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The operator answered after seventeen rings。 〃Si； por favor？〃
〃I wish to make a credit card call。〃
〃Yes； sir； your card number and the number you're calling；〃 the operator replied in fluent English。
〃At least my day hasn't been all bad；〃 Pitt sighed at hearing an understanding voice。
The Mexican operator connected him to an American operator。 She transferred him to information to obtain the number for the Customs offices in Calexico and then put his call through。 A male voice answered。
〃Customs Service； how can I help you？〃
〃I'm trying to reach Albert Giordino of the National Underwater and Marine Agency。〃
〃One moment； I'll transfer you。 He's in Agent Starger's office。〃
Two clicks and a voice that seemed to e from a basement said； 〃Starger here。〃
〃This is Dirk Pitt。 Is Al Giordino handy？〃
〃Pitt； is that you？〃 Curtis Starger said incredulously。 〃Where have you been？ We've been going through hell trying to get the Mexican navy to search for you。〃
〃Don't bother； their local mandant was probably bought off by the Zolars。〃
〃One moment。 Giordino is standing right here。 I'll put him on an extension。〃
〃Al；〃 said Pitt； 〃are you there？〃
〃Good to hear your voice； pal。 I take it something went wrong。〃
In a nutshell； our friends from Peru have Loren and Rudi。 I helped the crew escape on a life raft。 I managed to swim to shore。 I'm calling from an Indian village in the desert north of San Felipe and about thirty kilometers west of where the Alhambra lies half…sunk in the muck。〃
〃I'll dispatch one of our helicopters；〃 said Starger。 〃I'll need the name of the village for the pilot。〃
Pitt turned to Billy Yuma。 〃What do you call your munity？〃
Yuma nodded。 〃Canyon Ometepec。〃
Pitt repeated the name； gave a more in…depth report on the events of the last eighteen hours and hung up。 〃My friends are ing after me；〃 he said to Yuma。
〃By car？〃
〃Helicopter。〃
〃You be an important man？〃
Pitt laughed。 〃No more than the mayor of your village。〃
〃No mayor。 Our elders meet and talk on tribal business。〃
Two men walked past； leading a burro that was buried under a load of manzanita limbs。 The men and Yuma merely exchanged brief stares。 There were no salutations； no smiles。
〃You look tired and thirsty；〃 said Yuma to Pitt。 〃e to my house。 My wife make you something to eat while you wait for friends。〃
It was the best offer Pitt had all day and he gratefully accepted。
Billy Yuma's wife； Polly； was a large woman who carried her weight better than any man。 Her face was round and wrinkled with enormous dark brown eyes。 Despite being middle aged； her hair was as black as raven's feathers。 She hustled around a wood stove that sat under a ramada next to their cement brick house。 The Indians of the Southwest deserts preferred the shade and openness of a ramada for their kitchen and dining areas to the confining and draftless interior of their houses。 Pitt noticed that the ramada's roof was constructed from the skeletal ribs of the saguaro cactus tree and was supported by mesquite poles surrounded by a wall of standing barbed ocotillo stems。
After he drank five cups of water from a big olla； or pot； whose porous walls let it sweat and keep its contents cool； Polly fed him shredded pork and refried beans with fried cholla buds that reminded him of okra。 The tortillas were made from mesquite beans she had pounded into a sweet…tasting flour。 The late lunch was acpanied by wine fermented from fruit of the saguaro。
Pitt couldn't recall eating a more delightful meal。
Polly seldom spoke； and when she did utter a few words they were addressed to Billy in Spanish。 Pitt thought he detected a hint of humor in her big brown eyes； but she acted serious and remote。
〃I do not see a happy munity；〃 said Pitt； making conversation。
Yuma shook his head sadly。 〃Sorrow fell over my people and the people of our other tribal villages when our most sacred religious idols were stolen。 Without them our sons and daughters cannot go through the initiation of adulthood。 Since their disappearance； we have suffered much misfortune。〃
〃Good God；〃 Pitt breathed。 〃Not the Zolars。〃
〃What； senor？〃
〃An international family of thieves who have stolen half the ancient artifacts ever discovered。〃
〃Mexican police told us our idols were stolen by American pothunters who search sacred Indian grounds for our heritage to sell for profit。〃
〃Very possible；〃 said Pitt。 〃What do your sacred idols look like？〃
Yuma stretched out his hand and held it about a meter above the floor。 〃They stand about this high and their faces were carved many centuries ago by my ancestors from the roots of cottonwood trees。〃
〃The chances are better than good that your idols were bought from the pothunters by the Zolars for peanuts； and then resold to a wealthy collector for a fat price。〃
〃These people are called Zolars？〃
〃Their family name。 They operate under a shadowy organization called Solpemachaco。〃
〃I do not know the word；〃 said Yuma。 〃What does it mean？〃
〃A mythical Inca serpent with several heads that takes up housekeeping in a cave。〃
〃Never heard of him。〃
〃I think he may be related to another legendary monster the Peruvians called the Demonio del Muertos； who guards their underworld。〃
Yuma gazed thoughtfully at his work…worn hands。 〃We too have a legendary demon of the underworld who keeps the dead from escaping and the living from entering。 He also passes judgment on our dead； allowing the good to pass and devouring the bad。〃
〃A Judgment Day demon；〃 said Pitt。
Yuma nodded solemnly。 〃He lives on a mountain not far from here。〃
〃Cerro el Capirote；〃 Pitt said softly。
〃How could a stranger know that？〃 Yuma asked； looking deeply into Pitt's green eyes。
〃I've been to the peak。 I have seen the winged jaguar with the serpent's head； and I guarantee you he wasn't put there to secure the underworld or judge the dead。〃
〃You seem to know much about this land。〃
〃No； actually very little。 But I'd be most interested in hearing any other legends about the demon。〃
