Page 17 of Dark Voyage Matters of the Mind

Edna's mate snickered, but the judge remained focused on the road, her shoulders tense and her eyes vigilant.

Dagor must have noticed that as well because he asked, "Forgive me, Edna, but seeing how you are scanning the jungle, I wonder if you can sense the intentions of potential attackers?"

"Unfortunately, no. I need to be close and preferably touch the person. But two of the passengers in the vehicle behind us have intuitive powers. Yamanu and Arwel can sense if anyone has nefarious intentions toward us and sound the alarm."

"What about the others?" Frankie asked.

Edna smiled. "Mey and Jin's talents are incredible as well, and I have no doubt that Kalugal invited them to join our expedition so they could help him locate the artifact."

Kalugal

Kalugal turned around and looked back at the two rows of elevated seats. Rufsur and Edna were about six inches above him, and the last row where Dagor and Frankie sat was higher by a foot.

It was a good configuration for sightseeing, but it forced him to crane his neck.

"I'm particularly interested in Mey's talent. She can listen to conversations embedded in the walls. So, if this map is for real, which I very much doubt, then perhaps she can hear long-ago conversations that can lead us to where the amulet is."

Edna lifted a brow. "If you are doubtful about the authenticity of the map, why are you taking us into the jungle?"

The female had no sense of adventure. "The search for the artifact is as exciting as finding it, my dear Edna, and while we are at it, we can appreciate this unique site." He assumed his Professor Gunter voice, just without the German accent. "Tehuacalco was the cradle of ancient mystique, dedicated to the worship of mountains, which the Yope people and many other indigenous cultures revered as gods. The mountains were thought to be pillars of the world and the source of divine power."

Rufsur snorted. "That's a nice spin to put on the selection of a strategically advantageous location."

"True," Kalugal agreed. "In the past, everything was attributed to the gods." He smiled at Dagor. "The site's architecture aligns with the solstices and equinoxes, which is their nod to the gods. As for defending their city, the Yope fortified the natural barrier of the terrain, making it a natural stronghold against invaders."

"What happened to the Yope?" Jacki asked with a smile lifting the corners of her lips. "And it would be fun if you could deliver your lecture in Professor Gunter's accent."

He arched a brow. "Really? You like that?"

"I love that. It always makes me laugh."

"Well, in that case, I'm happy to oblige you, my love." He leaned over and planted a chaste kiss on her lips that promised more passionate kisses later, provided that Darius slept as soundly as he had the previous night.

Their son seemed to love the gentle rocking of the ship.

"Thank you." Jacki's eyes gleamed with the same promise his kiss had made.

Shifting to make himself more comfortable and hide the evidence of his desire for his wife, Kalugal pointed at the village they were passing by. "The Yope were eventually absorbed into these communities," he continued as Professor Gunter. "The Yope didn't leave many written records, so there is very little known about them, and their language and customs are lost to us. What we know about them comes from the stones of Tehuacalco and the legends passed down through generations."

As the paved road ended and the truck thundered over the gravel, Kalugal had to raise his voice to be heard. "It's said that the Yope were fierce warriors, but they also had seers who could commune with the divine. Some believe that their seers helped guide the construction of Tehuacalco, to make it not just a place of worship, but a conduit for celestial power."

Once again, Rufsur snorted. "Is that factual, or are you embellishing it to make our excursion more interesting?"

Kalugal mock-glared at his second-in-command. "I was extrapolating as a preamble to the amulet quest. Way to steal my thunder."

"I'm sorry." Rufsur lifted his hands in the peace sign. "Please, continue."

Kalugal regretted not having the round spectacles he wore as Professor Gunter or the rumpled brown suit. Hopefully, the accent was enough to embellish the story and please his mate. "Legends speak of an artifact of great power capable of bridging the mortal realm with that of the gods. The map I obtained claims that it is hidden in Tehuacalco to safeguard it from those who would use its power to harm others."

"Isn't that what an amulet is supposed to do?" Edna asked. "Protect those who wield it against their enemies and therefore harm them?"

"Well, yes, but then it is used in a righteous way—in self-defense. Those who are not righteous would use it to harm others, subjugate them, and do other terrible deeds." He sighed dramatically. "Perhaps the amulet's discovery will unveil the fate of the Yope—whether they merely faded into history or ascended beyond it as some stories suggest."

"Star people?" Frankie asked. "Is that what ascending beyond means?"

Kalugal shrugged. "Maybe. The truth is that I'm not an expert on Mesoamerican cultures."

"You sound like an expert to me," Dagor said.