The Temple in the Sky, Fernando Herrera Jr [the rosie project .txt] 📗

it, didn’t I? I don’t care, you guys. I care more about our friendship and besides… I know that I can trust you. I wanted to tell you. Deep down, I had to. I needed to tell somebody. I needed to get it out of my scruples. It was driving me crazy. And what are they gonna do anyway: chop my head off? I’m an honorable Kapra, they wouldn’t dare harm me. The king would see to it that they are punished. However, regardless if they find out or not, it doesn’t matter. I am leaving because I’ve been chosen.”
“Wow, Khuno… then what happened?” asked the boy impatiently as always. “What then?” he added.
“Nothing happened—she told me to leave and that I was to be given further instructions by the chief in the next few days. I went home and told my mother I had been herding in the mountains.”
“Wow, I can’t believe you were chosen,” Apaec told him in a smile. “Ha-ha. Hey, maybe I can take your place. Ha-ha-what do you say, huh? I kinda look like you, don’t I? Right Micay…?”
She was leaning forward with her chin resting on her right palm in the thinking position. She looked up at Apaec and told him firmly, “No you don’t, stupid. What are you—blind? Khuno is taller than you and he is much more tan; and he has facial hair and you don‘t. Besides, he’s better looking than you.” She said teasingly as she looked up at Khuno with a smirk.
He then responded, “Hey! Why are you on his side? He’s only taller than me because he’s older, and I’m going to have a great beard when I get older, you just wait and see.”
Khuno interrupted and told them, “You two, stop fooling around. Can’t you see what’s happening? I’m leaving home. I’m not sure exactly when but I fear it is soon and I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave my family or my friends… you two. What am I going to do? I can’t even tell my mother. If I tell her she will want to speak to the Cahuachi people. And I can’t tell my brothers and sisters either, they’ll tell her. If my mom finds out, she’ll try to keep them from taking me. Do you see? I am leaving home and I don’t really have a choice. Do I?”
After a long pause, Apaec finally broke the silence and asked, “Why have you been chosen to be a God? You’re only seventeen. How could that be? What have you done to deserve this? You have to be older in order be chosen.”
“I don’t know, but it has something to do with the day I was born. The woman told me I was special because of my birth date,” he shook his head and continued, “but I don’t understand what that means.”
They all were lost in thought for a while. None of them spoke until Micay stood up from her rock, walked towards Khuno and gave him a hug. She looked up at him and said, “Look… everything’s gonna be all right, Khuno. I promise.”
She stood on the tips of her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Khuno looked down at her, took a deep breath, and said: “Yes I know… I shouldn’t worry about it too much. If I am to be a god… then… so be it. It must be great, right? I will see you two in the divine realms when it is your turn, and my family may be there in the next life, right?”
Micay looked into his eyes and told him, “I will do everything I can to meet you up there soon… and Apaec too… right Apaec?”
He stared at them and told Micay, “I bet I can beat you to it.”
Khuno then smiled and said: “Thanks guys. You’re the best.” He paused for a moment and added, “Well I should go now. My mother must be awake already and I have to help her peel the maize. It’s gonna take all morning.” He walked over to Micay and gave her a tight hug. He then pulled back but still held her by the shoulders. He looked at her in the eyes and ran his fingers through her long black hair. “Goodbye Micay,” he said calmly.
Apaec was standing only a few feet away from them hunched over to his left. He glared at them with an expression that could only be described as: “the reaction for witnessing a ‘morally-objectionable’ scene.”
Khuno then turned over to Apaec as Apaec quickly raised his eyebrows and yelled out, “Don’t you even think about running your despicable, ugly fingers through my beautiful hair, you sicko!” he curled his lip in disgust. “I’ll see you around, Khuno.” he concluded and threw him the wooden spoon he had been fiddling with.
Khuno caught it, smiled at him and said: “All right, man, see you around.” Khuno turned around to collect the rest of the bowls and spoons as he looked back and signaled goodbye. He walked away from the scene following a small trail that disappeared into the thick vegetation of the forest.
Micay and Apaec stared at each other in awe for a moment. Micay then turned back at Khuno before he disappeared in the distance and yelled out to him, “Thank you for breakfast, Khuno! It was delicious!”
He responded, “My pleasure. You better come up with something better next time!”
She turned back to Apaec and said, “Well, you’re very rude.”
Apaec simply shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows. “And why are you such a grumpy brat? Is it because your lover is leaving you?” he asked teasingly.
