A loud fluttering from overhead made her and Raul both cringe.
“Holy shit,” Quint said, raising his camera. “Would you look at that?”
She followed his line of sight to the top of the wall. A king vulture sat perched there, its head tucked. The white upper part of its wings were pulled in tight, giving the big bird a hunched look while it stared down at them with round red- and white-rimmed eyes. The colorful reddish-orange and blue bald head twisted jerkily back and forth, making the floppy yellow caruncle on its curved beak wobble.
Click. Click.Quint wasted no time snapping photos.
Angélica checked on KuTu, half expecting the superstitiousguard to have raced off, leaving a billow of dust in his wake. But he stood watching the vulture, eyes wide.
His awe was contagious, even more so when the bird stretched out its wings, which were almost as wide as Quint was tall. So regal, she thought. How could this creature be associated with a god so foul as the Lord of Death?
“Es tan hermoso,”Raul whispered.
“Yes, quite beautiful,” her father agreed. “What a gift to us today fromItzamná.”
“Who’s that?” Quint asked.
“The Maya god of the sky,” Angélica answered.
“El rey de los Muertos,” KuTu whispered, bowing his head.
“The king of the dead,” Raul translated for Quint, as well as the Maya’s next remark. “KuTu says the vulture has brought a message from the gods.”
“What message?” Quint asked, still taking pictures.
Raul repeated Parker’s question to KuTu in Spanish.
Another rumble of thunder sounded, this time closer.
KuTu looked at Angélica. “Only the Lord of Death knows,” he answered in Mayan.
Rather than repeat KuTu’s answer, she said, “Rain is coming.”
The vulture made a snorting sound and then turned its back to them. In a noisy flutter, it took to the air, heading out of sight beyond the wall.
“That was impressive.” Quint was all smiles as he packed away his camera.
KuTu would probably agree after his earlier prediction about Quint’s hidden identity. Thankfully, the Maya guard was keeping his reverence about the whole scene to himself at the moment.
“Let’s head back to camp,” she said, motioning to her father. “I need to call in reinforcements.”
She could also use a moment to wrap her mind around what KuTu had claimed about Quint.
“What kind of reinforcements,gatita?”
“The worst kind, Dad.” Angélica started back the way they’d come, keeping an eye out for snakes along the way.
The jungle might have won this round, but she was only down, not out.
Chapter Six
How to Build a Dig Site Fieldwork Camp in 3 Measly Days
Day 1: It all begins with the swinging of many machetes.
Day 2: Endless slashing and hacking and clearing.
Day 3: Blood, sweat, and bug goop. Bandage, drink water, recoat, and repeat.
