movies. A drug-addicted hippie wouldnât look like that,â Alexander said.
They waited, unseen among the mass of tourists, never taking their eyes off Tex. After a while they saw a tall man walking toward him; he was wearing a tunic and a blue-black turban that was nearly the same tone as his skin. He had a broad sash about his waist, also blue-black, and tucked into it a curved knife with a bone handle. His eyes glowed like coals in his dark face, and he had a long beard and prominent eyebrows.
The friends could tell that the newcomer and the American obviously knew one another, and watched as the man with the turban disappeared around the corner of a wall, followed by Tex. They needed no discussion; wordlessly they agreed to investigate. Nadia whispered to Borobá that he shouldnât chatter or jump around. The little monkey clung to his mistress, tight as a backpack.
Slipping along, hugging the walls and hiding behind columns, they stayed within fifteen or twenty feet of Tex Armadillo. Sometimes they lost sight of him because the architecture of the fort was complex and it was evident that the man did not want to call attention to himself. However, thanks to Nadiaâs infallible instinct, they always found him again. They were a good distance from the other tourists now, and they didnât see or hear anybody. Alex and Nadia cut through rooms, went down narrow stairways with treads worn by use and time, and crept along endless corridors, always with the sensation that they were walking in circles. A growing murmur, like a chorus of crickets, was added to the penetrating odor.
âWe shouldnât go any farther, Eagle. Thatâs the sound of rats. Theyâre very dangerous,â Alexander said.
âIf those men can go into the cellars, why canâtwe?â she replied.
The friends did not speak as they went deeper and deeper into that underground world; they realized that echoes would repeat and amplify their voices. Alexander was worried that they wouldnât be able to find their way back, but he didnât want to voice his doubts aloud and frighten Nadia. Neither did he say anything about the possibility of snakes, because after the episode with the cobras, his apprehension seemed out of place.
At first, light had sifted in through small openings in the ceilings and walls, but now they were forced to walk long stretches in darkness, feeling along the walls as a guide. From time to time when they passed a weak lightbulb they could see rats scurrying along the walls. Wires dangled dangerously from the ceiling. They noticed that the floor was damp, and in some places they could see little streams of foul-smelling water. Soon their feet were wet, and Alexander tried not to think about what would happen if something triggered a short circuit. However, being electrocuted worried him less than the increasingly aggressive rats all around them.
âPay no attention to them, Jaguar. They wonât dare come near us unless they smell that weâre afraid; then theyâll attack,â Nadia whispered.
Once again they had lost sight of Armadillo. The two friends were now in a small domed room that had been used to store munitions and provisions. Three arches opened onto what appeared to be long dark corridors. Alexander signaled Nadia, asking which they should choose; for the first time she hesitated, confused. She wasnât sure. She took Borobá, set him on the floor, and gave him a slight push, asking him to pick. The monkey climbed right back on hershoulder; he hated getting wet and was terrified of the rats. She repeated the order, and though the little primate wouldnât let go he pointed a trembling paw toward the opening on the right, the narrowest of the three.
The two friends followed Borobáâs indication, crouching down and feeling their way because now there wasnât even a weak lightbulb and the darkness was nearly total. Alexander, who was much taller
They waited, unseen among the mass of tourists, never taking their eyes off Tex. After a while they saw a tall man walking toward him; he was wearing a tunic and a blue-black turban that was nearly the same tone as his skin. He had a broad sash about his waist, also blue-black, and tucked into it a curved knife with a bone handle. His eyes glowed like coals in his dark face, and he had a long beard and prominent eyebrows.
The friends could tell that the newcomer and the American obviously knew one another, and watched as the man with the turban disappeared around the corner of a wall, followed by Tex. They needed no discussion; wordlessly they agreed to investigate. Nadia whispered to Borobá that he shouldnât chatter or jump around. The little monkey clung to his mistress, tight as a backpack.
Slipping along, hugging the walls and hiding behind columns, they stayed within fifteen or twenty feet of Tex Armadillo. Sometimes they lost sight of him because the architecture of the fort was complex and it was evident that the man did not want to call attention to himself. However, thanks to Nadiaâs infallible instinct, they always found him again. They were a good distance from the other tourists now, and they didnât see or hear anybody. Alex and Nadia cut through rooms, went down narrow stairways with treads worn by use and time, and crept along endless corridors, always with the sensation that they were walking in circles. A growing murmur, like a chorus of crickets, was added to the penetrating odor.
âWe shouldnât go any farther, Eagle. Thatâs the sound of rats. Theyâre very dangerous,â Alexander said.
âIf those men can go into the cellars, why canâtwe?â she replied.
The friends did not speak as they went deeper and deeper into that underground world; they realized that echoes would repeat and amplify their voices. Alexander was worried that they wouldnât be able to find their way back, but he didnât want to voice his doubts aloud and frighten Nadia. Neither did he say anything about the possibility of snakes, because after the episode with the cobras, his apprehension seemed out of place.
At first, light had sifted in through small openings in the ceilings and walls, but now they were forced to walk long stretches in darkness, feeling along the walls as a guide. From time to time when they passed a weak lightbulb they could see rats scurrying along the walls. Wires dangled dangerously from the ceiling. They noticed that the floor was damp, and in some places they could see little streams of foul-smelling water. Soon their feet were wet, and Alexander tried not to think about what would happen if something triggered a short circuit. However, being electrocuted worried him less than the increasingly aggressive rats all around them.
âPay no attention to them, Jaguar. They wonât dare come near us unless they smell that weâre afraid; then theyâll attack,â Nadia whispered.
Once again they had lost sight of Armadillo. The two friends were now in a small domed room that had been used to store munitions and provisions. Three arches opened onto what appeared to be long dark corridors. Alexander signaled Nadia, asking which they should choose; for the first time she hesitated, confused. She wasnât sure. She took Borobá, set him on the floor, and gave him a slight push, asking him to pick. The monkey climbed right back on hershoulder; he hated getting wet and was terrified of the rats. She repeated the order, and though the little primate wouldnât let go he pointed a trembling paw toward the opening on the right, the narrowest of the three.
The two friends followed Borobáâs indication, crouching down and feeling their way because now there wasnât even a weak lightbulb and the darkness was nearly total. Alexander, who was much taller
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