got.’ He shone his light into the tunnel. ‘I risked a look inside while I was waiting. There’s a ledge about seven or eight feet up the back wall, some more above that. And there’s something else. Have a gander.’ He ducked, and moved carefully into the passage, at its end turning sideways so Nina could squeeze past him to see for herself. ‘What do you think?’
‘I think . . . that looks kinda damn worrying,’ she said as she looked up the shaft.
The way up appeared to be stepped; she couldn’t see all the way to the top, but at least three ledges were visible above. Anyone trying to ascend would have to jump to grab the lip of the next step, then pull up and repeat the process. It would be a strain for someone of her modest height, but far from impossible.
That wasn’t what concerned her, however. The reason for her worry was what faced the ledges, set into the back of the great wall behind her.
Spikes.
The first row was only a foot above her head. She gingerly touched one. The dirt that had built up over the centuries came away at her touch, revealing the metal beneath. ‘Oh, my God,’ she said. ‘It’s silver. Solid silver. They all are.’
‘Silver?’ echoed Eddie. ‘But there’s dozens of the bloody things – hundreds. They must be worth a fortune!’
‘And these are just the defences. Imagine what the treasures they’re actually protecting must be.’ She tapped the spike’s tip. ‘Ow! Okay, that’s still sharp.’
‘Not much of a defence, though.’ Eddie leaned across the vertical passage, stretching out one arm to the back wall. ‘There’s plenty of space. You’d have to be really clumsy or a total fat bastard to hit them while you were climbing up. Maybe the spikes move.’ He tested how securely the silver prong Nina had touched was attached to the wall. It was firmly fixed. ‘There’s got to be something. Otherwise why put’em here?’
‘I suppose you’d hit them if you fell back down the shaft.’ The ranks of spikes were angled upwards, as if to catch anything that dropped on to them. ‘Or were pushed.’
‘Something pops out of the wall?’
‘Maybe. I don’t know. But it’s the only way up.’
Eddie directed his torch back up the shaft. ‘I’ll have a look at the next level,’ he said, stepping out of the low tunnel and standing upright. ‘Move back. Just in case anything happens.’
Somewhat unwillingly, Nina retreated. Eddie aimed his torch beam along the lip of the ledge above. No sign of loosely fitted stones that might be triggers. Something as simple as small spikes just behind the edge would prove nasty, so he jumped up as high as he could, looking for telltale flashes of silver. Nothing.
He steeled himself, then leapt again, this time grabbing the edge with both hands. He hung for a moment, listening for any unexpected noises. But there was nothing except the waterfall’s constant rumble.
‘Do you see anything?’ Nina called.
‘Just looking now . . . ’ He pulled himself up. The ledge, a rectangular stone slab four feet wide and three deep, was empty of anything except dirt. ‘It’s clear.’ He climbed the rest of the way.
Nina watched as he used the Maglite to check the walls – and the spikes. ‘Is there anything there?’
‘Nope.’ He examined the ledge above. ‘Oh, ’ello! There’s something on the next level.’
‘What?’
‘Statue heads on the back wall.’ Still cautious, he climbed up for a closer look. Three stone faces stared coldly at him: sleek, aggressive and feline. ‘Big cats – like panthers or something.’ He reached for one—
‘Eddie, don’t touch them!’ Nina cried.
His hand froze an inch short. ‘What is it?’
‘The map, in Paititi – it had jaguars on it. Three of them, at the entrance to the lost city. And something bad was happening. Give me the radio, I need to check with Leonard.’
He tossed it down to her. ‘Leonard,’ she said, ‘do you have the close-up photo of El Dorado from the map?’
‘Just a moment,’ came the crackling reply. A short while later, the German’s voice returned. ‘I have it.’
‘Good. Look at the section with the three jaguars – tell me exactly what you see.’
‘Why? What have you found?’
‘Eddie’s found the jaguars, but I think we might find something else if we’re not careful. What’s on the picture?’
‘Okay, there are . . . three jaguars sitting in a line. To the left is what appears to be a waterfall, with two men being swept away by it.’
‘Eddie, did you hear that?’ she asked, looking up. Eddie nodded. ‘Is there anything unusual about the waterfall? Any objects or symbols by it?’
‘There are . . . small lines beside it,’ the older archaeologist said. ‘Many of them – twenty or more.’
‘Diagonal, pointing up, yes?’
‘Yes, that is right. You have a good memory for pictures.’
‘No, I’m staring right at them.’ She gave the silver skewers a leery look. ‘We’re in a vertical shaft, and one wall is covered with metal spikes.’
‘Wait,’ said Eddie, ‘so the waterfall comes down here?’
‘And washes you into the spikes, yeah.’
