The Private Diary of Elizabeth Quatermain, vol. III: The Wintering
by Lady Norbert
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21 February 1900
We expect to resume our journey tomorrow, for I have been deemed well enough to travel. My appetite has returned and, indeed, I feel much stronger.
At present we are approximately halfway up the mountain, something I neglected to mention in my entries regarding the dysentery epidemic. If Machu Picchu does lie at the summit, we can anticipate reaching it in about a week, assuming the rain does not hinder our progress too much.
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23 February 1900
Mule-back is not really a bad way to travel. I've grown somewhat fond of my mount, for all she is a stubborn beast. The path cut for us by Nemo's men is too narrow to allow anything but single-file passage, so conversation while riding is rather impossible. Each of us must amuse ourselves as we journey -- admiring the jungle beauty and contemplating what might await us when we reach our destination.
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28 February 1900
We are there. I can hardly believe it, but we have done it! If this is, as Nemo believes, Machu Picchu, then we have at last uncovered the lost Incan city!
The ruins are exquisite. Some walls, almost completely intact, are still standing; they are constructed of stone with no apparent mortar between them, yet are fitted together so perfectly that I could not wedge even a sheet of paper into the crevices! The entire city is built on a series of levels, giving it the appearance of a series of steps climbing ever higher on the mountain.
We camp tonight, and tomorrow we explore more thoroughly.
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1 March 1900
So that was what the mule owner meant about "the stone." What a day this has been -- even by the standards of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, it was a dangerous adventure.
We concluded breakfast and began, as expected, to search the site more thoroughly. We were looking for nothing specific, just examining all the remains carefully. The sun climbed overhead, we ate luncheon, and we continued to explore. I had my book about the Incas with me, though it offered little assistance with regard to the ruins -- after all, no one has been to Machu Picchu (if that is indeed where we are) in centuries.
The site holds many marvels. Natural springs have been manipulated to provide water to different parts of the city. The "steps" engineered into the mountainside are enormous levels, perhaps once used for farming. Along one of these we observed a curious row of stone statues, like rather hideous men. Much like all the other ruins, the statues were made from stone of a whitish-grey colour; there were seven of these, identical, and all in sitting positions.
Not far from the statues was another stone, very curious in appearance. It looked like an ordinary boulder, but a carefully carved square rock jutted up from the centre. We examined it closely, and I placed my hand on the central block as I tried to lean over for a better view.
Here, then, is where things began to unravel for us. The square stone shifted in its base, sinking down perhaps an inch or two, and at once a terrible sound could be heard echoing through the city. Very slowly, we all turned, and you may well imagine our horror when the statues began to rise from their ancient seats.
As one they stood, faced our party, and began to advance. We had nowhere to run, and precious few places to hide. The statues were huge, the stone appeared powerful, and their intentions were clearly unfriendly. I had one confused impression of grey monstrosities approaching when I was seized by Nemo and pushed behind a mostly-intact wall. "Stay here!" he ordered.
From this hiding place, I watched in horror. The Indian soldiers, who had rushed to defend Nemo and the others, were being knocked aside like dust being brushed from a mantel. Mina was at a great disadvantage, for her only real battle skill was useless -- the stone men had neither flesh nor blood. She stood off to one side a little, and curiously, the statues ignored her. I saw Henry pull the vial from his inner pocket and prepare to transform; Tom was attempting to shoot one of the moving statues with his revolvers, but he barely took a few chips out of its shoulder.
The stone men continued to advance, knocking aside anyone in their path. Strangely, they didn't seem as though they were really trying to hurt anyone; rather, it was like they were simply knocking down barriers which happened to be alive. Once Hyde emerged, he was fully as tall as they -- yet even his formidable strength appeared to be no match for them. The others continued to move backward, trying desperately to avoid the swinging stone fists, as the statues drew nearer to where I was concealed.
Skinner, visible only because of his clothing (which he'd had no time to remove), backed up to where I was peering out from behind the wall. "Bess, run," he said quietly. He pointed. "That way. Go hide in one of those caves we saw earlier."
"But -- "
"Go!"
There was another, lower wall near the one which hid me, and I ducked low to dodge behind it. I heard a smashing sound; one of the statues had put its fist into another stone. I ran, crouched, to the end of the wall and peered around it. My friends were backed against the wall which had shielded me, and the statues were little more than an arm's length away.
