Thunder of the Gods

They gradually came to their senses, and through the act of dressing returned to the twentieth century. Both were astonished at their intense mating ritual, feeling as if they had truly participated in an ancient ceremony. By now it was mid-afternoon, and feeling tired and in need of showers they returned to their room at the converted hacienda. Later that night, rested and greatly refreshed, Lacee and Philip retired once again to the veranda where they enjoyed the spectacular lightning show provided by mother nature, or perhaps the Maya rain god, Chac. The approaching rainy season was beginning to weigh on their minds, and both knew that they would need to be safely situated at Akbalcab before a month passed or risk the dangerous flooding on the Rio Oscuro.

"I'd like for us to visit the village of Mani tomorrow," Philip said, "because I think it's something your Maya blood should experience." He went on to explain that it was the site of a major 16th century Spanish travesty against the ancient Maya. "I know the rainy season is closing in on us, but after Mani we'll make our way directly to the Belizean border."

After a leisurely breakfast, Lacee and Philip bid farewell to Uxmal and made their way across the Puuc hills, once a major obstacle to Stephens and Catherwood in the previous century, but now easily traversed via a modern highway. Heading eastward from the town of Ticul, they passed several former haciendas with overgrown sisal plantations, the hemp they produced now made almost obsolete by the production of synthetic fibers. They were impressed in the small villages by the color and cleanliness of the small houses of the Maya, indicating that they were still a proud and industrious race. Just before noon they arrived at the ancient village of Mani, dominated by the huge church and monastery that was constructed in the mid-sixteenth century by more than 6000 Maya slaves under the direction of Fray Juan de Merida. Designed to bring the Spanish religion to the recently conquered Maya, the church was purposely constructed on a massive scale to impress the Indians with the power of the Spanish god. So intent was Fray Diego de Landa, the first Archbishop of Yucatan, upon eradicating the Maya culture that he caused all Maya books then known to be collected at Mani where he had them burned, thereby erasing all the extant record of Maya hieroglyphic writing. As an archeologist, Philip felt a burning hatred of Landa and his Spanish thugs for this unforgivable cultural genocide, know as an auto da fé, and both he and Lacee viewed the church before them as a monument to the persecuted Maya rather than to the Spanish invaders.

As they entered the huge edifice, they were informed by a small boy acting as caretaker that it was closing for lunch and would not be reopened until two o'clock in the afternoon. Philip told him that they could not wait until then, as they needed to continue on their way at two o'clock. With a small, much-appreciated bribe, Philip convinced the boy to lock them inside, where they would explore the structure until he returned at two o'clock. Once the massive door clicked shut, Lacee and Philip began their survey of the building. It was truly massive, with a main central church, ringed above by rooms that had served as work, sleeping, and meditation areas for the monks. The impressive stone steps to the second floor were worn smooth by countless sandal-shod feet of the monks and the bare feet of their Maya vassals. At the front of the second story was a room that may have served as a communal study area, as it was furnished with a large polished mahogany table and several massive chairs carved from the same wood. From the small window on the north side they could see the bell tower, still inhabited by the original bronze bells that had once called the reluctant Indians to do the bidding of their Spanish oppressors.

Settling into two of the time-worn chairs, Lacee and Philip contemplated in silence the empty room and the entire monument to Spanish depravity, both their minds musing about the grandeur that had once distinguished the Maya civilization. After a short while, Lacee arose and approached the large table, running her fingers lightly across the smooth surface.

She turned slowly to face Philip, and with burning eyes said, "I think we should reclaim this place for my Maya ancestors." Dropping her skirt and blouse to the floor, she continued, "and I think we can best do it by making another offering for an abundant corn crop to the Maya gods."

In the subdued lighting, Lacee appeared to Philip as the incarnation of a Maya princess, and her bronzed body struck a primitive chord in him. Standing up to remove his clothing, he beckoned her in a husky tone, "come over here and join me in this chair."

