Bubba And The Mayans
War Stories

Whiskey and War Stories

“How did things go?” I asked Elias.

“Only one person gave us any problems.” He replied.

“Agent Smith, I assume.” I directed at Felicia.

“Yeah, he charged down the tunnel after us before the door closed. Elias knocked him out with something. Dingo and Bubba carried him back out to the Cave. The warriors were freaked out by Elias. They would not leave without Bubba. None of them cared about anything once Bubba was back. I do not understand why they think he is so important.”

“They think he’s a god,” Arlo reminded her.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But really? It is Bubba.”

“The guy with the shoe problem?” Ttaliss asked.

I nodded.

“I repeat,” Ttaliss stated, “individuals are intelligent. People are stupid.”

“It’s a long and convoluted story.” I offered. “Really no stranger than what has happened today.” I noticed Arlo trying to comfort Ariana out of the corner of my eye. Felicia was more comfortable with the Mayans than being surrounded by earthlings.

“If we are done,” Touchez spoke directly, but not unpleasantly, “I have research to return to.”

“Thank you for taking time to speak to us.” I offered.

Elias nodded. She walked away.

“Do you have any booze in this place?” Danny Boy asked as he rubbed his temples.

“We have a variety of native bottles collected over time. There are a few ancient bottles from our world.” Elias answered.

“We also have recent bottles from several worlds.” Ttaliss offered. “We have encountered some extra-terrestrial visitors from time to time.

“Do you know when you’ll next encounter someone?” Felicia inquired. “I’m really ready to get off this planet.”

“Longing for Ozkeria?” Ohminia asked. “I have heard a variety of reports about the planet.”

“I’m exiled from Oz.” Felicia said with no hint of remorse or shame. “I want to be somewhere besides earth.”

“Exiled from Ozkeria,” Elias said. “I would like to know what led to this.”

Felicia pointed a finger at me. “He’s the reason I’m exiled.” She stated.

“That’s not the whole story.” I said slowly and knowingly.

“Perhaps we could find and open a bottle of something, then you could explain it to everyone.” Danny Boy suggested.

“Yes, yes,” Elias replied. “Follow me,” he added after a moment.

He led us down a few halls until we reached a room with a bar. There was a light layer of dust across the furnishings.

“We don’t use this much,” he said by way of explanation. We gathered around one of the tables. Felicia and Ttaliss helped him clean some glasses. He brought four different bottles to the table.

Arlo reached for a familiar bottle of whiskey from the states. He poured two fingers worth into a glass. He handed it to Ariana.

She glanced at him for a moment and then looked around at all of us. She took a moment to absorb the room and her companions before she knocked back the whiskey. Arlo repeated the process. She drank again.

I realized she had not spoken to the group since she entered the lab. I did not know if she said anything to Arlo while we ventured from the lab to here. I realized we were all kind of looking at her expectantly about the same time she did.

“What in the Hell are you looking at me for?” She said after a moment. “I’m the only one who doesn’t know what is going on!”

“We’re having drinks in a bar,” Danny Boy stated. He reached for the whiskey bottle. “We are conversing with Mayan scientists. They are trying to figure out what happened to Atlantis,” He offered as an afterthought.

“Well, they know what happened to Atlantis,” I began to explain. “They are trying to figure out where it went when it disappeared.”

“We would like to know why Felicia is exiled from Ozkeria.” Ohminia added.

“And whether or not Jack is to blame as she claims,” Elias stated.

“You better believe it is Jack’s fault.” Felicia said as she grabbed a bottle. She poured an iridescent liquid into her glass. “Tecterinian asha,” she asked as she looked at Elias. He nodded. She sipped it gingerly. Her face contorted after a moment. She handed it to me.

“It tastes a bit like the scotch you used to love,” she offered. She reached for another glass and a different bottle.

I took a sip. I was incredibly pleased with the flavor and texture. “Ariana,” I said to get her attention. She turned towards me with an expectant look.

