Seven Wonders
“Jack stood next to Sloane behind a waist-high rope, staring up the ninety-one stone steps that led to the top of the Temple of Kukulcan, the grand, ninety-eight-foot-tall centerpiece to the Mayan Wonder of the World known as Chichen Itza—and all Jack could think of was snakes.
“Right there,” he said, nodding his head past Sloane. “Down from the top of the steps to that stone creature at the base. It’s supposed to end up right at his head.”
Sloane peered over the rope at the statue at the bottom... of the pyramid: an enormous feathered snake, mouth wide open, almond eyes seeming to squint angrily in their direction.
“He’s a nasty looking fellow, isn’t he?”
“Kukulcan wasn’t known for his kind temperament. Then again, despite popular conceptions, the Mayans themselves weren’t the most gentle of people. The only things they loved more than calendars and astronomy were human sacrifices—and snakes.”
Jack wasn’t surprised he had snakes on his mind; he’d been staring at the pictogram on the parchment he’d retrieved from the burning cross at Machu Picchu for much of the trip to Mexico: A tiny image of Kukulcan, the Mayan feathered snake deity, which he’d recognized at once, and a second snake rendered in black, curling across the parchment from above Kukulcan’s head to a spot below his flickering tongue.MoreLess
“Right there,” he said, nodding his head past Sloane. “Down from the top of the steps to that stone creature at the base. It’s supposed to end up right at his head.”
Sloane peered over the rope at the statue at the bottom... of the pyramid: an enormous feathered snake, mouth wide open, almond eyes seeming to squint angrily in their direction.
“He’s a nasty looking fellow, isn’t he?”
“Kukulcan wasn’t known for his kind temperament. Then again, despite popular conceptions, the Mayans themselves weren’t the most gentle of people. The only things they loved more than calendars and astronomy were human sacrifices—and snakes.”
Jack wasn’t surprised he had snakes on his mind; he’d been staring at the pictogram on the parchment he’d retrieved from the burning cross at Machu Picchu for much of the trip to Mexico: A tiny image of Kukulcan, the Mayan feathered snake deity, which he’d recognized at once, and a second snake rendered in black, curling across the parchment from above Kukulcan’s head to a spot below his flickering tongue.MoreLess
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