CHAPTER 75

“Remember?” said Storm. “The conquistadors chopped Inkarri’s body into a bunch of pieces. His head was buried one place, his arms and legs and torso somewhere else.”

“Yes,” said Chaupi. “For the Spaniards feared Inkarri’s vow to rise from the dead.”

“And if his body was ever reconstructed,” said Dad, “if all the pieces were put back together, the Incan Empire would rise from the ashes.”

“The same is true for the sacred tumi,” said Chaupi. “Inkarri’s followers scattered its pieces all over the rain forest. They trusted our ancestors who lived in remote isolation to guard and protect these precious artifacts across the centuries. We were to give them only to people like Father Toledo, individuals who, because of their goodness and strength of character, could be trusted to return our hidden treasure to us once it was found. Explorers with cunning, courage, wisdom, and, most important, compassion.”

Storm handed Mom her golden rectangle. The tumi’s chest and tummy.

“You carry the heart,” Chaupi told Storm. “For you are brave and have a courageous heart.”

“Maybe,” said Storm, blushing a little. “I mean, I didn’t totally freak out when they hauled me away and threatened to cut out my heart. I just tried to hide the treasure map carved into the altar.”

Dad draped his arm around Storm. “You are very brave indeed.”

The torso snapped into place on the tumi plate.

“We got the feet,” I said, and Beck and I handed our necklaces to Mom.

“For you two,” said Chaupi, “ran bravely into danger when others would have flown in the opposite direction.”

“True,” said Beck. “Guess that’s our superpower—doing crazy stuff we probably shouldn’t.”

Mom placed the feet on the plate. They fit perfectly.

“And Milagros’s dad gave me these,” said Tommy. “They sort of look like wings.”

“Because you flew with wings of courage to rescue my youngest daughter,” said Milagros’s grateful father. “With no regard for your own safety.”

“Well,” said Tommy, “I did have that Snake Attack 101 course that Dad taught…”

Mom added the two wings to the sides of the torso.

The tumi was complete.

Inkarri had been put back together.

“So,” I said, looking around, “he’s all back together. Where’s the gold?”

“The tumi is the key, Bick,” said Mom. “Now we need to find the keyhole.”

“Um, how about that guy?” said Beck, pointing at the grinning golden idol.

“Of course!” said Dad.

Mom slid the tumi deep into the idol’s smile slot. The only thing still sticking out was the crown, just like on a door key!

“You turn it, Tommy,” said Mom. “I’m too nervous.”

Tommy gave the thing a good strong twist.

All of a sudden, I heard stone sliding against stone again—just like when the walls opened back at the necropolis!