what Martin apparently found out there. But all you’ve really shown us are grainy pictures, a man’s self-serving writings and computer-generated guesses that, with all due respect, might as well be Rorschach inkblot tests. In other words you’re seeing what you want to see. I’m afraid it’ll take more than that to convince me.”
Curt but polite, Danielle replied, “I would expect no less. But then, I’m not finished yet.” She brought up another image, a photo displaying a group of four clear hexagonal crystals.
“These are the Martin’s crystals. A group of quartz objects our intrepid explorer claimed to see during aChollokwan rain-calling ceremony. The crystals themselves are unremarkable, made of simple quartz with various inclusions. What turned out to be quite remarkable was another object related to them. An object Martin called the cradle.”
Danielle brought up the next image: a golden tray with slots in it, one for each of the crystals, with a fifth slot that went unexplained. “This is the cradle. It’s made of a gold/brass alloy similar to today’s eighteen karat blend. The crystals from the earlier photograph were stored in it—hence the name. That connection was of great interest to Martin, but our research focused on something he largely ignored.”
She switched to a new photo, which showed a design carved into the gold; it almost looked like Braille.
“This is a close-up of the underside of the cradle,” she explained. “It is in fact a highly detailed star pattern. A representation of the night sky as viewed from the southern hemisphere. It is consistent with Mayan art at other ceremonial centers.”
McCarter stared at the picture. It did look like a view of the night sky. He saw a horizon line and what he thought was the Southern Cross. He also realized that the photo had been taken so closely that it showed only a small portion of the underside of the cradle.
Before he could ask why, Danielle clicked to the next photograph. And as he stared at the new image, McCarter forgot about his previous question and found himself struck silent. This time the symbols appeared clearly, perfectly preserved in the surface of the non-corrosive metal. No guesswork was involved, no highlight or computer enhancement needed. The symbolswere easy to read in the unretouched photograph, and he knew them well.
Danielle explained to the rest of the group. “This glyph represents a place the Mayan people called Xibalba—the equivalent of Hades or Perdition, sometimes described as a dwelling place of the punished and at other times as the dominion house of the Lords of Darkness. Like Dante’s inferno, it was considered to be an underground realm. There’s even a famous relief depicting Xibalba as a mirror world of the earth, with the Xibalbans and the Lords of Darkness walking inverted on the ceiling of their world, their feet directly beneath those of the humans standing around on the earth’s surface above.”
Still staring at the screen, at evidence he could not refute or explain, McCarter realized that Danielle was looking toward him. “Remarkable,” he said quietly, still in utter astonishment.
“We think so,” she said with a grin.
“And you’re sure Martin found this tray in the Amazon?”
“Apparently,” Danielle said, returning to her spot beside the podium. “It seems the Chollokwan showed it to him before a ritual performance designed to bring forth the season’s rains. Not a rain dance, per se, but roughly the same concept.”
“And they just gave it to him?” he asked.
Danielle rolled her eyes slightly. “Well, that’s a matter of some debate—not just in this case, but in many of Martin’s recoveries. According to his log, the crystals and the cradle were traded to him for a telescope, a kerosene lantern and a compass.”
McCarter sat back, crossing one leg over the other. “I find that a little hard to believe.”
“Count me in on that,” Devers added. “To
Curt but polite, Danielle replied, “I would expect no less. But then, I’m not finished yet.” She brought up another image, a photo displaying a group of four clear hexagonal crystals.
“These are the Martin’s crystals. A group of quartz objects our intrepid explorer claimed to see during aChollokwan rain-calling ceremony. The crystals themselves are unremarkable, made of simple quartz with various inclusions. What turned out to be quite remarkable was another object related to them. An object Martin called the cradle.”
Danielle brought up the next image: a golden tray with slots in it, one for each of the crystals, with a fifth slot that went unexplained. “This is the cradle. It’s made of a gold/brass alloy similar to today’s eighteen karat blend. The crystals from the earlier photograph were stored in it—hence the name. That connection was of great interest to Martin, but our research focused on something he largely ignored.”
She switched to a new photo, which showed a design carved into the gold; it almost looked like Braille.
“This is a close-up of the underside of the cradle,” she explained. “It is in fact a highly detailed star pattern. A representation of the night sky as viewed from the southern hemisphere. It is consistent with Mayan art at other ceremonial centers.”
McCarter stared at the picture. It did look like a view of the night sky. He saw a horizon line and what he thought was the Southern Cross. He also realized that the photo had been taken so closely that it showed only a small portion of the underside of the cradle.
Before he could ask why, Danielle clicked to the next photograph. And as he stared at the new image, McCarter forgot about his previous question and found himself struck silent. This time the symbols appeared clearly, perfectly preserved in the surface of the non-corrosive metal. No guesswork was involved, no highlight or computer enhancement needed. The symbolswere easy to read in the unretouched photograph, and he knew them well.
Danielle explained to the rest of the group. “This glyph represents a place the Mayan people called Xibalba—the equivalent of Hades or Perdition, sometimes described as a dwelling place of the punished and at other times as the dominion house of the Lords of Darkness. Like Dante’s inferno, it was considered to be an underground realm. There’s even a famous relief depicting Xibalba as a mirror world of the earth, with the Xibalbans and the Lords of Darkness walking inverted on the ceiling of their world, their feet directly beneath those of the humans standing around on the earth’s surface above.”
Still staring at the screen, at evidence he could not refute or explain, McCarter realized that Danielle was looking toward him. “Remarkable,” he said quietly, still in utter astonishment.
“We think so,” she said with a grin.
“And you’re sure Martin found this tray in the Amazon?”
“Apparently,” Danielle said, returning to her spot beside the podium. “It seems the Chollokwan showed it to him before a ritual performance designed to bring forth the season’s rains. Not a rain dance, per se, but roughly the same concept.”
“And they just gave it to him?” he asked.
Danielle rolled her eyes slightly. “Well, that’s a matter of some debate—not just in this case, but in many of Martin’s recoveries. According to his log, the crystals and the cradle were traded to him for a telescope, a kerosene lantern and a compass.”
McCarter sat back, crossing one leg over the other. “I find that a little hard to believe.”
“Count me in on that,” Devers added. “To
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