章 274: It's Not for You to Decide.
The crowns of the tall trees were like a green veil hiding travelers from the outside world, creepers and twisting branches blocked the path here and there. Forcing to go round and bend from time to time.
"I honestly do not understand why it was impossible to cut down some of the trees and pave at least some normal road so that we could drive to the place by car? It would not be difficult with your capabilities," Daniel was looking around, keeping his eyes on Ashley and periodically tapping mosquitoes who obviously took him for their desert. And why these annoying insects attacked him only? Ahh, it doesn't matter, apparently, they understood who had the tastiest blood here.
"You're right, I could do it at the click of a finger, but I don't like it when strangers pay too much attention to my things," Marcus answered the question and at the same time looked at Elena who was walking a little behind.
The woman was holding her son's hand and telling him about the surrounding nature, pointing to ants and other bugs crawling nearby. For so many years her natural observation has not changed at all, even in childhood she could, without moving, spend an hour watching a caterpillar slowly crawling along a leaf.
"It's here," said the man as they stepped into a small clearing as if created specifically for relaxation.
On its perimeter, there were stones of various sizes, on which one could sit or even lie down if one wanted. They resembled the remains of the ruins of an ancient amphitheater, where the stones served as benches for spectators, and the glade itself was the main stage.
But the most notable structure in this entire composition was the pyramid. It was a little away and was small in size, no more than three meters in height. Its walls were covered with vines, and the crowns of trees standing nearby covered its top so that, with a quick look, this structure would seem like an ordinary piece of rock. And only after looking closely, it became obvious that it was something more than a huge piece of stone.
"What it is? Is it a pyramid?"
"Yes, it's a PYRAMID," Marcus answered Daniel's question with such intonation so the latter felt like a fool asking about such obvious things, "To satisfy your interest, Mr. Anderson, I can add that there are a lot of similar structures in the forests of Mesoamerica. Some of them are known, like the great Mayan Pyramids, and some are unknown to the general public or have not even been studied due to the inaccessibility to the places where they are."
"I suppose what you are looking for is in it?" David examined the structure with a careful look, it looked quite ordinary in appearance, its area was also small. So what was the problem? They were not going to look for a needle in the end?
"Exactly."
Daniel frowned, this stone structure reminded him of the cave in Tibet where they had to climb six years ago. And although everything ended relatively well, the experience was not the most pleasant, and none of them was eager to think about it. Especially Daniel, such adventures did not inspire him at all.
Marcus, noting the skeptical expression on the man's face, added with a malicious smile, "Of course, there is another option that would suit me. But for this, we would have to go to Antarctica. So if someone wants to-"
"Thank you, no need to do that," Daniel answered immediately, and everyone silently agreed. He would rather poke around here for a week than end up in the place with a very low temperature.
"Marcus, I see no problem for you to get what you need. Why do you need my wife?" David was completely taken aback, he began to regret that he agreed to this deal. On the other hand, the safety of his company and his family was under attack. And if that thing was really so powerful that it could even put Marcus's life at risk, then this chance was worth the associated risks. "What are we looking for?"
Marcus walked a little forward and waved his hand, a strong stream of wind hit the arches of the pyramid. Old leaves and tree branches scattered to the sides, several stones from the walls fell down, a narrow passage inward became visible on the facade of the structure.
The man shook his hands, as if he personally removed all obstacles, and turned to face his companions, "We are looking for kukri. This is an ancient ceremonial knife, an analog of which the Mayans and Aztecs used in their sacrificial rituals. The original of this knife must be hidden in this cave. The priestesses who were responsible for preserving the gift of the gods, as they called it, hid it here during the attack of the conquistadors.
There are several similar artifacts in the world, and each has its own role. Richard even had a chance to use one of such relics, though not for long, right?" Marcus raised his hand and twisted it with a brush, there was a bracelet on his wrist that looked a bit old and shabby.
Elena immediately understood what the man had in mind. In a past life, it was thanks to the teleportation bracelet that Richard managed to capture her if not for that thing, perhaps she would have managed to escape that time. But then their fate with David could have been completely different. Now it seemed such a distant past that it was as if it was not happening to her.
