himself.

  “We have two students working this one,” William continued his lecture. “They are both from the University of Pennsylvania, which has contributed much to the mapping and exploration. They have uncovered some interesting murals and pictures. A couple of them would excite the proponents of the ancient astronaut theories.”

  “You mean visitors from other worlds?” Chad asked.

  “Yes. I’ll show you.”

  “Do you believe in that theory?” Chad queried.

  “I don’t. But I’m open to any real evidence. So far, I think it’s all interpreted information. Interpretations that fit their theories.”

  Regan stopped at an inner room that was lit by battery-powered lanterns. Music softly played from a CD player in the corner. Battery operated as well.

  “Chad, this is Susan and John. This is Dr. Archer from Braxton College.” Chad in turn introduced Jorge.

  They chatted a minute or two about schools and regions of the country.

  “Susan, can you show Dr. Archer the spaceship?”

  “Sure. Follow me.”

  “Spaceship?” Chad asked amused.

  She led them all to another room and held up a light.

  On the wall were several pictures of what was a cigar shaped image. Lines emanating from one end looked like a rocket trail. A sun and moon were distinctly located in a sky above the rocket. Susan then showed them another painting. This one was a larger rocket shape that contained a man figure in the nose of the rocket. There were fins on the rocket and the man looked like he had a hand on some controls.

  William asked, “What do you think, Dr. Archer? Is this evidence that aliens visited Tikal? Or, is this building a preservation of historical knowledge, what was originall
y oral legends that were handed down through centuries?”

  “I don’t know. What do you think?” Chad sensed Regan had an opinion.

  Regan answered. “Why can’t this be just the pictorial representation of a lively imagination? Even in our modern world, in the 1800s, there were science fiction writers who envisioned flying ships and space travel. Why would we think that imagination is restricted to modern thought? Why wouldn’t the same thoughts occur to people centuries ago? Even several millennia in the past? Would they not have tried model planes based on birds of flight? Wouldn’t their experiments result in fins?”

  Susan spoke up. “What about what looks like a smoke stream? Did they imagine rocket propulsion?”

  “Why not?” Regan countered. “They had fire. They knew the heat given off. They boiled water and saw steam. It is not a gigantic leap to imagine there would be some way to harness that. Our science fiction writers envisioned many things that they could not make in their era, but later those things were accomplished in the space programs.”

  Susan laughed. “We’ll argue about this all day, Dr. Archer. William and I agree to disagree. William disagrees more passionately.”

  “I can see that. And, please, call me Chad.”

  “William told us last night of your research. I have something that might interest you. It’s in room six. There are nine rooms here. By the way, three is a significant number to ancient astronauts. Nine rooms is three times three.”

  Regan snickered audibly.

  Holding up her lantern in room six, Susan lit a small section of a wall about a foot high and two feet wide.

  Chad saw a man sitting on a box. The man looked up to a distant sky. Chad sucked in his breath. The man had a beard and wore what could be a kippa. There were three stars in the sky.

  The man and three suns. A Jewish man and three suns.

  Chapter 77

  “What do you think, Chad? Susan asked. “Does this fit an image of someone other than an indigenous people?”