I swear, Pink-Pencil-Girl303, you're reading my mind. Hergé himself, at some point, conceded that Tintin's biggest flaw was that he was just so damn virtuous; I really wanted to dig into that, and this won't be the only time. Thanks, as always, for reviewing; and thank you everyone, for reading!
Tintin closed his eyes, an icy feeling of dread spreading from his chest outwards.
He turned around. Qoya had, apparently, slipped back down the "emergency exit," probably to see what was taking them so long. Neither man had noticed, they'd been so caught up in Tintin's panic attack. She stood stock still, arms crossed.
There was a soul-squeezing silence.
"Qoya," Tintin said, standing and reaching towards her…
She jumped back and shouted "No!"
Tintin bent double, hands on his knees, and tried to catch his breath. He looked up at her. Her expression could have frozen whiskey.
He started to say her name again, but she interrupted: "Stop! Before I can listen to you, I need to know whether I'm prepared to die for you!"
Her voice cracked on "prepared" and she turned on her heel, swinging her hair to cover her face. Tintin suspected she was crying again.
Perfect. How many times could he make this girl cry?
Tintin scrambled after her as she made for the tunnel. He reached to help her, but she slapped his hands away. "No! I can't let you touch me until I know whether I'm prepared to die for you."
"Qoya, please–"
"Get away from me!" She climbed up.
Tintin climbed after her, pulling himself into a second chamber, not even noticing his surroundings. "I didn't mean–"
"NO!"
Captain Haddock hoisted himself up. "Both of you, please listen, now's not the time…"
Tintin ignored him. "Qoya, I didn't mean to hurt you."
"Thundering Ty– Tintin, stop. Now."
"I promise you," Tintin continued, still advancing on Qoya, "I'd never hurt you. You weren't supposed to hear what I–"
"Blistering Barnacles! Tintin, lad, I'm begging you, PLEASE stop!"
"Captain, be quiet, I'm apologizing! Qoya, you weren't supposed to hear…"
"SHUT UP!" Qoya and the Captain shouted in unison, and flabbergasted, Tintin finally closed his mouth. It made no sense. Why wouldn't Qoya just listen to his apology?
The Captain went to Qoya, who looked like she might punch a hole in the solid-rock wall. He put an arm around her shoulders and spoke in her ear. Tintin couldn't hear what he said, but Qoya seemed to calm down–marginally–as he said it. She turned, eyes darting around their current chamber, probably looking for another tunnel out, and gave a short shriek. She pointed at something over the Captain's shoulder.
Tintin turned and–oh! A face, somber and angry, peered at them from a window in the rock.
Qoya advanced towards the face, stammering in Quechua.
No reaction.
"¿Habla usted español?" Qoya asked, moving closer; then, she relaxed slightly, and muttered to herself, "Ah, por supuesto, usted no habla…." She reached out and touched the face, jumping back as the painted clay piece fell and shattered, followed by a vase, a set of musical pipes, a doll, and several pieces of jewelry.
Shocked into silence, all three of them knelt.
Tintin picked up a bracelet. "Crumbs…" he said. "I think these are the contents of…"
"...a tomb." Qoya finished.
Captain Haddock looked back and forth between them, and shook his head. "You were right about the earthquake," he told Qoya. "Let's see what's beyond…" he took off his rucksack and hoisted himself into the next tunnel.
Tintin tried to take advantage of his absence. "Qoya," he started, but she shook her head and turned her back. As soon as Captain Haddock cleared the tunnel, she started to climb.
"Here, let me help you," Tintin said, reaching for her.
She swatted at him. "Don't touch me. I still don't know whether I'd die for you."
"You have to come see this!" the Captain's voice interrupted them before they could start fighting again. Qoya disappeared into the next chamber, and Tintin followed.
Mummies greeted him. Squatting figures, wrapped in cloth and tied with rope. Already short of breath, Tintin suddenly felt lightheaded.
Qoya, on the other hand, seemed fascinated. She knelt by one, prodded at it gingerly, and glanced at Tintin.
"Don't get any ideas," he said.
"Cuidado," Qoya replied caustically. "We could find out right now whether you'd die for me."
A piercing "TOOOOOOOOT" came from Snowy, and they all jumped. He'd accidentally blown a flute carved from a bone.
"Come look at this slab," the Captain said. "I think if we all push…"
Tintin stood, and felt around the edges. He looked at the Captain. "It's quite a hope," he said.
"You're the one who said we're almost there."
"OK, let's give it a try." The two men planted their feet; Tintin looked at Qoya, who was still examining a mummy. "Can you give us a hand?"
"I don't know, I still haven't figured out whether I'd die for you," she muttered.
"That's getting old, Qoya," Tintin said.
"I agree. What idiot thought it up in the first place?"
Tintin stepped towards her, his face reddening. "What are you, five?!"
"Stop this!" the Captain commanded. "Calm down!"
"Yeah," Qoya said, "calm down. You don't want to bring on a panic attack or anything."
"Stop! Both of you!" the Captain ordered, in his "I'm-the-Captain" voice. "Direct your fury at this slab of rock. Come on, now… One… two… three… Heave!"
Grudgingly, they pushed, and it moved, ever so slightly.
"Splendid!" the Captain said. 'Again: One… two… three… Heave!"
In one motion, the entire slab fell forward, taking Tintin, Snowy, the Captain, and Qoya with it. It crashed to the floor with an almighty thud, and the four of them collapsed in a heap. Tintin's jaw collided with the Captain's elbow, and he swore in pain before looking around to gauge their new surroundings.
It was a magnificent, cathedral-like space, hewn from stone within the mountain. At least 20 Quechua men gaped at them.