“Felicia is from the land of Oz. Yes, the one you have heard about in books and movies. She can do magic. It is extremely limited on earth. The rest of our friends here,” I said as I pointed to the three Mayans, “are scientists who have been here for a very long time.”

She nodded after a few seconds. “We have not gotten around to discussing the relationship between them, and the people you have been studying on the surface.”

“Yeah, what is up with that?” Danny Boy asked. He was pouring himself another glass of whiskey.

“We overheard you ask Touchez about interference with the development of the planet earlier.” Ttaliss stated. “We intervened with the people you refer to as the Mayans because they seemed a more peaceful people than those who were running around Europe or Asia fifteen hundred years ago. While Europe sank into the dark ages the Maya advanced greatly as a society.

“We did not offer them technology. We were able to teach their leaders about working together. We taught them to farm and raise livestock.

“Some of the oral histories remaining about their ancestor’s travels to this world were transposed onto us. They began to rely more upon our help and advice. We felt we could not dedicate ourselves to them while continuing to search for our own people. We had to pull back.”

“Unfortunately,” Elias picked up, “this was interpreted as them angering the gods. They went to a variety of extremes to regain contact with us. It led to terrible destruction and war among the Mayan people. Our good intentions had disastrous effects. We have learned not to meddle in the affairs of earthlings.”

“Not directly anyway,” I pointed out. “If you are sending reports back to your home world and the galactic council you are still contributing to the interference with the planet.”

“We aren’t interfering,” Ohminia replied flatly. “We are reporting what is going on down here in case intervention is needed. If you destroy the current atmosphere with radiation from your primitive weapons, there are species which would thrive in a high radiation environment.”

“Great to know we can’t destroy the planet.” Danny Boy observed as he poured another glass of whiskey. The bottle was not going to last exceedingly long at this rate.

“Perhaps you should tell us,” Elias stated as he looked at me, “why Felicia is exiled from Ozkeria. I would also like to know how you know about the engine we built. Why do you think we will give you the plans for it?”

I looked over towards the bar. There were several additional bottles of liquor on the shelves. “This is going to take a while.” I explained. I began to recount Bubba’s errant shot on a golf course some three years prior. It led to our abduction by Pilifino warriors and the events that followed.

Arlo, Danny Boy, and Felicia all interrupted at a variety of times to interject their personal spin on my summary. Quite a few laughs were at our expense. We are able to laugh at ourselves in the strange turn of events we fell into. Ariana asked a variety of questions Arlo was able to answer quietly on the side. Some of those details were brought into the broader discussion. The interruptions, along with clarifying questions from our host, took almost three and one-half hours. Afterward, I got to argue with Felicia about whether her exile from Oz was my fault or her own. Things went south for half an hour as a variety of accusations and defenses were presented. Once the yelling was done, I told them about Dingo and the Naugas.

We were several bottles into the Mayan’s stock of alcohol. I was going to have to check on acquiring some of the asha after we left the planet.

“After what you have told us,” Ttaliss slurred slightly as she looked at me. “What plausible reason could you have to think we would give you the plans for the generator?”

“We don’t need all the plans,” I answered with a smile. “Make it easy and impossible at the same time.”

“What do you mean?” Elias asked.

“Oh, just leave out a little detail here and there,” I replied. “Whatever you used from Maya isn’t available here on earth, for instance.”

“Oh the,” Ohminia started to speak.

“No, no, no,” I cut him off. “I do not need to know. Neither does the admiral. You just call it a reactant. Maybe you transpose a couple of figures here or there in your formulas. Maybe your figures for sideband loss are greater than what you experienced. Do you see what I am getting at?”

“You want us to give them false information?” Ttaliss said with a sad shake of her head. “You are truly an evil and cunning representative of earth.”

“Thank you,” I replied. I was not sure she meant it as a compliment. I looked at my watch. It was well into the evening.

