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　　　　Dr。　Alberto　Ortiz　was　a　lean；　wiry　old　bird　in　his　early　seventies。　He　stood　off　to　one　side　of　the　helicopter　landing　site　dressed　in　a　white　duck　shirt　and　matching　pants。　A　long；　flowing；　white　moustache　drooped　across　his　face；　making　him　look　like　a　wanted　poster　for　an　aging　Mexican　bandido。　If　flamboyance　was　his　trademark；　it　was　demonstrated　by　a　wide…brimmed　panama　hat　sporting　a　colorful　band；　a　pair　of　expensive　designer　sandals；　and　a　tall　iced　drink　in　one　hand。　A　Hollywood　casting　director　searching　for　someone　to　play　a　beachber　in　a　South　Seas　epic　would　easily　have　decided　that　Dr。　Ortiz　fit　the　role　to　perfection。　He　was　not　what　the　NUMA　men　had　pictured　as　Peru's　most　renowned　expert　on　ancient　culture。
　　　　He　came　smiling　to　greet　the　newers；　drink　in　left　hand；　right　extended　for　shaking。　〃You're　early；〃　he　said　warmly　in　almost　perfect　English。　〃I　didn't　expect　you　for　another　two　or　three　days。〃
　　　　〃Dr。　Kelsey's　project　was　cut　short　unexpectedly；〃　said　Pitt；　grasping　a　strong；　callused　hand。
　　　　〃Is　she　with　you？〃　asked　Ortiz；　peering　around　Pitt's　broad　shoulders。
　　　　〃She'll　be　here　first　thing　in　the　morning。　Something　about　using　the　afternoon　to　photograph　the　carvings　on　an　altar　stone　beside　the　well。〃　Pitt　turned　and　made　the　introductions。　〃I'm　Dirk　Pitt　and　this　is　Rudi　Gunn　and　Al　Giordino。　We're　with　the　National　Underwater　and　Marine　Agency。〃
　　　　〃A　great　pleasure　to　meet　you　gentlemen。　I'm　grateful　for　the　opportunity　to　thank　you　in　person　for　saving　the　lives　of　our　young　people。〃
　　　　〃Always　a　joy　to　play　the　palace　again；〃　said　Giordino；　looking　up　at　the　battle…scarred　temple。
　　　　Ortiz　laughed　at　the　distinct　lack　of　enthusiasm。　〃I　don't　imagine　you　enjoyed　your　last　visit。〃
　　　　〃The　audience　didn't　throw　roses；　that's　for　sure。〃
　　　　〃Where　would　you　like　us　to　set　up　our　tents；　Doctor？〃　Gunn　inquired。
　　　　〃Nothing　of　the　sort；〃　Ortiz　said；　his　teeth　flashing　beneath　the　moustache。　〃My　men　have　cleaned　up　a　tomb　that　belonged　to　a　rich　merchant。　Plenty　of　room；　and　it's　dry　during　a　rain。　Not　a　four…star　hotel；　of　course；　but　you　should　find　it　fortable。〃
　　　　〃I　hope　the　original　owner　isn't　still　in　residence；〃　Pitt　said　cautiously。
　　　　〃No；　no；　not　at　all；〃　replied　Ortiz；　mistakenly　taking　him　seriously。　〃The　looters　cleaned　out　the　bones　and　any　remains　in　their　frantic　search　for　artifacts。〃
　　　　〃We　could　bed　down　in　the　structure　used　by　the　looters　for　their　headquarters；〃　suggested　Giordino；　angling　for　more　deluxe　acmodations。
　　　　〃Sorry；　my　staff　and　I　have　already　claimed　it　as　our　base　of　operations。〃
　　　　Giordino　offered　Gunn　a　sour　expression。　〃I　told　you　to　call　ahead　for　reservations。〃
　　　　〃e　along；　gentlemen；〃　said　Ortiz　cheerfully。　〃I'll　give　you　a　guided　tour　of　the　Pueblo　de　los　Muertos　on　our　way　to　your　quarters。〃
　　　　〃The　inhabitants　must　have　taken　a　page　from　the　elephants；〃　said　Giordino。
　　　　Ortiz　laughed。　〃No；　no；　the　Chachapoyas　didn't　e　here　to　die。　This　was　a　sacred　burial　place　that　they　believed　was　a　way　station　on　their　journey　to　the　next　life。〃
　　　　〃No　one　lived　here？〃　asked　Gunn。
　　　　〃Only　priests　and　the　workers　who　built　the　funeral　houses。　It　was　off　limits　to　everyone　else。〃
　　　　〃They　must　have　had　a　thriving　business；〃　Pitt　said；　staring　at　the　maze　of　crypts　spread　throughout　the　valley　and　the　honeyb　of　tombs　in　the　soaring　cliffs。
