"NOT SO FAST," said Skip. "It's our City of the Sun all right, but it's not really a city of gold."

"It's an illusion, brought on by the angle of light and the time of day," explained Nusiri. "That is what led many explorers to report seeing cities of gold."

"And that's what led to many legendary searches for things like Cibola, El Dorado, the history books are filled with 'lost city of gold' stories. But, while this one may not be made of gold, it is no doubt the Lost City we have been looking for. Hey, we've been needing a campsite. How's that for a luxury hotel? Come on, time's a-wastin'. We want to get there before dark."

With renewed energy, they scrambled along the river bank on the remnants of the ancient pathway, passing waterfalls spilling down the mountainsides, one seemingly flowing from the city itself. Grasses, bushes, even small trees, sprouted in the gaps that had opened up between the smooth flagstones over the centuries. They passed low walls that might have once been buildings on the outskirts. But the main feature was the temple, at the top of  a low hill, shining golden indeed in the sunlight. Half a dozen terraces led up the hill, holding the remains of the city, now reduced to masonry walls, foundations, and rubble. After five hundred years or so, that was to be expected. The only building still intact seemed to be the temple itself, what they could assume to be the Temple of the Sun.

Acsending the staircases between the terraces, past windows and doorways of lower levels, and finally up to the temple itself, they stood at last in front of the grand building, and were struck by the greatest surprise yet.

"My God!" said Skip in astonishment. "It really is gold! The entire temple is built of gold!"

He thought about it for a minute, and the explanation began to dawn on him. "The Inca needed to keep the gold safe from the Spanish plunderers. To them, gold had a religious value. It was representative of Inti, the Sun God. What better way to safeguard the precious gold, and at the same time honor Inti, than to melt it all down, and build their greatest Temple of the Sun out of it?" Looking closer, Skip could see the remains of the legendary Inca Chain of Gold incorporated into the base of the temple. A thought suddenly came to him and he laughed. "Jack Fawcett told me that we might find the gold, but we wouldn't be able to take it with us. Now I see why."

The three of them stood there in awe for a few moments, taking it all in. Then Zane, the newest, most eager explorer among them, piped up. "Can we go inside now, Dad?"

Skip was about to say something, but turned to Nusiri instead. "What do you think? Is it safe? Spiritually, I mean."

Nusiri could read his meaning into the question and considered it for a moment, then said, "Just the fact that you asked that shows your concern and respect. And we have come all this way. So, yes."

There was not much inside the temple, but what there was, took their breath away.

The chamber was not large, only about fifteen feet square. The south-facing, trapezoidal doorway let in enough low light from the setting sun to turn the whitewashed walls a gleaming golden peach color. A two-foot-wide band of gold, set at a forty-five degree angle, formed a border between walls and low ceiling. A round altar, not quite four feet high, and about six feet in diameter, was centered slightly to the back. Behind the altar and off to one side on the north wall was another low doorway, with stairs descending into shadow, presumably leading to other chambers below. There was a single large window, round, not the usual trapezoid, in the eastern wall.

But what had astonished them was the great golden Sun Disk that dominated the western wall. At least five feet in diameter it was, with dozens of golden beams radiating out from the center, which was ringed with hieroglyphic Incan symbols. At the very heart of the disk, the detailed face of Inti gazed out, his expression exuding wisdom and knowledge, his eyes shining crystals that seemed to peer into the soul of anyone who beheld them.

"It's beautiful," said Nusiri in a reverent tone.

Meanwhile, Zane had been exploring the marble altar, and its intricate carvings of Incan symbols and deities, foremost among them, the Sun God, Inti.

"So, this is where they sacrificed the virgins and cut their hearts out?"

"Animal sacrifices," Skip corrected. "And they used altars for many other purposes as well. Community gatherings, for instance. And many other rituals and ceremonies, and astronomical observation."

"In a Temple of the Sun," said Nusiri, "the altar was placed so as to catch the first rays of the sun on the summer solstice."

That comment directed Skip's attention to the east window, which he now noticed was not exactly round, but in the shape of the sun, fashioned in a mosaic of of multi-faceted crystals. He looked back and forth, studying the relationship between the window and the Sun Disk on the wall opposite. "In this case, maybe not just on the solstice," he suggested. "This looks like it's geared to give a light show every morning."

He took a closer look at that window, and now saw the smaller sun shape at its center, formed by thin gold channels cut into the crystalline surface. A particular sun shape that was vaguely familiar.

He fished the gold and silver quipu from under his shirt and unfolded it into its sun shape, remembering Killa's words.

The quipu is the key.

Skip fitted the golden sun quipu to the depressions in the window. It fit perfectly.

The key...

On an impulse, he set his fingers around the golden sun and gave it a quarter turn to the right, until there was an audible click.

Nothing happened.

But by now, it was almost dark.

"Guess we'll have to wait till morning to see how the light from that window interacts with the Sun Disk or the altar." He couldn't guess what that might be, but he had the feeling it was important. Hadn't Jack Fawcett said something about Inti blinking at the new day dawning?

"Can we explore the rest of the temple?" asked Zane, gesturing toward the rear doorway.

"Tomorrow," said Nusiri. "But right now, it's been a very long day, and I feel like I've hiked halfway across Peru. Those of us past our prime could use a break and a good night's sleep." She winked at Skip. "We'll set up camp here in the temple, with just sleeping bags and the pack stove, no campfire indoors. Have a quick dinner and an early bedtime, and see what adventures await us tomorrow."

Skip could tell by her yawn that at the moment, she did not feel adventurous at all. Truth be told, the excitement of discovery was quickly being overshadowed by exhaustion for him as well.

∆  ∆  ∆

The trespassers had activated the Eye of Inti. How they had gotten the Key, or had figured out how to use it, Kuntur did not know. But if they were still in the Temple when the first rays of the rising sun touched the window, the Eye, and sent their beams to the Sun Disk, well, those outsiders would find themselves with more than they had bargained for. He hoped for their sakes they were prepared for it.

Kuntur had paid attention to that dream, and had arrived ahead of them. He'd been watching from the temple as they made their way up, and from the shadows of the interior stairwell as they made themselves at home in one of the last sacred sites the descendants of the Inca had left.

They were a curious trio, and not at all quite what he'd been expecting. The woman especially. She was not of Kuntur's people, but it was clear she was of indigenous origin. If he was not mistaken, she looked to be from the lands north, in Ecuador, probably from one of the peoples that used to be collectively known as Jivaro. For that, she earned a measure of respect. And the boy, her son apparently, Kuntur had seen the way he'd examined the symbols and glyphs on the altar, as if he was truly interested in their meaning and sought understanding. Not what he would expect out of teenagers these days. Even the white man, clearly the husband and father. His wife had mentioned his concern and respect for the native spiritual beliefs. Maybe he wasn't a plundering treasure hunter after all. Archeologist maybe? That could work either in his favor, or very much against it. Kuntur would have to wait and see.

He was sworn to protect the City, and would do so by any means necessary. He did not like killing, and would only do so as a last resort. But the heritage of his people came first.

Kuntur looked across the sleeping bodies to the window and the disk. Together, they comprised the Eye of Inti. There was no sense in confronting them right now. He was back in his normal form, and was tired himself. He could only shift into other forms for so long at a time, and was always exhausted after he did so. He would wait until morning. Until the Sun. Maybe Inti would take care of them himself.