I poured myself the last glass of asha from the second bottle opened. I received help from Danny Boy and Elias in consuming them.

“Maybe we should discuss specifics of it tomorrow,” I suggested. “We are going to need some food. We may need a place to sleep if we can impose on your hospitality. Otherwise, it is going to be a long walk back to the dig site.”

Ariana began to cry softly where she sat with Arlo. “I can’t go back,” she said between her tears. “Everything I thought I knew is wrong. Everything I have taught my students is false. The papers I have written, the conclusions I have drawn, seem like so much silly interpretation of other people’s opinions.”

“You can’t just disappear.” I offered. “You have students, friends, family, and other scientists who will wonder about you. You need to go back.

“We must go back. We cannot leave Bubba, Mikimo, and Dingo out there for long. People will ask questions and want answers, especially agent Smith.”

“But what am I supposed to say? How can I look at my students and not tell them about what I have seen down here?” Ariana asked quietly.

“No one will believe you.” Arlo said somewhat soberly. “I know you’re a respected archeologist, an expert in your field, but if you tell people the truth, they will think you’ve gone off the edge.”

“If they saw this place,” she said as she pointed around aimlessly. “The tunnel, the city, if they saw it, they would have to believe.”

“Ariana,” I said to get her to focus on me. “Elias and his people don’t have the time or staff to deal with a bunch of earthlings digging through the ruins of their complex.”

She turned to look sharply at Elias. “He’s right,” he said. “Besides, if we find an answer, or if we pass away, this will still be here for earthlings to discover later.”

“You could blow yourselves up in another one of your wars and none of this will have mattered.” Ohminia observed.

The night went from jovial to melancholy in a matter of minutes.

Ttaliss finished off her drink. She surveyed the room. “We have accommodations if you will let us know the details of your arrangements. We also have food you might find palatable.”

“Five beds, in a common room, or separate ones, would be greatly appreciated.” I replied. “Food would also be helpful if we want to revisit things tomorrow with a more sober approach.”

“I don’t think any of us are sober now.” Arlo stated. He took another sip of his drink.

Elias rose from his chair a bit unsteadily. “I will arrange for food. Jack, you have told a delightful story about your life in space. Do you have other tales to tell? What was your life on this planet before you were aware of life beyond it?” He walked over to the wall and tapped a screen I never noticed.

“Oh, Suzy the slut,” Arlo stated loudly. “You have to tell them about Suzy the slut. Oh, and miss Bi-atch Kelly. Those are a couple of my favorites.”

“I don’t think I ever heard those,” Felicia said from a couple of chairs away with an inquisitive look.

“Well, no.” I explained. “Those are not stories you tell your girlfriend. Even if she was just pretending.”

“Obviously, I am not your girlfriend now. So, who was Suzy the slut? Was she the girl who used to cut your hair when we were together?”

“No, wrong Suzy,” I answered. “I did like the way she rubbed up against me when she was cutting my hair. She always kissed my neck after shaving the straight line.”

“Suzy never kissed my neck!” Arlo said.

“So, Suzy was a slut.” Felicia cried.

“No, nothing ever happened with the hairdresser.” I defended. “And actually, nothing ever happened with Suzy the slut either.”

“Then how did she get the name?” Ttaliss asked.

“When I was in my early twenties I served in the Navy,” I began to explain. “Dingo and I ran the clubs around the base where we were stationed in New Jersey.”

“What does that mean?” Ohminia inquired. “Did you own several drinking establishments?”

“No.” I answered. “We probably helped pay for many of them. Anyhow, I was a guy who liked to go out and have fun. This was true at the time because I was getting divorced from a crazy woman.”

“Crazy in what way?” Ariana questioned.

“In every way,” I answered. “She was crazy in the wild, spontaneous, up for anything kind of way. She knew no regard for consequences or other people’s opinions.