　　　　〃The　Chachapoyan　culture　was　highly　stratified　but　it　did　not　have　a　royal　elite　like　the　Inca；〃　explained　Ortiz。　〃Learned　elders　and　military　captains　ruled　the　various　cities　in　the　confederation。　They　and　the　wealthy　traders　could　afford　to　erect　elaborate　mausoleums　to　rest　between　lives。　The　poor　were　put　in　adobe；　human…shaped　funeral　statues。〃
　　　　Gunn　gave　the　archaeologist　a　curious　look。　〃The　dead　were　inserted　into　statues？〃
　　　　〃Yes；　the　body　of　the　deceased　was　placed　in　a　crouched　position；　knees　tucked　under　the　chin。　Then　a　cone　of　sticks　was　placed　around　the　body　as　a　cagelike　support。　Next；　wet　adobe　was　plastered　around　the　support；　forming　a　casing　around　the　body。　The　final　step　was　to　sculpt　a　face　and　head　on　top　that　vaguely　resembled　the　person　inside。　When　the　funeral　receptacle　was　dry；　the　mourners　inserted　it　into　a　previously　dug　niche　or　handy　crevice　in　the　face　of　the　cliff。〃
　　　　〃The　local　mortician　must　have　been　a　popular　guy；〃　observed　Giordino。
　　　　〃Until　I　study　the　city　in　greater　detail；〃　said　Ortiz；　〃I'd　estimate　that　it　was　under　continual　construction　and　expansion　as　a　cemetery　between　A。D。　1200　and　A。D。　1500　before　it　was　abandoned。　Probably　sometime　after　the　Spanish　conquest。〃
　　　　〃Did　the　Inca　bury　their　dead　here　after　they　subdued　the　Chachapoyas？〃　asked　Gunn。
　　　　〃Not　to　any　great　extent。　I've　found　only　a　few　tombs　that　indicate　later　Inca　design　and　architecture。〃
　　　　Ortiz　led　them　along　an　ancient　avenue　made　from　stones　worn　smooth　by　the　elements。　He　stepped　inside　a　bottle…shaped　funeral　monument　constructed　of　flat　stones　and　decorated　with　rows　of　diamond…style　motifs　intermingled　with　zigzag　designs。　The　workmanship　was　precise；　with　refined　attention　to　detail；　and　the　architecture　was　magnificent。　The　monument　was　topped　by　a　narrow；　circular　dome　10　meters　high　（33　feet）。　The　entrance　was　also　formed　in　the　shape　of　a　bottle　and　was　a　tight　fit；　allowing　only　one　man　to　squeeze　through　at　a　time。　Steps　rose　from　the　street　to　the　exterior　threshold　outside；　and　then　dropped　to　the　floor　inside。　The　interior　funeral　chamber　had　a　heavy；　damp；　musty　smell　that　hit　like　a　punch　on　the　nose。　Pitt　sensed　a　haunting　grandeur　and　the　ghostly　presence　of　the　people　who　performed　the　final　ceremony　and　closed　the　crypt　for　what　they　thought　would　be　eternity；　never　envisaging　that　it　would　bee　a　shelter　for　living　men　not　born　for　another　five　hundred　years。
　　　　The　stone　floor　and　the　burial　niches　were　empty　of　funerary　objects　and　swept　clean。　Curious；　smiling　faces　of　carved　stone；　the　size　of　a　serving　platter；　beamed　midway　around　a　corbeled　ceiling　that　stepped　up　and　out　from　the　vertical　walls。　Hammocks　had　been　strung　from　sculpted　snake　heads　protruding　from　the　lower　walls　with　wide　eyes　and　open；　fanged　mouths。　Ortiz's　workers　had　also　spread　straw　mats　on　the　floor。　Even　a　small　mirror　hung　from　a　nail　driven　into　a　tight　seam　between　the　rows　of　the　masonry。
　　　　〃I　judge　it　was　built　about　1380；〃　said　Ortiz。　〃A　fine　example　of　Chachapoyan　architecture。　All　the　forts　of　home　except　a　bath。　There　is；　however；　a　mountain　stream　about　fifty　meters　to　the　south。　As　for　your　other　personal　needs；　I'm　sure　you'll　make　do。〃
　　　　〃Thank　you；　Dr。　Ortiz；〃　said　Gunn。　〃You're　most　considerate。〃
　　　　〃Please；　it's　Alberto；〃　he　replied；　raising　a　bushy　white　eyebrow。　〃Dinner　at　eighteen　hundred　hours　at　my　place。〃　He　gave　Giordino　a　benevolent　stare。　〃I　believe　you　know　how　to　find　your　way　about　the　city。〃
