Father Gomez said, “I haven’t gotten to the end, what I had promised the people I would prepare you for. Each time the people of the city fled up here, they brought all of their greatest treasures with them. Obsidian weapons, jade and gold ornaments, precious pottery, it’s all here. But what was most valuable and important to them were their books.”

“Books?”

“Old Mayan books, like the one you and Sam and Remi had.”

Caine contained himself, although to Sam and Remi he looked as though he might faint. “Do you know if any might have survived?”

“I’ve only seen a few that were opened by the man executed in the tomb and they survived very well, probably because of the altitude. But the number is certainly in the hundreds. When the old Mayans brought their books here, they carried them sealed in these pots. There are a hundred forty-three pots in this tomb alone. Some of the other tombs might contain more books, all sealed in pots to protect them. So whatever Sarah Allersby took, it was nothing compared to what she was not permitted to take.”

Father Gomez moved past the dead man and the jars and led Caine into the burial chamber, where the bones of the king, adorned with gold and jade, lay on the slab of limestone. “There’s one more thing you should see,” he said. “Help me move this man and his stone.” When Caine hesitated, he said, “It won’t disturb the remains. We’ve done it before.”

Father Gomez, Caine, and Sam Fargo pushed aside the heavy stone where the king’s bones rested to reveal a chamber beneath. Caine shone his flashlight into the dark space. The light that reflected back was the familiar gleam of gold — molded statues of gods and men and animals, beaten gold breastplates and headpieces, bracelets, anklets, earrings, nose ornaments. It was a room full of gold. And with it were jade axes and plates, ear plugs, beads, ceremonial spearheads in a variety of colors from dark green to blue to white, all carved and polished expertly by artists long dead. Caine said, “This is astounding. Nothing like this has been found anywhere in the Mayan world.”

“It will be again,” said Father Gomez. “I’m told that each of the mounds was the tomb of a great king and each king felt he had to bring his city’s treasures here to preserve them from enemies. And each of the tombs has a secret room dug beneath it, guarded by the king’s body. You’ll see them all.”

“The people of the town have decided to let us excavate and study the whole complex?”

“Yes they have,” said Father Gomez. “Part of it is their gratitude to the Fargos for saving their lives and their home and part of it is the Fargos’ promise.”

“What promise?” Caine turned to look at Sam and Remi.

Remi said, “We said we’d help them build a museum in Santa Maria de los Montanas to display, preserve, and protect what’s found here.”

Sam said, “That way, the world will learn about this place, but the remains of the kings and their treasures won’t have to be permanently removed. Pieces can go out on long-term loans to museums and universities all over the world, but they will always belong here with the descendants of the people who carried them here.”