I must do something, I thought wildly. Glancing about, I spotted a rock; a piece which had broken from the low wall, by the look of it. Not really thinking about what might happen as a result, I picked up the rock and hurled it with all my strength at the nearest statue. It struck home, glancing between its shoulder blades, and the seven stone monsters turned in my direction.
"Come on!" I yelled at them.
This was probably not the smartest thing I could have done, for four of them did exactly that -- they completely revolved on the spot and began moving toward me. The other three remained where they were, spreading out to form an impenetrable barrier which prevented my friends from coming to my aid. I turned and began to run, albeit somewhat clumsily in my skirts, across the high plateau.
The statues gave chase, their speed increasing only slightly; they were heavy, cumbersome creatures, and this kept them from running too fast. I jumped down to the next level and sprinted toward the trees, remembering the caves we had observed earlier. If I could lure these four far enough away from their fellows, the League might have a chance to overpower the other three and make it to safety. This was the only thought I could coherently form as I stumbled over the long grasses of the mountain, periodically glancing back to see if they still followed.
Down another level...I could see the entrance to one of the caves now. I wasn't sure how deep it went, or what was inside, but I thought there was a possibility I could lose them once I was in the darkness. I reached the cave mouth, cast one last fleeting look at the lumbering statues, and darted inside.
I could see nothing. The light penetrated little beyond the entrance to the cavern, and I went forward blindly. Hands out, I moved very slowly, suddenly frightened that I might find myself at the edge of a precipice. But instead, I found the back wall, sooner than expected. The cave was so small it scarcely deserved the name; it might have been nothing more than the den of a large animal, and I shuddered to think of its occupant returning to discover me there.
The statues had reached the cave entrance, but they did not come in after me. Instead, three of them turned on the fourth and, to my utter amazement, began smashing it into fragments. It put up no struggle; it was as if this was planned. Soon the cave mouth was littered with broken pieces of the statue. Two of the remaining three began to then do the same to their fellow, and the rubble began to accumulate. Another statue, which I presumed was one of the three left guarding my friends, soon joined the group and was likewise broken. I watched, fascinated, wondering if they would all destroy each other and leave me free to exit unharmed. Yet another statue arrived, meaning that only one remained standing over the League.
The statues who remained standing began to collect the broken pieces which lay on the ground and, systematically, piled them at the cave mouth. It was as high as my knees before they started placing new stones. Only then did the horrible truth force its way into my mind: they were sealing the cave. I was being buried alive.
I ran forward to the light, thinking I might climb out and slip past them unnoticed, but the nearest one caught me and tossed me roughly back into the cave. I hit the floor and rolled over; the wall of stone pieces was now as high as my own waist. The cave was not large, and if they completely sealed it with me inside, I knew I would run out of air before very long.
Other rocks, not formed by the breaking of the statues, were added to the growing pile. Two of the statues seemed to be in charge of finding these larger stones and pushing, rolling, or carrying them to the cave mouth. The pile grew swiftly, and though I tried to push against it to knock it down, it was already too heavy, being several layers thick. I heard breaking sounds, the barrier having grown so high I could no longer see past it, and knew that the other statues were being shattered to complete the pile. The last square of daylight was blocked out; I was alone in the darkness.
I had correctly guessed that the two statues who joined the group were two of those left standing guard over my friends. Needless to say, this perplexed them utterly, and they kept trying to get away from the one which remained. Mina dissolved into bat form and flew over its head, but she was the only one who was able to escape. She followed the others to where the cave was being sealed, but by the time she reached the site, I was already eclipsed from view by the stones.
The last of the statues guarding the men appeared and was broken into fragments like the rest; only one statue remained to put these pieces in place. Once the last stone was fitted into a slot, the final statue turned away from the cave mouth and raised its arms, as though toward the sun. It opened its mouth, and a strange guttural sound emerged, a stone voice speaking in an unfamiliar tongue. Mina resumed her usual form as the others came into view. They stopped short, watching the peculiar chanting, which lasted for several minutes.
When it had concluded the prayer, or speech, or whatever it was, the statue closed its mouth and lowered its arms again. It sank into a sitting position on the grass before the stone pile and, quite unexpectedly, crumbled into dust. Nothing remained but a fine powder.
"Where are the others?" asked Hyde.
"They're in this pile," Mina said. "It was most unusual -- they broke each other into pieces."