　　　　〃I've　taken　the　tour；〃　Giordino　acknowledged。

　　　　An　invigorating　bath　in　the　icy　water　of　the　stream　to　wash　off　the　day's　sweat；　a　shave；　a　change　into　warmer　clothes　to　ward　off　the　cold　of　the　Andes　night　air；　and　the　men　from　NUMA　trooped　through　the　City　of　the　Dead　toward　the　Peruvian　cultural　authority's　mand　post。　Ortiz　greeted　them　at　the　entrance　and　introduced　four　of　his　assistants　from　the　National　Institute　of　Culture　in　Chiclayo；　none　of　whom　spoke　English。
　　　　〃A　drink　before　dinner；　gentlemen？　I　have　gin；　vodka；　scotch；　and　pisco；　a　native　white　brandy。〃
　　　　〃You　came　well　prepared；〃　observed　Gunn。
　　　　Oritz　laughed。　〃Just　because　we're　working　in　difficult　areas　of　the　country　does　not　mean　we　can't　provide　a　few　creature　forts。〃
　　　　〃I'll　try　your　local　brandy；〃　said　Pitt。
　　　　Giordino　and　Gunn　were　not　as　adventurous　and　stuck　with　scotch　on　the　rocks。　After　he　did　the　honors；　Ortiz　gestured　for　them　to　sit　in　old…fashioned　canvas　lawn　chairs。
　　　　〃How　badly　were　the　artifacts　damaged　during　the　rocket　attack？〃　asked　Pitt；　launching　the　conversation。
　　　　〃What　few　objects　the　looters　left　behind　were　badly　crushed　by　falling　masonry。　Most　of　it　is　shattered　beyond　restoration；　I'm　afraid。〃
　　　　〃You　found　nothing　worth　saving？〃
　　　　〃A　thorough　job。〃　Ortiz　shook　his　head　sadly。　〃Amazing　how　they　worked　so　fast　to　excavate　the　ruins　of　the　temple；　remove　the　salvageable　and　undamaged　antiquities；　and　escape　with　a　good　four　tons　of　the　stuff　before　we　could　arrive　and　catch　them　in　the　act。　What　the　early　Spanish　treasure　hunters　and　their　sanctimonious　missionary　padres　didn't　plunder　from　the　Inca　cities　and　send　back　to　Seville；　the　damned　huagueros　have　found　and　sold。　They　steal　antiquities　faster　than　an　army　of　ants　can　strip　a　forest。〃
　　　　〃Huagueros？〃　questioned　Gunn。
　　　　〃The　local　term　for　robbers　of　ancient　graves；〃　explained　Giordino。
　　　　Pitt　stared　at　him　curiously。　〃Where　did　you　learn　that？〃
　　　　Giordino　shrugged。　〃You　hang　around　archaeologists；　you're　bound　to　pick　up　a　few　expressions。〃
　　　　〃It　is　hard　to　entirely　fault　the　huaqueros；〃　said　Ortiz。　〃The　poor　farmers　of　the　high　country　suffer　from　terrorism；　inflation；　and　corruption　that　rob　them　of　what　little　they　can　take　from　the　earth。　The　wholesale　looting　of　archaeological　sites　and　the　selling　of　artifacts　by　these　people　enable　them　to　purchase　a　few　small　forts　to　ease　their　dreadful　poverty。〃
　　　　〃Then　there　is　the　good　with　the　bad；〃　observed　Gunn。
　　　　〃Unfortunately；　they　leave　nothing　but　a　few　scraps　of　bone　and　broken　pottery　for　scientists　like　me　to　study。　Entire　buildings…temples　and　palaces…are　gutted　and　demolished　for　their　architectural　ornamentation；　the　carvings　sold　for　outrageously　low　prices。　Nothing　is　spared。　The　stones　from　the　walls　are　taken　away　and　used　as　cheap　building　materials。　Much　of　the　architectural　beauty　of　these　ancient　cultures　has　been　destroyed　and　lost　forever。〃
　　　　〃I　gather　it's　a　family　operation；〃　said　Pitt。
　　　　〃Yes；　the　search　for　underground　tombs　has　been　carried　on　from　one　generation　to　another　for　hundreds　of　years。　Fathers；　brothers；　uncles；　and　cousins　all　work　together。　It　has　bee　a　custom；　a　tradition。　Entire　munities　band　together　to　dig　for　ancient　treasures。〃
　　　　〃Tombs　being　their　primary　target；〃　Gunn　presumed。
　　　　〃That　is　where　most　of　the