With Philip settled onto the dark, polished wood, Lacee sat facing him in his lap with her lissome thighs hugging his muscular ass. Staring deeply into one another's eyes, they began gently caressing and fingering their expectant organs. Lacee's ministrations had the desired effect upon Philip, and his staff soon stood proudly between her legs. As Philip cupped her buttocks in his hands with gentle fingers probing her sensitive folds, Lacee bent over to engulf with her mouth the peak of his lofty member, mixing her saliva with its natural lubricant. At last, with both of their instruments slippery with bodily juices, Lacee grasped Philip's shoulders to hoist herself into position to mount his manhood. Settling comfortably with its entire length engulfed by her honeyed cleft, she leaned forward to nibble voraciously on his earlobes. After several minutes of pumping and pushing, Philip grasped Lacee around the waist and stood up as she locked her legs around him to continue riding his rigid shaft. He slowly inched his way towards the large table, as Lacee worked her heated oven in and out along his muscular beam. An erotic melody from their interlocking genitals echoed about the barren walls of the monks' chamber. Upon reaching the table, Philip pulled his shaft out and gently eased Lacee backwards so that her legs dangled off the end, exposing her flushed flower to him. Kneeling, he buried his face in her fragrant nest, hungrily lapping at the honey flowing from her lips.

Teasing her engorged button with his tongue, he caused Lacee to clench his head with her thighs as she bucked and tossed in vociferous release.

She shouted, "this is for you, my people! Those monks defiled this spot with their profane religion, and I offer my body to the true spirits of Mani."

As Lacee squirmed and moaned in heavenly agony, Philip repositioned her on her belly so that her dripping blossom was fully exposed at the end of the table. Grasping his swollen member with both hands, he used it to stroke the inside of her thighs and buttocks, depositing a film of glistening syrup from its eager mouth. His libido finally reached a fevered pitch, and Philip thrust his manhood deep into Lacee's glowing fissure. Leaning forward to cup and fondle her supple breasts, he plunged his shaft in and out, filling the sterile room with the liquid sounds of their primal love.

Groaning, he rasped, "this is for you and your oppressed ancestors, Lacee. Damn the Spanish and this monument to depravity!"

He was about to release his cargo of cream, and Lacee pulled free and jumped behind him, firmly grasping his heaving shaft to direct it towards the table. Philip gave a mighty roar as his member arched jets of milky effluent high into the air, leaving the dark table dappled with pools of their love offering to the gods.

Lacee moved to the table and with her hands polished it with the warm liquid, noting, "this is the holiest offering ever made in this room."

After completing their ritual retaking of the holy ground for the Maya, Philip collapsed into a chair with Lacee sitting crosswise in his lap. She draped her arms around his neck and whispered, "I can't understand it, but I'm truly beginning to feel like a Maya princess. I'm not sure what I yelled out a minute ago, but I know that I pictured you as a Maya lord."

He confessed, "I felt unlike myself, Lacee, and something about you was different, too. Maybe our immersion in the Maya culture is starting to affect us."

"I can't say that I mind it, though", she responded, " it makes me want more than ever to get to Belize."

He continued by praising her for sharing his deep feelings for the ancient Maya, and for her eager participation in their ceremonies in honor of these sacred sites. Lacee kissed him deeply and said that not only did she share in his desire to make their love offerings to the gods, but she also completely enjoyed their physical relationship. Philip returned the compliment by stroking her firm lower cheeks. She turned to face him as his previously quiescent manhood came to attention. Just at that time they heard the voice of the small boy in charge of the keys calling them, and Lacee hurriedly mounted Philip's thrusting staff with a moan. She clasped her arms clasped around his neck, and as he stood she locked her legs behind him and rode his beam with a furious assault. The calling voice was getting closer when Lacee gave a muffled cry. As her body released, Philip stiffened and his swollen member erupted in unison with her, filling her insatiable cove with his frothy ejaculation. At the last moment, she jumped off his rigid staff, and the two of them hurriedly dressed just before the small boy appeared from around the corner.

With flushed faces they joined him in descending the old stone steps, with Lacee whispering, "I wonder if he's noticed what's dripping from beneath my skirt?"

