Hire Eduardo as your guide

From Create Your Own Story

"All right. It's a deal," you say.

He grins. "Excellent. My Jeep is right over there."

Eduardo drives over a series of narrow, twisty dirt roads through the mountains. You frown as you trace the path on the map. "We're heading away from Machu Picchu," you say.

"That's the idea. Everyone else assumes that Machu Picchu is the place to look. Everyone else has been looking in the wrong place."

You nod, but your body remains tense. You never realized how lonely these mountains were until now.

Finally, Eduardo parks the Jeep by the side of the road. "This is as far as we can drive. We'll have to hike the rest of the way. Follow me."

After about an hour of hiking up and down steep trails, Eduardo points to a small hole in the side of a hill. The opening blends in so well with its surroundings that it would be virtually impossible to discover by accident. "There," he says. "The secret entrance to the tomb of the great Inca warlord."

You shine your flashlight into the hole. It continues straight for about twenty feet, then curves sharply to the right out of your view.

"Well, here we are. Are you ready, Senora Katarina?"

"Senorita," you correct him. "Yes, I'm ready."

"Good." Eduardo clicks on his own flashlight and heads into the passage. Taking a deep breath, you follow him.

Inside, it is a maze, with many forks, twists, and turns. But your guide seems to know exactly where he's going, choosing a path at each fork without hesitation. Not letting him see you, at each division you quietly mark the way back to the exit with a piece of bright red chalk you thoughtfully brought along.

Finally, the passage opens into a small, rounded cavern. In the middle is a narrow hole in the rock, leading straight down. "Climb down there. You'll find what you're looking for at the bottom," says Eduardo.

This is too obvious a trap. "No way," you say. "You go first."

"No, ladies first," says Eduardo. He suddenly whips out a concealed pistol and points it at you.

"I knew you were up to no good," you growl.

"But you still came down here with me, and that's all that matters," he smirks. "Now either you climb down into that hole, or I'll shoot you and drop your corpse down it. What's it going to be?"

• Obey Eduardo's order at gunpoint
• Pretend to obey, then attempt to knock his gun away and defeat him in hand-to-hand combat

Status
Health	{{{Health}}}	Equipment: A light backpack with essential supplies
MP	{{{MP}}}
Level	{{{Level}}}