"They -- they destroyed themselves?" Nemo was stunned.
"Is it me, or does it seem like our lives are getting progressively weirder?" asked Tom flatly.
They stared at the pile. The League members were assembled nearest; the Indian soldiers formed a circle around them.
"Captain, correct me if I'm wrong," said one of the men, "but was there not a cave at this location when we first came this way?"
"I believe so," said Nemo, slowly.
Hyde and Skinner both moved forward and began tearing at the pile of stones. It took the others a second longer to understand before they, too, began to shift the rock.
The pile of stones was so dense that, for a long time, I could not even hear the sounds of them trying to break through it. I was utterly encased in the blackness -- there was nothing to see, nothing to hear. All I could feel was the cold cave floor beneath me. There was also a throbbing pain in my wrist, from when I had been thrown by the statue; it had been sprained in the fall.
I sat in the darkness, wondering what was going to happen. I wondered if my friends were safe, and if they knew where I was, or if I was going to die.
The air began to grow thinner. I felt sleepy, and allowed myself to stretch out on the cave floor. It would not be so bad, I reasoned, to die in this manner; I would simply fall asleep and never wake. Surely my father would have faced such an end bravely, and so could I.
I was, in fact, beginning to fall asleep when I first heard noises. In truth, I did not believe they were real; I assumed I was entering a dream state and merely imagining things. I closed my eyes and stayed where I was, smelling the increasingly stale cavern air and reciting Psalm 23 in my mind. I felt strangely peaceful.
Then the smell of the air changed, and grew slightly fresher. A crack of light appeared beyond my closed eyelids, but again, I thought I was simply dreaming. The crack grew, steadily, and I heard a strange flapping sound before long. Wings. I opened my eyes in time to see a cloud of black bats melting into the slender form of Mina.
"Elizabeth, are you hurt?"
I blinked at her. The air was growing fresher. "Not terribly, no," I said. It was odd; I had so accepted my impending death that life seemed almost incomprehensible. "Is everyone else all right?"
"They're fine. We'll get you out of here. What were you thinking, making those things chase you?" She helped me to sit up.
"I guess I thought it would give the rest of you a chance to escape." It sounded like a ridiculous notion, in light of what followed. She laughed.
"I don't know whether to call you brave or foolish, but all seems to have ended well. Ah, here comes the rescue party now."
I looked up. A large enough hole had been created at the top of the pile for a man to fit through, and one was now scrambling down the inside wall of the pile. "Everything all right in here, then?"
"Yes, she's fine," said Mina. I got shakily to my feet, breathing the increasingly clear air.
"Hyde's formula ran out a minute or so ago," Skinner informed us. "So it's Henry again out there, trying to make the hole bigger. Tom and the Indians are helping, but it's going to be a while, I think. Might be easier to climb back out the hole that's there, if you can manage it."
"I can try. I seem to have hurt my wrist."
"I'll go and let the others know you're all right," said Mina, "since I can get out more easily. Perhaps we can get a rope to help you climb out faster." She changed forms once again and flew away.
Something happened then, which I do intend to recount for this diary -- but not just yet. I wish to think on it a bit more first.
In any event, before too much more time had passed, I was once again standing in the daylight and greeting those dearest to me. We returned to our camp and, over the evening meal, traded accounts of all which had befallen us in the space of the afternoon.
We have decided that, as the worst danger is likely over, we can stay for one more day to explore; however, we have decided not to pursue the search for Choquequirau, nor to make public our apparent discovery of Machu Picchu. We will make our descent of the mountain, return the mules in Cuzco, and navigate our way out of Amazonia. From here, our next visit will be to Washington, D.C. in Tom's America, then a trip by rail to the Midwest to visit his hometown of St. Petersburg.
And now, after the events of today, I am most desirous of a good night's sleep.
by Lady Norbert
21 February 1900
We expect to resume our journey tomorrow, for I have been deemed well enough to travel. My appetite has returned and, indeed, I feel much stronger.
At present we are approximately halfway up the mountain, something I neglected to mention in my entries regarding the dysentery epidemic. If Machu Picchu does lie at the summit, we can anticipate reaching it in about a week, assuming the rain does not hinder our progress too much.