“She was also mentally unstable. I found out she was cheating on me. I filed for divorce. She checked into a mental institution. I could not divorce her because it would affect her mental stability.”

“Sounds like a real winner.” Felicia observed dryly.

“The only thing which really matters is I was still married to her. I was still wearing my wedding ring out of some sense of moral obligation or something too. I do not really know why.”

“Your morals have been questionable at times.” Felicia added.

I ignored her barb. “As I was saying, Dingo and I were regulars in about four or five clubs in the area where we would drink and dance. There was this kid Dusty who usually hung out with us and Mike as well.

“I was not looking for a girlfriend or a relationship. We were in and out quite a bit on different missions. I was there to have an enjoyable time.”

“I wish I was around in those days.” Arlo stated with a sigh.

I met Arlo after I moved to Kansas. He ran a computer repair shop in town. I bought a few things from him from time to time. I saw him in the bar in town and we became friends.

“Women seemed to materialize around him from what I’ve heard.” Arlo added. He never was great in relationships with women.

“It was somewhat true,” I admitted. “Dingo was always looking for some girl to sleep with. Mike drank like a fish. Dusty was this wiry little guy who never really dated much.

“We went to three country dance clubs and two rock and roll places on a fairly regular schedule when we were in port. There was not much of a plan for where we would go. We knew who the regulars were in each of them.”

“What does this have to do with the slut?” Felicia wondered.

“There was this guy on the ship named Jack who came up and asked me about going out with us one night. He said the rumor was we always met girls when we went out. He said he would like to meet a girl.”

“Going to a bar with you would accomplish this?” Elias asked.

I nodded. “I used to be able to walk into any bar in any country. I could tell you in half an hour which girls were there to drink and relax, who was looking for revenge after a breakup, and who was looking for a guy to sleep with.”

“What a gift.” Felicia said sarcastically.

“It’s just how it was.” I defended with a shrug. “I agreed to Jack going out with us. We went to a country and western bar. He rode with me. We arrived early in the evening. It was before nine.”

The door opened. A wheeled robot brought in a large platter of food both familiar and exotic. Everyone got a few items and returned to their seats.

“That’s the first robot I’ve seen.” I stated. “Why aren’t you using them to maintain and repair the city?”

“Most of them too have fallen into disrepair. We are out of parts for everything. There are only a couple of officials who know we are here.”

“We were told the plans were here, but not much else,” I admitted. “We did not expect to find anyone.”

“Officially, all of this,” Ttaliss waved her arm around absently, “was abandoned thousands of years ago. If we do not find an answer soon, it will be true.”

We contemplated this in silence for a little while as we picked at the food the robot had served.

“You were in a bar with another guy named Jack,” Ohminia prompted after a few moments.

“Yes. I saw a couple of girls at a table. I went to speak to them.” I picked up.

“Did you know them?” Elias asked.

“No, I had not seen them there before. I inquired if it was their first visit. They said it was. We talked for a few minutes. I danced with one of them for a couple of songs before making my way back to the table where Jack was sitting.”

“Why did you not stay with them?” Ttaliss inquired.

“The night was young. It was only an introduction. Tammy and Sarah where their names. Tammy was the one I danced with. She was a thin blond. Sarah was a brunette who was a bit taller and heavier.”

“Judge much?” Ariana asked judgmentally.

“We all have preferences.” I defended. “Tammy was my type and Sarah was not. While I was dancing with Tammy, I noticed a group of four women sitting near the stage.

“At the table I lit a cigarette. I was telling Jack about Tammy and Sarah. They were also in their early twenties and single. Jack liked the math. Two guys and two girls seemed like a perfect match to him.”

“Not to you?” Ariana questioned.

“I was there to have a fun time.” I reminded her. “I was not looking for a girlfriend, nor anyone to go home with particularly. While Jack and I were discussing things, one of the girls from the table of four pulled up a chair at our table. She sat down and asked if she could bum a cigarette.”

