There were more houses scattered along the entire hillside than she remembered, reaching all the way to the base of the canyon.  And more children.  Lots more than the last time.  And behind them, the dry open field stretched much farther than she recalled, from one canyon wall to the other, perhaps a half-mile as it climbed along the rough terrain before narrowing toward the mouth of the upper canyon.

Near the top, she remembered in better detail the houses where the elders stayed and the larger circular hut where they’d met and sat with Urcaguary during that uncomfortable but enlightening exchange.

Now, well into South America’s winter, all the huts had streams of pale gray smoke ascending from thick outside mud stacks.

She’d forgotten about the stream, too, flowing from the base of the walls and meandering down through one side of the village.

“Coming back to you?” asked Rickards.

“Yes.  A lot.”

“Same thing happened to me when I came back with Kathy.”  He turned to find Townsend directly behind him and slowed, taking the older man’s metal case.

As they made their way up the steep path, he and Angela continued studying the huts, remembering what they had been told.  The Wank’a, as Julio had called it and loosely translating to statue, was for everyone—even if most people were not ready for it.

It was Urcaguary herself, old and with the same profoundly wrinkled skin, who opened the wooden door of the hut when they approached.  Standing at a demure five feet tall, she didn’t appear the slightest bit surprised at seeing them.  Instead, she ambled out using her old legs and met them as they neared, almost blithely unaware of everyone bowing their heads around her. This respect was mimicked without hesitation by the three Americans.

When they rose, the old woman’s eyes moved among them, passing over Joe and pausing briefly on Angela, and then on to Townsend, whom she studied for a long time.  She reached her hand out, drawing him to take it, at which point she merely stood, staring quietly.

After a long hush, she spoke, while young Julio translated.  “She says you are a very knowledgeable man.”

“Probably depends on the topic,” Townsend joked uncomfortably.

Urcaguary continued, then paused again, waiting for Julio.

“She says you carry much pain and grief.”

Rickards and Angela studied him curiously as he replied, “Don’t we all.”

Urcaguary gave a broad smile and laughed.

“She says, ‘Knowledgeable and wise.’”

***

The exchange was shorter than before, even briefer than either time Joe had been there, and with less said.  But what the older woman did say gave both Joe and Angela a sad, chilling feeling.

“More are coming now,” translated Julio.  “As she knew they one day would.  We shall now see what becomes of our world… and our spirits.”

With that, the old woman blessed them with her frail hand and returned to the hut.

28

28