Free Curse of the Ancients by Matt de la Pena Page B

to the people of Izamal. And Kisa. His heart hammered inside his chest as he imagined waking up in this jungle village for the rest of his days.
    Itchik turned to Riq, said, “You ready, son?”
    “I’m ready, sir,” Riq said.
    “Remember, just toss the codex over your shoulder when you get it. Huracan will be there to pick it up.”
    “Yes, sir.” Riq glanced back at Huracan. The man nodded to him. Then Riq glanced at the man who had possession of the trial codex. It was inside a leather bag slung across his shoulder.
    Riq whipped his head back around when he heard hushed voices coming from the path. Men from Calakmul were approaching. He raised up into a squat, readying himself to scamper through the dense foliage and onto the footpath, but Itchik held Riq by the elbow and shook his head. “Not yet,” he mouthed, pointing toward the path.
    Riq saw that there were six men walking in a tight formation. But none of them had been in the temple with Pacal. And there was no sign of the codex.
    “They were telling the truth,” Itchik whispered back to his men. “They have reinforcements.”
    After the men had passed, Itchik continued, “I’ve seen this tactic before. They have a group of men lead the way, scouting the path. Then we will see a middle group, which will likely include the men who took the codex. And finally, there will be a scout group bringing up the rear. We will have to act quickly, men. Our plan will have to be fully executed before the final group is upon us.”
    Riq expected to see the second group right away, but there was more waiting. And the longer he waited, the more questions came into his head. What if he couldn’t wrestle the codex away from whomever was carrying it? What if he failed in his very first role as a member of Kisa’s community? Or what if the men who’d stolen the codex went a completely different way? He wiped sweat from his forehead and swallowed. If there really was going to be a second group, what was taking them so long?
    Seconds later, he heard the cracking of branches in the jungle behind him and spun around. The rest of the men turned around, too, some brandishing their knives. To Riq’s complete surprise, it was Sera who emerged . . . with Dak! One of the warriors put a finger to his lips, urging them to keep quiet.
    But Dak snuck over to Riq anyway and knelt beside him. “You have to come with us,” he whispered.
    “You’re walking around again?” Riq said.
    “I’m more than just walking around.” Dak stood up and did a stupid five-second dance, then knelt back down. “Seriously, though, you need to come with us.”
    “Can’t do it,” Riq said.
    Sera leaned over their shoulders, whispering in Spanish so that their translators would have to recalibrate, allowing them a moment of privacy within the crowd. “We’ve figured out the riddle, Riq. We’re supposed to take the codex with us. And I was able to work out the second date from the riddle. It’s in 1562! That must be our next stop.”
    Riq balked. “Why would you take the codex with you?”
    Itchik shot them both a look. Riq knew he couldn’t understand what they were saying, but he wanted them to be silent.
    “Uh, to protect it?” Dak whispered. “Sera told me some guys already tried to steal it. We both believe this is the Break we’re supposed to fix before we move on. And we seriously need to move on.”
    Riq looked over his shoulder at Sera, who was nodding. He turned back to Dak, who whispered, “Come on, dude, be a team player.”
    “If you don’t quit bothering me,” Riq whispered back, “we’ll never get the codex back. We’re waiting for the people who have it to pass. Now go on. Shoo.”
    “I see,” Dak said, rubbing his hands together. “Finally, a bit of that Mayan warmongering I’ve been hoping for.”
    Riq shook his head. The kid was much easier to get along with when he was unconscious.
    “Look,” Dak whispered, “one of us has to grab it so we can warp the