“She came to your table?” Felicia asked with doubt.

“From what Dingo has told me,” Arlo interjected, “it was not an uncommon occurrence.”

“What makes you special?” Ttaliss wanted to know.

I shrugged my shoulders. “Nothing in particular. I am six-foot-tall. I am of average build and average looks. I do not exude the scent of desperation some men do, however. And I was not looking for anything.”

“What about your friends?” Elias inquired.

“Dingo was always looking for a girl to hook up with. Mike was more interested in whiskey than women. Dusty, well, he was a little desperate for attention. He had no idea how to interact with women. I suppose I was the most normal in the group.”

“So, this girl sat at your table,” Felicia redirected.

“She asked for a cigarette. I was smoking non-filtered tobacco at the time. She opted for one of Jack’s Canadian cigarettes. She introduced herself as Suzy. She said she noticed me when I was dancing. She stated she liked the way I moved and wanted to dance a few dances.”

“Sounds like a slut,” Ariana observed.

“We aren’t to that part,” I reminded her. “We went out and danced two or three songs. She took me back to her table to introduce me to her friends.

“Their names were Suzy, Susanne, and Dominique. I thought it was ironic. I got Jack. We went down to their table. I said: ’I am Jack. And this is Jack. Jack, this is Suzy, Suzy, Suzy, and Dominique.’ They were just as surprised as Jack was. We pulled up a couple of chairs and began to drink, dance, talk and smoke with them.”

“Which one was the slut?” Elias asked.

“Suzy number one was the girl who first approached me.” I replied. “Suzy number two had a boyfriend. Susanne did not prefer the company of men. Dominique was single and took an interest in the other Jack.

“After a couple of hours, Suzy number one told me her brother was in town. They were supposed to meet him at a rock and roll bar we were familiar with. She invited us to go there with them. We agreed.”

“I’ll bet you did,” Felicia stated.

“As we were leaving, Mike, Dusty, and Dingo were coming in. They saw us leaving with two girls a piece and kidded about how unfair it was. The only reason this detail matters is Dingo spread tales about our exploits on the ship every time we went out.

“At the other club, Suzy’s brother was nowhere to be found. We danced and drank there until a Sinatra song was played. It goes from a raucous crowd to all these couples dancing quietly on the floor.

“Suzy pulls her head off my shoulder during the song, and we kissed. She looked at me for a long moment. Then she leans into whisper: ‘I can’t believe I’m going to sleep with a married man tonight,’”

“Definite slut move,” Ariana opined.

“I actually agree with you.” I admitted. “I laughed lightly when she said it. I told her I was not going to sleep with her. I just met her a couple of hours prior. I stated I did not know her well enough to jump into bed.”

“That is classy. I like that,” Ariana offered.

“I’m surprised.” Felicia said as she looked at me.

“I’m not Dingo.” I replied. “Her reaction was surprising too! In the one quiet moment in the bar, she stepped back with rage in her eyes. ’Look at this freaking body! She yelled. She grabbed the front of her shirt and lifted it to reveal an ample chest in a black lace bra. ‘Look at these boobs. You do not want to play with these? You do not want to sleep with me you bastard?’ Then she pulled her shirt down, spun around, and walked away.”

“Wow!” Ariana commented. “What did you do?”

“I went back over to the table, took a drink of beer, and lit a cigarette. After about fifteen minutes Jack comes walking over to tell me Suzy the slut is making out with some guy in some dark corner of the bar.”

“What did you say?” Ohminia asked.

I shrugged my shoulders again. “What could I say? I was not looking for anything. I held a cold beer. It was an interesting night. While I was standing there talking to Jack a lovely redhead walked up to the table. She asked me what happened with the girl on the dance floor.

“I gave her a quick explanation. She nodded approvingly. She asked if I would like to come meet some of her friends who were not sluts.”

Ariana looked at me for a moment before she spoke. “What happened with her and her friends?”

