Maya Apocalypse
A Nelson Cocom Thriller
by
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"No, no, no, it's not that easy," she teased, "do you drink to be warm and suave (soft) or cold and duro (hard)?"
As it was with most ideologues, humor didn't come easily to Jose unless he initiated it. But he realized Charlotte was engaging in word-play, a favorite Maya pastime. And it was competent sexual word-play at that.
"Well?" said Charlotte.
He covered her hands with his. "Well, querida Carlotta," he began, "there are some xunaano'ob who can raise the dead." "You don't tell me," she cooed. "So now I'm Maya royalty?"
"It's a fact.” he said with assurance. "But it is not clear to me of you are one of those or a xtaabay."
Charlotte grinned. "So I have a choice? A royal woman or a seductive spirit. Hmm, I'd like to be both." She paused as the waiter poured their beers.
"Chin-chin," said Jose and they drank deeply. They shared a look. God that beer tasted good! They polished off the first and had only to nod at the waiter who whisked two fresh ones to the table.
The beer made Charlotte feel languid, sexy, and a little reckless. "So you think I am your xtabay?" she asked.
He slumped back in his chair smiling lazily. God he was handsome. He said slowly, "Men are easily fooled."
She responded, "I might be ... " They finished that beer and ordered another. The music was lovely, the same colonial songs played by earlier by the orquestra. The harmony strained at the edges of dissonance and gave the music an ardency that suited Charlotte's mood. " And now suppose you tell me what you think has become of the Crosses."
"My father ... has the true Cross," he said, choosing his words.
She frowned. "And the daughter crosses?"
"With the men who were guardas for them. All of these men are ... rebels."
"What sorts of rebels, Jose?"
He shrugged. "The worst kind, I think. Violent, very violent. Years ago my father was a normal person. But when I returned from the university he had changed."
"In what way?" she asked.
"He had become very political. Every little thing in the newspaper seemed to anger him. It was strange to see this."
"But what would make him take the Cross?"
"I truly believe that I was the cause," he answered. "At first, just to make peace with him I would agree with his arguments. I would say that I, too, thought the dzsuulo'ob (whites) were unjust. This seemed to work for a while, but then I began to have political thoughts of my own." He glanced about at the raucous crowd. No one was paying them any attention. He leaned toward Charlotte. "I began to think of using the Cross to revive the Maya culture, the best parts of it."
"And how did your father react?"
His face looked pained. "It drove him to furies. He scorned me, called me xibil xch'uup, a homosexual. Anything I said made it worse."
"What did you say to him?"
"I said the Cross was the embodiment of Maya pride. It has come to us, the same Cross which almost defeated the Mexicans a hundred and fifty years ago."
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About the Book
“Hubert Smith's long and intimate acquaintance with the people, sights and sounds of Yucatan rings through every page of this gripping tale. To follow his Detective Cocom down the many paths and byways of the Yucatan Peninsula, into its many villages and vast forests, is almost like being there again.” ─Paul Sullivan, Anthropologist, Author of Contemporary Yucatec Maya Apocalyptic Prophecy and Xulub Must Die
“Few books about the Maya have been able to capture the desperation and the cunning of villagers as Smith has done in this book. For Mayanists and other people interested in Latin America, this book is required reading and required thinking.” -Allan F. Burns, Professor of Anthropology and Latin American Studies, University of Florida, Author of An Epoch of Miracles and Maya in Exile
For the past fifty years the Speaking Cross has rested in a shrine not far from Cancun. Now, it’s been stolen by conspirators planning a catastrophic rebellion to coincide wih the fateful Maya date in late 2012. Their bloody trail leads Detective Nelson Cocom and two lovely American anthropologists deep into the jungles of Southern Mexico. Along the way they encounter deep caves, murder, shamans, ancient battle chiefs, and madmen. Their thrilling trek takes them from the Caribbean Coast to the remote villages in a desperate search for the Speaking Cross.
About the Author
“Hubert Smith's long and intimate acquaintance with the people, sights and sounds of Yucatan rings through every page of this gripping tale. To follow his Detective Cocom down the many paths and byways of the Yucatan Peninsula, into its many villages and vast forests, is almost like being there again.” ─ Paul Sullivan, Anthropologist, Author of Contemporary Yucatec Maya Apocalyptic Prophecy and Xulub Must Die.
Few books about the Maya have been able to capture the desperation and the cunning of villagers as Smith has done in this book. For Mayanists and other people interested in Latin America, this book is required reading and required thinking.” —Allan F. Burns, Professor of Anthropology and Latin American Studies, University of Florida, Author of An Epoch of Miracles and Maya in Exile.
For the past fifty years the Speaking Cross has rested in a shrine not far from Cancun. Now, with the fateful year of 2012 fast approaching, it's been stolen by conspirators planning a catastrophic rebellion. Their bloody trail leads Detective Nelson Cocom and two lovely American anthropologists deep into the jungles of Southern Mexico. Along the way they encounter caves, murder, shamans, ancient battle chiefs, and madmen. Their thrilling trek takes them from the Caribbean Coast to the remote villages in a desperate search for the Speaking Cross.