She looked back at him angrily and punched him on the shoulder. “What are you talking about?” If her face hadn’t been so tan, her blush would’ve been visible on her russet cheeks.
Apaec simply laughed at her and said, “You know exactly what I mean.” Again he teased, “Ohhh Khuno, you’re so strong and better looking than Apaec, take me in your arms… ahhhh”
She stopped and punched him two more times on the shoulder, this time harder. She then mumbled, “I was only joking when I said that.”
Apaec’s face seemed to fill with delight and he quickly asked, “Really? So you don’t think Khuno is better looking than I am?”
She rolled her eyes at him and answered, “Ugh, I don’t know. I don’t look at you idiots in that way. That’s enough of that! Khuno is about to leave and all you can think about is your looks? I think you’re jealous.” She smiled at him and shook her head.
He gave her a countenance of disgust and responded, “Meee, jealous? Puh-lease… I couldn’t care less.”
They walked alongside the path of the fields and headed homeward. Apaec picked up small rocks to throw at the hummingbirds. “Micay? You know how Khuno was talking about the temple and how pretty it was and all that stuff?”
“Yeah, I wanna see it. It sounds amazing. Maybe when you become king you can get me in.” She giggled.
“I’m not going to be king, Micay. No way in hell. I was just thinking… you know how he said it was white and there were golden statues all around? And how the gardens were very well maintained and the fountains had clear water? And also how the Cahuachi wore long white and blue tunics?”
“Yeah, so…?”
“Well, do you remember the crazy old beggar who lived on the streets near my house?”
“Yeah, I do. I always tried to avoid him. He was very rude and he smelled so bad.”
“Yeah, well I used to talk to him.”
“What… why? You’re gross.”
“Don’t say that. If he wasn’t so crazy, he would’ve been alright. He would always talk to me about his life and stuff. He told me once that he had been a member of the king’s council, but he was then imprisoned in a city made of gold for things he didn’t do. Can you believe that? He was crazy for sure, I thought. I never really believed anything he said but I always liked to hear his outrageous stories. He loved to talk to me. He thought I was his friend. Well… the only reason I talked to him was because my mom always sent me to give him the leftovers of the day. He even told me that he had seen the gods with his own eyes.”
“Wow… He was crazy.”
“Is crazy, Micay. He’s still alive. My mom told me that he left to live in the mountains because he claimed that the Cahuachi were searching for him. That loon… He still comes down sometimes. I’ve seen him around. Anyway, the reason I brought him up is because he described that city to me… and the curious thing about it was that he described it just like Khuno. He went on about the white walls, the gold… everything! I think he was even more specific. Don’t you see, Micay? How could he have known all of that? Nobody would know, especially a stinky-old-bum.” He took a pause and said firmly, “Micay, I think he was telling the truth.”
She gazed at him confused and asked: “Are you sure? You really believe him?”
“I never would have, Micay, but he just knew too much, it couldn’t be coincidence. It’s impossible that he could’ve made it all up. No way. He knows. He’s been there. I think he knows a lot more and I’m gonna find out.”
“You’re crazy, Apaec.”
“Maybe, but I’m gonna get to the bottom of all this. Why must they be so secretive, huh? They’re hiding something, Micay, Something very important. I know it.” They walked for a while down the path without saying a word until finally the girl spoke, “Well do you know where to find him?”
“My mom knows. I’m going to find out from her. I think she’ll tell me.”
She stared at the ground as she walked and after a minute she looked up at him and said, “Fine, then count me in. We’ll go up into the mountains and find that old man. We mustn’t tell anyone about this… well maybe just Khuno. We’ll leave tomorrow at dusk. You find the route to his home and I will tell Khuno. Maybe he will want to go with us. I’m sure he wants to know what he’s in for. You go find out where he lives and we’ll leave tomorrow. How does that sound?”
He looked at her as a tear of joy ran down his face and his eyes sparkled with glee. “Micay, this is the greatest moment of my life! You are the greatest friend I could ever have! I can’t believe you actually want to come with me. Get your stuff together and we’ll leave tomorrow morning.”

Z-II
The Brick Box


Back in Virginia—or perhaps, the time yet to come in Virginia (in relation to Nazca-time)—Jasper and Daisy excitedly ran into the house, stopping at the chimney next to the grandfather clock. It was in a pleasantly dimmed hall with Renaissance tapestries and various rustic furniture of antiquity. The floor was wooden and neatly polished. It shone. Beside the big fireplace at the base of the chimney the children were kneeling in inspection.
“So, now what?” asked Jasper.
“Well, it says to seek out three. I assume it means three bricks, Jasper. Do you have a hammer?”
“No.”
“Well, I need one!”
“My dad has one!”
“Go get it, boy!”
So he started to his feet and ran away in