Find the Feathered Serpent полностью

“Yes. And it is further believed that he outlawed human sacrifice, substituting fruits and flowers in its…

“Erik! Neil shouted. “Holy jumping jehosophat! Erik!”

“Yes,” Doctor Falsen replied, smiling. “Erik was Kukulcan.”

“But that’s impossible. I knew Erik. I mean, I was his friend. We… I mean, we were friends.”

“It all adds up. You say he killed a serpent.”

“Yes. Yes, he did.”

“And his helmet. It was a winged helmet.”

“Yes.”

“Perhaps they came to know him as the feathered serpent slayer, or the feathered slayer of serpents. And perhaps this was later shortened to the Feathered Serpent. I’m guessing, of course.”

“It’s too far-fetched,” Neil said.

“It might be-unless there were something that really convinced the Mayas he was a god. Something that convinced them beyond a shadow of a doubt…”

“But what could that have been?”

Doctor Falsen lifted an eyebrow. “Put yourself in the place of a Maya, Neil. Your friends are leaving you. They have been very close to the blond giant who slays serpents and who works wonders with their agriculture. They step into a transparent bubble, climb a ladder…”

“Holy cow!” Neil said.

“… and their vessel begins to rise in the air. And then it disappears completely.”

“The time machine. I’d forgotten all about that. But I told Talu not to be frightened. I told him, Dad.”

“There’s no doubt in my mind, son, that you really found Kukulcan. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you, as a person, are intricately wound up in the Kukulcan legend.”

“I couldn’t be. You mean me?”

“Perhaps, Neil. Erik, certainly. And you, to some extent.”

Neil passed a hand nervously over his face.

Doctor Falsen smiled. “You not only found a god, Neil. You helped create one.”

“Think of it,” Neil said. “Erik a god.” He paused, thinking of the Norseman again. “He was a swell guy, Dad. I’d like to see him again. I really would.”

“That’s not impossible, Neil. You’ve a lot to learn yet and a lot of work to do. But you can learn more about the time machine, and then…” he winked, “who knows where it might take you?”

He grinned and put his arm around Neil as they started up the steps to their rooms.

“And maybe next time you’ll take your old man along? How about it?”

Neil went to sleep in his old room that night, the wind lifting the curtains and the moonlight glancing off the pennants on the wall.

But before he drifted off to sleep, he saw a picture of a tall, proud Norseman, the sun lighting his golden hair and beard as he stood in silhouette on the bow of his ship. Erik.

Kukulcan.

There was a smile on Neil’s face when at last he gave way to weariness.

“You’ve a lot to learn . . lot of work to do… learn more about the time machine … and then who knows where it might take you?”

Happily, peacefully, Neil dropped off to sleep.