Free Path of the Jaguar by Vickie Britton, Loretta Jackson

dropped.
    "No," Joseph laughed. "Let's call it quits for today. I want to take you through Chichen Itza before the rains start."
    •
     
    A half-hour later, they stepped into the squared-off plaza of the ancient Mayan city . Lennea gazed at the huge temples and gigantic pyramids, still feeling frightened. They joined an English-speaking guide, listening to him explain to the tourists, "Chichen Itza, loosely translated, means 'Mouth of the Well of the People,' This city was once a great religious center because of the Sacred Well nearby, which the Mayas believed to be the home of the rain god, Chac."
    "Who were the Itza?" asked a woman in a wide-brimmed hat.
    "It is believed they were a branch of the Toltecs who came from Central Mexico. The Itza conquered the Mayan city around 978 AD, and for over two hundred years they ruled. Here in Chichen Itza you see the merging of the two cultures—the Maya and the Itza."
    "When was Chichen Itza first excavated?" Lennea whispered to Joseph.
    "Not until 1924, though of course it was known about since the time of the Spanish Conquest."
    They stopped to get a view of the big pyramid, El Castillo, or "the Castle." The people at the top seemed little more than insects clinging to the gray sides. Lennea, remembering what Frank had told her as they had passed by here this morning, smiled at the thought of his struggling his way up to the top, laboriously counting every step as Goldie urged him on.
    "You know, Lennea, that the corner stones of El Castillo are positioned so that the sunlight causes the shadow of a winding serpent to appear at the time of the equinox."
    "This must be my day for snakes," Lennea replied rather grimly, and was rewarded by Joseph's warm smile. "I guess I didn't thank you for saving my life."
    "My pleasure. You must see the shadow of the serpent. It's awe-inspiring. The same effect is produced by artificial lighting. Every so often, there is a Sound and Light Show for the tourists. And then you can see the serpent winding its way down the steps of the pyramid."
    Lennea shivered slightly as she thought about the coral snake they had left behind, its head crushed against the rocks. "Right now, I can think of more pleasant sights."
    They split off from the tour group to explore on their own the Temple of the Jaguars, the Temple of the Warriors. Joseph was doing a thorough job of showing her around. In Lennea's many daydreams, it had always been Wesley showing her these things for the first time, Wesley alerting her to small details she herself would surely miss.
    The ruins were impressive. But frightening, too, even a little repelling with those open-mouthed snakes and snarling jaguars. A stone likeness of Chac, with his peculiar ringed eyes and protruding fangs stared down at them from a nearby wall.
    At the top of the Temple of the Warriors, was a huge, reclining figure of a man. The statue assumed a rather grotesque position, with raised head and knees. Upon his stomach, a shallow basin rested.
    "You know what the Chac-mool was for," Joseph said.
    "Offerings to the rain god, Chac."
    Joseph's black gaze was steady as it met hers. "Imagine what this stone idol has held. Treasures of gold and jade, even human hearts." Lennea shivered and turned away.
    Tired from the climb and the sultry heat, they rested a while upon the steps of the temple. "There's so much you haven't seen, the ball court, the Observatory."
    "I guess it would be impossible to see it all in one day," Lennea replied. "And now it looks like the rain is coming."
    Lennea gazed out at the ancient city, at temple walls as gray as the thick rain clouds gathering overhead. Her thoughts wandered, as usual, back to Wesley. "You know, Dr. Hern believes that the Mayas were wiped out by some catastrophe—an earthquake, crop failure, an epidemic of some kind. He believes we'll uncover new evidence at Tikom to support the theory in his new book."
    "I know all about Wrought in Stone. What I don't understand is how he