Page 107 of Empire of Shadows

Kuyoc rattled off a line in Mopan that Adam couldn’t hope to keep up with, and the boy dashed around the side of the house with the hen still clutched in his arms. His small bare feet picked out a habitual path through the newly raked vegetable plots and bushy cilantro.

A smell wafted to Adam from across the evening air—the enticing aroma of roasting corn and chili. Somebody was already making dinner.

His mouth started to water.

“You will owe your hospitality tonight to Na’chiin Feliciana. Her husband was the alcalde of the village,” Kuyoc explained.

Na’chiin—Adam recognized the Mopan word for grandmother. It spoke to the woman’s status in the household—and likely the village as well, if her husband had been alcalde.

Adam ducked to enter the doorway behind the priest. Kuyoc and the other men in the village were all a few inches shorter than Adam, and the houses here had been built accordingly. Thankfully, the roof was peaked enough that he could stand back up once inside.

The house was dim, and cooler than the outdoors. A few hammocks were tucked into the corner, flanked by the baskets and hollow gourds that the family used for storage. A handful of wooden stools surrounded a low table.

The family altar stood in a place of obvious importance on a shelf by the far wall. The wood was draped with a beautifully embroidered cloth. The carved figures of a handful of santos flanked the wooden cross at the center. A clay vase stuffed with bright, fresh blooms stood before them.

A woman stepped through a doorway at the back of the room. She was accompanied by Paolo, who had been relieved of his chicken. Her silver-haired head came no higher than Adam’s armpit. Her dark brown face was richly lined around eyes that looked as sharp as glass—and about as friendly.

Kuyoc rattled off a stream of rapid Mopan. Adam managed to pick out a word or two.

The priest seemed to be telling the na’chiin—Feliciana—something that Adam was pretty sure meant ‘lost idiots’ and ‘not married.’

Feliciana arched an eyebrow in response, and then flashed a skeptical look at Adam and Ellie.

She replied to the priest in more Mopan. Kuyoc shrugged, and with a sigh, Feliciana graciously nodded.

“Ustedes son bienvenidos aquí,” she announced in clipped, formal Spanish.

She obviously wasn’t very comfortable using the language. Adam couldn’t blame her. Spanish speakers probably hadn’t treated her and her people very well.

“Venga conmigo, jovencita,” Feliciana finished. She gave Ellie a perfunctory wave and turned for the back door.

Adam shot Ellie an uncomfortable look.

“She—ah—wants you to go with her,” he filled in.

“Yes, of course,” Ellie said quickly. Adam could practically see her mind whirring. “Because Mayan societies largely divide their daily activities by gender.”

“Lemme guess,” Adam offered. “You read a book about it.”

Ellie glared at him. Adam raised his hands defensively.

“Probably a really great book,” he added. “Because books are great.”

“You have books about us?” the priest cut in. His eyes glinted a little wickedly. “How very interesting.”

Ellie’s cheeks flushed. She turned to the older woman, who was still waiting in the doorway.

“Sí, Doña,” Ellie said, making courteous use of her limited Spanish. “Gracias.”

She flashed Adam a look that distinctly saidyou had better not do anything stupidand then followed the na’chiin outside.

“How do you feel about javelina?” Kuyoc abruptly asked.

Adam startled.

“You mean in general?” he prompted.

“In a tortilla,” the priest patiently replied.

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