"Richard, here's a thought. Doesn't it seem ironic to you that both of your lives ended because of the same person standing next to you? In the first one you killed each other, in the second one you yourself gave up life for his sake. Such a controversial relationship. I'm wondering who could cause your death this time?" Marcus clearly noticed how the man glanced warmly at the little girl from time to time.
"Marcus, stop it!" Armand took a step forward, blocking the path of Ashley, ready to rush at this man with her fists.
Marcus looked apologetically at his brother and shrugged, "Sorry, somehow I got carried away. I sometimes have mood swings, well, I guess you know it already. I suggest we discuss the sensitive issues of our big strange family over a mutual dinner," and although his words sounded friendly enough, his eyes said otherwise.
Rick's face instantly became more serious, he forgot himself and allowed his mask of indifference to slip off for a split second, and Marcus's words were nothing more than a warning for him personally.
"My dear brother, please take a closer look and say what you see around," Marcus stepped aside and imposingly sat down on one of the stones.
"And what should I see?" Armand focused his eyes on the pyramid until something unusual caught his attention, and this something required more than simple sight. The man's pupils turned black, and surprise and shock reflected on his face. He managed to see a lot over the years of his life, but now even he was dumbfounded.
Armand lowered his head and looked at his feet, "How is this possible?"
"Hm, I knew that you would be impressed," Marcus smirked in a triumphant smile, "How do you find such an iceberg? Not too shabby, huh?"
The puzzled look of Armand caused genuine anxiety in David, this twin was known for his restraint, and it was unusual to see his bewilderment. "What is it?" David came closer to his friend and asked in a half-whisper.
"Here, hmmm, how would I describe it," Armand scratched his head, although his spatial vision was strong, even it was difficult for him to guess the scale of the whole picture, "Have you seen the Giza pyramid alive?" David nodded his head, he and Elena were in Egypt once and were able to visit that sightseeing place, "So. Imagine that you are standing at its very top, and this construction," Armand pointed a finger at the pyramid opposite them, "And this construction is its very peak. The rest of it is hidden underground. What we see now is not more than five percent of its original size."
"Bravo, Armand, well done," Marcus clapped his hands, congratulating his brother on his task, "I knew that I would be able to impress you. David, I seem to begin to understand why your older brother loves you so much. It's so nice when the youngest grow up and achieve such success."
"Your sense of humor today looks strange, Marcus. I advise you to watch your mouth," Armand reproachfully looked at the man, the behavior of the latter was raising more and more questions with every minute. Maybe this place influenced him like that?
Marcus walked over to David and put his hand on his shoulder, "Look what I'll show you." And at that moment David understood why Armand was so confused.
It was dark in the man's eyes, and he saw the surrounding area like a black-and-white drawing, where each object occupied its own position. The arches of the pyramid went into the depths of several tens of meters below the ground, diverging to the sides with various winding tunnels. These tunnels were intertwined at different levels, lowering, then rising, then completely closing the passages.
It was not just a pyramid. It was a real labyrinth.
Drops of sweat appeared on David's forehead, his body felt like after an intense workout, his breathing was heavy and his pulse was quick. Marcus patted him on the shoulder, "The stronger the ability, the greater the pressure on the body will be. So I advise you not to abuse your skills."
"I'm against that."
Marcus raised an eyebrow, already understanding what David was pushing, "Against what?"
"I am against Elena entering this pyramid. This is too dangerous."
Marcus fell silent for a second, after which his loud laughter rang out across the clearing. The man pointedly wiped an imaginary tear from his eyes. This David Anderson really knew how to brighten up his monotonous everyday life with his behavior, thinking that he was deciding something here. Hah, what a naivety!
"Sorry, my friend. Of course, it's nice of you to take care of your wife so much and all that... But you seem to forget who's got the power here," Marcus tilted his head to the side, the smile on his face reminded him of a hunter watching cage prey, "It's not for you to decide whether Elena will go there or not."
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