They were on the road again shortly after two, headed southeastward towards Quintana Roo and the town of Felipe Carillo Puerto. After a two hour drive through increasingly taller trees, they neared the town that had once been the main settlement of the Maya who revolted against the Mexicans in the mid-nineteenth century.

As they entered the town, Philip said, "during the time of the Maya revolt, this was known as Chan Santa Cruz, named after the Maya talking cross that directed them in their successful revolt. It wasn't until the early part of the twentieth century that the Mexican government finally regained control and renamed the town, with the Maya inhabitants once again taking a back seat to the greedier Mexicans."

At Felipe Carillo Puerto they met up with the main north-south highway, which after a two hour drive led them to the bustling city of Chetumal. Philip drove to a small hotel he knew of in the downtown area, and after a quick shower to refresh themselves they set out to explore the center of town. Feeling excited now that they were on the Belizean border, Lacee and Philip browsed through the colorful market, stopping to eat local specialties at one of the small street vendors. They eventually made their way to the edge of the water, and with arms about each other gazed across Chetumal Bay towards Belize.

"There it is Lacee. Belize. Tomorrow we'll be nearing the last leg of our journey to Akbalcab." Lacee held him tighter, and they both rejoiced at their impending return to the rainforest.

Chapter 6

Early in the morning of May 20th, Lacee and Philip crossed the Rio Hondo into Belize. After a cursory stop at the customs station, greatly facilitated by Philip's official documents from the Belizean government, they made their way into Corozal Town. Lacee was particularly delighted to once again hear the distinctive Creole dialect being spoken, and they hugged in grateful silence when Philip stopped the truck to view palm-fringed Corozal Bay. They were soon on the road again, quickly eating up the eighty miles to Belize City. As usual, Philip entered the madhouse that was Belize's population center with schizophrenic feelings. Raucous and colorful to the point of incredulity, the city was unfortunately also the recipient of the cultural imports of drugs and violence from the U.S. This made for a mix that was often unhealthy for foreign visitors, and made even long-time residents uneasy at times. In spite of this, Lacee and Philip were both excited as they made their way through the narrow, crowded streets towards the center of town.

"It seems like it was so long ago that I left this," mused Lacee. "I guess I took it for granted," she continued, "but now I can see how much life is in the streets, compared with most American towns which seem so sterile."

Their destination was a small hotel hidden off on a side street, where Philip knew that they could leave their vehicle safely locked away from opportunistic thieves. He had learned his lesson the hard way, having lost several items in the past to inventive break-in artists who had broken out both camper windows and doors to gain access.

Once safely ensconced in the hotel, Philip broke the news to Lacee, saying, "we have one last detour to make before setting out for Akbalcab. While we're waiting the arrival of the remaining supplies from the government's Archeology Department, I've arranged for us to borrow a friend's boat to travel to Sandy Cay. My friend has a small house there, situated at the edge of the reef."

Lacee's eyes gleamed at this news, as she joyfully responded, "I can't wait to see the reef again. I was able to snorkel there several times before we moved to the U.S., and I never forgot the sight of those underwater treasures."

The Belizean barrier reef is the largest in the Western Hemisphere, and the small cay was otherwise uninhabited and they had the use of it for three nights. They made arrangements to leave the truck under the hotel's surveillance when they left the next morning, and after a refreshing shower they hailed a taxi to take them to a popular restaurant near the harbor. Following a mouth-watering dinner of fresh fish and a few salutary Belikin beers, they returned to the hotel to pack a few items they planned to take with them. Both agreed that few clothes would be needed on the deserted cay, and they wanted to make room for as much food and supplies as possible. Packing finished, they gratefully crawled into bed for an uninterrupted sleep, both of them dreaming a montage of rainforest visions and Maya ruins.

