extremely bad headache. He waved toward Mr. Jiménez. âFetch me five hard hats.â Mr. Jiménez hurried to a tent and back with an armful of what looked like bright yellow construction helmets.
Dr. Canul handed them each a hard hat. âYou will wear these at all times while on the site. I have a great deal of work to do, but I promised Iâd show you around. So . . .â He waved his handsâlike spiders dying in the airâand walked away.
Nick and his family stared at one another, not sure what to do, before hurrying after the man.
âAs you may or may not be aware,â Dr. Canul said in a dry, expressionless voice, âAktun was discovered in the late 1950s by a group of natives. They had no idea what theyâd stumbled across. A few stones, a vase, a statue or two. They thought it was nothing more than another in a long line of ancient ruins, until Dr. Samuel Canul heard rumors and realized what the find might actually mean.â
â Canul ,â Nick said. âWas he . . .â
âMy father,â Dr. Canul said. âI come from a long lineof noted archaeologists.â He began climbing up a steep, rocky slope covered with vines, ferns, and moss. âOf course, my father recognized at once that the ruins were, in point of fact, quite possibly one of the greatest finds of the last thousand years. Without putting too fine a point on it, they could be to Mexico what Giza is to Egypt.â
Nick rolled his eyes. Clearly the man had a seriously inflated ego. âNo offense,â he said, trying to keep up, âbut isnât that a little bit of an exaggeration?â
Dr. Canul stopped halfway up the hill and spun around, brows pulled so low that his eyes looked like twin caves dug into his face. âIt most certainly is not. Do you realize that we could be uncovering the temples of two of the most powerful gods in Mayan lore? The secrets hidden here could unlock clues revealing that my ancestors were the most advanced civilization in the world.â
Angelo opened his notebook. âAre you saying youâre related to the Mayans who built Xmaâ Suâtal Hatsâutsil?â
Dr. Canul raised his chin. âNot just related. I am a direct descendant of Mayan royalty.â
Nickâs mother and father caught up with the rest of the group, huffing and gasping for air. âDo we really need to climb all the way to the top?â Dad asked. âWeâre still adjusting to the elevation.â
âNo, you do not,â Dr. Canul said. âYou may go backanytime you want. In fact, feel free to return to wherever it is you came from. It certainly wonât bother me.â He turned and began climbing again.
âMaybe you guys should go down and rest,â Nick said.
Mom put her hands on her hips and charged up after the archaeologist. âIf that pompous, pointy-nosed dirt digger thinks I canât keep up with him, heâs got a big surprise coming.â
Dad bent over and sucked in a big breath before following her. âWhat she said.â
Nick, Carter, and Angelo hurried after the doctor. âWhat kinds of secrets do you think are buried here?â Angelo asked.
Dr. Canul tugged the straggly hairs on the end of his chin. âWeâve barely uncovered a fraction of this site, and already weâve discovered that these pyramids and the structures surrounding them are a calendar so precise, it is as accurate as anything we have today. Weâve also discovered a temple, an amphitheater designed to stage elaborate religious ceremonies, and a star chart tracking everything from the cycles of the moon to the winter and summer equinoxes.â
He stopped at the top of the hill near a large, flat rock and turned to look at a stone building several yards away.
âI think you left something out,â Angelo said.
Dr. Canulâs dark eyes fastened on him. âWhat would that be?â
Angelo walked to the flat