〃There is one other；〃 Yuma conceded。 〃Enrique Juarez； our oldest tribal elder； is one of the few remaining Montolos who remember the old stories and ancient ways。 He tells of golden gods who came from the south on great birds with white wings that moved over the surface of the water。 They rested on an island in the old sea for a long time。 When the gods finally sailed away； they left behind the stone demon。 A few of our brave and curious ancestors went across the water to the island and never returned。 The old people were frightened and believed the mountain was sacred and all intruders would be devoured by the demon。〃 Yuma paused and gazed into the desert。 〃The story has been told and retold from the days of my ancestors。 Our younger children； who are schooled in modern ways； think of it simply as an old people's fairy tale。〃
〃A fairy tale mixed with historical fact；〃 Pitt assured Yuma。 〃Believe me when I tell you a vast hoard of gold lies inside Cerro el Capirote。 Put there not by golden gods from the south； but Incas from Peru； who played on your ancestors' reverence of the supernatural by carving the stone monster to instill fear and keep them off the island。 As added insurance； they left a few guards behind to kill the curious until the Spanish were driven from their homeland； and they could e back and reclaim the treasure for their new king。 It goes without saying； history took a different turn。 The Spaniards were there to stay and no one ever returned。〃
Billy Yuma was not a man given to extreme emotion。 His wrinkled face remained fixed； only his dark eyes widened。 〃A great treasure lies under Cerro el Capirote？〃
Pitt nodded。 〃Very soon men with evil intentions are ing to force their way inside the mountain to steal the Inca riches。〃
〃They cannot do that；〃 Yuma protested。 〃Cerro el Capirote is magic。 It is on our land； Montolo land。 The dead who did not pass judgment live outside its walls。〃
〃That won't stop these men； believe me；〃 said Pitt seriously。
My people will make a protest to our local police authorities。〃
〃If the Zolars run true to form； they've already bribed your law enforcement officials。〃
〃These evil men you speak of。 They are the same ones who sold our sacred idols？〃
〃As I suggested； it's very possible。〃
Billy Yuma studied him for a moment。 〃Then we do not have to trouble ourselves with their trespass onto our sacred ground。〃
Pitt did not understand。 〃May I ask why？〃
Reality slowly faded from Billy's face and he seemed to enter a dreamlike state。 〃Because those who have taken the idols of the sun； moon； earth； and water are cursed and will suffer a terrible death。〃
〃You really believe that； don't you？〃
〃I do；〃 Yuma answered somberly。 〃In my dreams I see the thieves drowning。〃
〃Drowning？〃
〃Yes； in the water that will make the desert into the garden it was for my ancestors。〃
Pitt considered making a contrary reply。 He was not one to deposit his money in the bank of dreams。 He was a confirmed skeptic of the metaphysical。 But the intractable gaze in Yuma's eyes； the case…hardened tone of his voice； moved something inside Pitt。
He began to feel glad that he wasn't related to the Zolars。
Amaru stepped down into the main sala of the hacienda。 One wall of the great room was filled by a large stone fireplace removed from an old Jesuit mission。 The high ceiling was decorated with intricate precast plaster panels。 〃Please excuse me for keeping you waiting； gentlemen。〃
〃Quite all right；〃 said Zolar。 〃Now that the fools from NUMA have led us directly to Huascar's gold； we made good use of your tardiness by discussing methods of bringing it to the surface。〃
Amaru nodded and looked around the room。 There were four men there besides himself。 Seated on sofas around the fireplace were Zolar； Oxley； Sarason； and Moore。 Their faces were expressionless； but there was no concealing the feeling of triumph in the air。
〃Any word of Dr。 Kelsey； the photographer Rodgers； and Albert Giordino？〃 Sarason inquired。
〃My contacts over the border believe Pitt told you the truth on the ferry when he said he dropped them off at the U。S。 Customs pound in Calexico；〃 answered Amaru。
〃He must have smelled a trap；〃 said Moore。
〃That was obvious when he returned to the ferryboat alone；〃 Samson said sharply to Amaru。 〃You had him in your hands and you let him escape。〃
〃Not forgetting the crew；〃 added Oxley。
〃I promise you； Pitt did not escape。 He was killed when my men and I threw concussion grenades into the water around him。 As to the ferryboat's crew； the Mexican police officials you've paid to cooperate will ensure their silence for as long as necessary。〃
〃Still not good；〃 said Oxley。 〃With Pitt； Gunn； and Congresswoman Smith gone missing； every federal agent between San Diego and Denver will e nosing around。〃
Zolar shook his head。 〃They have no legal authority down here。 And our friends in the local government would never permit their entry。〃
Samson looked angrily at Amaru。 〃You say Pitt's dead。 Then where is the body？〃
Amaru stared back nastily。 〃Pitt is feeding the fishes。 Take my word for it。〃
〃Forgive me if I'm not convinced。〃
〃There is no way he could have survived the underwater detonations。〃
〃The man has survived far worse。〃 Sarason walked across the room to a bar and poured himself a drink。 〃I won't be satisfied until I see the remains。〃
〃You also botched the scuttling of the ferryboat；〃 Oxley said to Amaru。 〃You should have sailed her into deep water before opening the seacocks。〃
〃Or better yet； set her on fire； along with Congresswoman Smith and the deputy director of NUMA；〃 said Zolar； lighting a cigar。
〃Police andante Cortina will conduct an investigation and announce that the ferryboat along with Congresswoman Smith and Rudi Gunn was lost in an unfortunate accident；〃 said Sarason。
Zolar glared at him。 〃That won't solve the problem of interference from American law enforcement officials。 Their Justice Department will demand more than a local investigation if Pi