At first light they were up and off to secure the boat and the provisions they needed from the market. As they made their way out of Haulover Creek and into the sea, both waved a salute to the monument to Baron Bliss, the eccentric sailor who had left millions to Belize after his untimely demise in her waters. The good Baron had never actually set foot on Belizean soil, but he became enamored of the country and its people while his yacht was anchored offshore that he gave his fortune to the country to finance public works for the people. In exchange, the grateful Belizeans erected a monument to him at the mouth of the harbor, and each year celebrated Baron Bliss Day in his honor. Philip could appreciate the Baron's actions, as he too had developed a deep affection for the country and its people. They gradually left the urban bustle of Belize City behind them, as they headed the bow of their boat southeastward through the moderate swells. An hour and half traveling time brought them in view of a line of small cays strung out like pearls along the inside of the reef, and at the southern end was their destination, Sandy Cay. It was just before noon when their boat pulled alongside the wooden dock, which extended seaward from the sandy beach on the cay's windward side. Nestled inland in a grove of coconut trees was the small wooden house that was to be their hideaway for the next three days, its shady porch offering an incomparable view of the vast Caribbean Sea in front of it.

"It's incredible, Philip!", Lacee exclaimed, "it's the perfect way to be welcomed back to Belize!"

They eagerly moored the boat and made the few trips necessary to unload their supplies, before extricating their snorkeling gear from the pile. The reef was no more than a few hundred feet off the end of the dock, and it would be a simple matter to anchor the boat on the leeward side where the waters were shallow. Within minutes, they were gliding over the crystal clear shallows, marveling at the fleeing shapes of multicolored fish. Philip searched for a clear space to drop the anchor so that they would not damage the fragile coral, and they finally came to rest in four feet of water. Only a few wisps of white clouds streaked the bright sky, further highlighting the vivid greens and blues of the transparent water.

With a chuckle of delight, Lacee said, "I don't think I need these any longer," as she threw back her head and shook her long raven hair in the sun before ridding her body of the unwanted clothes.

As she adjusted her mask and snorkel, Philip paused to admire her bronzed body, so perfectly completing the panorama of the sun and sea.

Noting that there was no sign of anyone else on the sea, Philip stood and quickly shed his shorts and T-shirt to embrace the sun, quipping, "save some of that sun for me!"

Lacee had already slipped over the side and was crouched in the water to pull on her swim fins. Philip soon joined her in this task, and shortly afterwards they struck out towards the dark patches of reef visible nearby. The water gradually deepened as they approached the reef, and soon they were navigating the surface about three feet above the reef in a dozen feet of water. Philip took a deep breath and dove to get a closer look, careful not to brush the coral, so delicate and yet so treacherous to bare skin. He was soon surrounded by inquisitive bejeweled fish, some of whom were so bold as to nip at the appendage freely hanging between his legs. His air giving out, Philip returned to the surface, appreciatively taking in the view of Lacee's naked charms from below. Perhaps it was just the distortion of the water, but her nether lips looked even more engorged and inviting from this angle. Once Philip was on the surface, Lacee took a turn at diving, slipping like a shapely fish through the crystalline water. Philip admired her from above, especially the view of her rounded buttocks as she effortlessly drove herself downward. The mischievous fish must have found her sensitive parts also, as Philip watched her roll

with obvious pleasure several feet below him. As Lacee returned to the surface she spied Philip's dangling manhood, looming larger than ever in the magnifying sea water.

Both recharged their lungs with fresh air and then descended together to move along the sandy bottom at the edge of the reef. In the distance the caught sight of a large green sea turtle, and Philip motioned to Lacee to put her arms around his neck from above. Together they followed the turtle as it glided along the reef face, their flippered feet propelling them as one behind it. Marveling at the grace of a beast that was so awkward on land, they all rose to the surface and the life-giving air. Treading water with Lacee still clasping him from behind, Philip could feel her stiffened nipples rubbing against his bare back.

Philip said, "stay on my back, Lacee," He turned towards the boat and they smoothly cut through the waves as they returned to shallower water. Stopping in chest deep water, Philip turned to face Lacee who had only her head and neck showing. Laughing, he said, "you should be a little more out of the water," and he lifted her up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist.

Disengaging their masks and snorkels, Philip and Lacee sought each other's lips to reinforce their mutual pleasure in sharing this marine interlude. As their tongues traded messages, complementary reactions were transforming their underwater parts. Lacee reached down to engage Philip's growing penis.

"I must get a better view of this," she said, and replacing her mask ducked underwater to envelop his waving lance with her mouth.