“I went home with her,” I answered.

“Suzy is supposed to be the slut?” Felicia asked incredulously.

“We ran into Suzy a couple of weeks later. She apologized for being so forward. She said she drank far too much that night. She offered to start over with things. We danced together and drank together a few times, but nothing ever happened between us.”

“It is interesting to us to observe the human interaction in relations.” Elias stated. “We usually take years to develop the kind of bonds which lead to mating rituals. Earthlings may take anywhere from moments to years to do the same.”

“Every situation is different. Sometimes sex is a deep intimate sharing of souls. At other times it is just sex and means nothing at all.” I explained.

“We are aware, but do not fully understand.” Ttaliss stated.

“Spending time together gives you the opportunity to find out if you love someone, or hate them,” Felicia stated while she stared at me. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the FɪndNøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Were the two of you in a true relationship?” Ohminia asked me. “She was spying on you.”

“We spent time together. Let us leave it at that.” I replied.

An awkward silence began to grow in the room.

“What was the other story?” Ariana asked after a minute.

“Oh, miss Kelly.” I said with a slight smile.

“Miss bi-atch.” Arlo said with a bit too much enthusiasm.

“I’m unfamiliar with this word.” Ohminia stated.

“It’s slang for a stuck-up person.” Arlo explained. “Someone who thinks they are far superior to you.”

Ohminia nodded knowingly. “Yes, I have encountered someone like this.”

“Kelly was very attractive,” I stated. “She knew quite well how to use her looks, and a smile, to get what she wanted.” I began.

“Oh, I know the type,” Ariana stated. “I already don’t like her.”

“We all know the type.” Felicia added.

“Mike, Dusty, Dingo, and several other people all approached Kelly. They asked her to dance at various times over the course of a couple of months. She refused them all.”

“And you?” Felicia inquired.

“I did not ask. This was in the same period. I still was not divorced. I was a few months from getting out of the military. I had no plan to take anything or anyone with me when I left New Jersey.”

“I don’t blame you there.” Ariana commented.

I nodded. “I did not care for the way Kelly was treating people, however. I decided to see if I could change it. She had a friend she always sat with. One night the friend showed up alone. I went and introduced myself. I asked her to learn a new couple’s dance they were teaching in the club. She told me she was married. I told her I was too. I offered I only wanted to learn the dance. Her name was Amanda. She agreed and we spent the next twenty minutes learning and talking.

“After the lesson was over, she went back to her table. Kelly arrived while we were on the floor. She had been watching us. I went back to my table with my friends. A few times through the night when they played a song that fit the dance we learned or a two-step I went and asked Amanda to dance.

“She introduced me to Kelly. I said a nice hello and then ignored her.”

“How did she take it?” Ariana asked. She seemed invested in this story.

“No outbursts or anything like Suzy the slut.” I offered. “I never did ask her to dance. I talked with Amanda for a few minutes after each dance. I observed Kelly. There were two guys she would dance with if they asked. Any other time she danced it was a line dance or she would go ask someone.

“If she asked, the guys always said yes.” I explained.

“I’ll bet they did.” Ariana commented.

“Does this remind you of someone?” I inquired.

She looked at me hard for a couple of seconds. “Let’s just say it is a familiar tale.”

“A few nights later we were in a different club. Kelly and Amanda came in. I followed the same pattern. I never asked Amanda for anything more than a dance or two at a time. I completely ignored Kelly. I could see it was bothering her. It killed her when she did not have my attention.

“This continued for the next three weeks. If we were in the same club, I would talk to and dance with Amanda. Kelly asked me to dance a few times when I returned to the table with Amanda. I would kindly reject her. I would either get drinks for Amanda and myself or return to the table where my friends were sitting.”

“I bet Miss Kelly did not like it,” Felicia stated. “Women do not like to be ignored.”

“She certainly didn’t.” I continued. “One-night Kelly comes up to the table. She asked to be introduced to my friends. Amanda was not with her. I introduced her to them and remind her she did not need my help. Each of them asked her to dance previously and she refused. None of them even approached her for the last few weeks.

“A slow song happened to start while we were standing there talking. She did not even ask me to dance. She grabbed my hand and started walking out to the floor.”

“And you went?” Ariana asked with a hint of anger.

“I did.” I answered. “It was killing her. It appeared I had no interest in her. Honestly, I did not. As we were dancing, she was twirling around, smiling, making puppy dog eyes, and pulling me close when we came together again. I reminded her she said she had a boyfriend.

“He then became a guy she was dating. It was not exclusive. He never wanted to come to the club with her and on and on. Turns out he was thirty-one and married.”

“Bitch!” Ariana almost yelled.

“Bi-atch.” Arlo corrected.

“And after the dance?” Felicia prompted.

“We went back to the table. She still held my hand. I gently pulled away. I went to the bathroom. When I returned, she was on the floor line dancing next to Mike and Dusty. Amanda showed up a little while later. We all began to hang out together. I continued to brush off any advances Kelly made for another five or six weeks.”

“What happened then?” Elias asked.

“Kelly’s birthday arrived. She was turning twenty -two. She had been telling us for a couple of weeks about how her quote unquote boyfriend was going to take her out for dinner in New York City and all the wonderful things they planned.”

“None of it happened, did it?” Ariana asked. I shook my head. “Never date a married man,” She stated.

I thought it was coming from her personal history, but I ignored it. “She showed up at the bar around eleven on Saturday night crying. She was desperate for attention and alcohol. I gave her both in copious amounts.”

“Then you slept with her,” Ariana concluded.

“Yes, I did.” I answered flatly. “Great body with a terrible personality. But, as Dingo recently said, ‘Never kiss a gift whore on the mouth,’”

“That’s not how the saying goes.” Felicia corrected.

“I’m aware of that.” I replied.

“What happened to Kelly after that?” Ariana inquired ruefully.

“Monday, we shipped out for the Caribbean on what would be my last cruise. We did not return for three months. Kelly did not have my address. There was no way to call or contact me. It did not really matter because I had no interest in her anyway.”

“You’re no better than her.” Felicia commented.

“I did not say I was. I just treated her the way she treated everyone else. I ran into her again after we returned. She ignored everyone in our group. We never danced again.”

“Why do you like this story?” Ariana asked Arlo.

“Because I have been the guy.” He answered. “I have been rejected by the pretty girl. I have been treated badly by people. It was a little bit of karma. I did not get to see it myself. I can believe it happened like Jack and Dingo tell it.”

“Does it make Jack a bad person?” Ttaliss asked thoughtfully.

“Jack treats people accordingly.” Danny Boy stated. He was quite so long I thought he had passed out. “Jack is usually a fair-minded person, possibly a bit too trusting in the good will of others.” He shot a look towards Felicia. “I’ve never seen him start out as the bad guy.”

“I’ve got an unrelated question.” I said as I looked at Elias. “Around six hundred years ago most of the earthling Mayans disappeared within a decade or so. Where did they go?”

“Our reports back to our home world about the condition of this world led them to offer the Maya here an opportunity to leave. Almost one and a half million chose to do so. Although not native to our world they could survive well there. They adapted to the change easily within a few generations. Our lifespans are equivalent to two hundred and fifty to three hundred of your earth years. The Mayans who descended from earthlings can live approximately half as long now.”

“I thought it was drought and invaders that wiped them out.” Ariana stated.

“That did occur when they encountered the Spanish somewhat,” Ohminia replied. “But there was only a remnant here at the time.”

I looked around the room. I was sure Danny Boy was asleep now. I too was tired. The day was a lot to take in. “Why don’t we find those beds now.” I suggested.

Ttaliss rose and gestured towards the door.

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