23 February 1900
Mule-back is not really a bad way to travel. I've grown somewhat fond of my mount, for all she is a stubborn beast. The path cut for us by Nemo's men is too narrow to allow anything but single-file passage, so conversation while riding is rather impossible. Each of us must amuse ourselves as we journey -- admiring the jungle beauty and contemplating what might await us when we reach our destination.
28 February 1900
We are there. I can hardly believe it, but we have done it! If this is, as Nemo believes, Machu Picchu, then we have at last uncovered the lost Incan city!
The ruins are exquisite. Some walls, almost completely intact, are still standing; they are constructed of stone with no apparent mortar between them, yet are fitted together so perfectly that I could not wedge even a sheet of paper into the crevices! The entire city is built on a series of levels, giving it the appearance of a series of steps climbing ever higher on the mountain.
We camp tonight, and tomorrow we explore more thoroughly.
1 March 1900
So that was what the mule owner meant about "the stone." What a day this has been -- even by the standards of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, it was a dangerous adventure.
We concluded breakfast and began, as expected, to search the site more thoroughly. We were looking for nothing specific, just examining all the remains carefully. The sun climbed overhead, we ate luncheon, and we continued to explore. I had my book about the Incas with me, though it offered little assistance with regard to the ruins -- after all, no one has been to Machu Picchu (if that is indeed where we are) in centuries.
The site holds many marvels. Natural springs have been manipulated to provide water to different parts of the city. The "steps" engineered into the mountainside are enormous levels, perhaps once used for farming. Along one of these we observed a curious row of stone statues, like rather hideous men. Much like all the other ruins, the statues were made from stone of a whitish-grey colour; there were seven of these, identical, and all in sitting positions.
Not far from the statues was another stone, very curious in appearance. It looked like an ordinary boulder, but a carefully carved square rock jutted up from the centre. We examined it closely, and I placed my hand on the central block as I tried to lean over for a better view.
Here, then, is where things began to unravel for us. The square stone shifted in its base, sinking down perhaps an inch or two, and at once a terrible sound could be heard echoing through the city. Very slowly, we all turned, and you may well imagine our horror when the statues began to rise from their ancient seats.
As one they stood, faced our party, and began to advance. We had nowhere to run, and precious few places to hide. The statues were huge, the stone appeared powerful, and their intentions were clearly unfriendly. I had one confused impression of grey monstrosities approaching when I was seized by Nemo and pushed behind a mostly-intact wall. "Stay here!" he ordered.
From this hiding place, I watched in horror. The Indian soldiers, who had rushed to defend Nemo and the others, were being knocked aside like dust being brushed from a mantel. Mina was at a great disadvantage, for her only real battle skill was useless -- the stone men had neither flesh nor blood. She stood off to one side a little, and curiously, the statues ignored her. I saw Henry pull the vial from his inner pocket and prepare to transform; Tom was attempting to shoot one of the moving statues with his revolvers, but he barely took a few chips out of its shoulder.
The stone men continued to advance, knocking aside anyone in their path. Strangely, they didn't seem as though they were really trying to hurt anyone; rather, it was like they were simply knocking down barriers which happened to be alive. Once Hyde emerged, he was fully as tall as they -- yet even his formidable strength appeared to be no match for them. The others continued to move backward, trying desperately to avoid the swinging stone fists, as the statues drew nearer to where I was concealed.
Skinner, visible only because of his clothing (which he'd had no time to remove), backed up to where I was peering out from behind the wall. "Bess, run," he said quietly. He pointed. "That way. Go hide in one of those caves we saw earlier."
"But -- "
"Go!"
There was another, lower wall near the one which hid me, and I ducked low to dodge behind it. I heard a smashing sound; one of the statues had put its fist into another stone. I ran, crouched, to the end of the wall and peered around it. My friends were backed against the wall which had shielded me, and the statues were little more than an arm's length away.
I must do something, I thought wildly. Glancing about, I spotted a rock; a piece which had broken from the low wall, by the look of it. Not really thinking about what might happen as a result, I picked up the rock and hurled it with all my strength at the nearest statue. It struck home, glancing between its shoulder blades, and the seven stone monsters turned in my direction.
"Come on!" I yelled at them.
This was probably not the smartest thing I could have done, for four of them did exactly that -- they completely revolved on the spot and began moving toward me. The other three remained where they were, spreading out to form an impenetrable barrier which prevented my friends from coming to my aid. I turned and began to run, albeit somewhat clumsily in my skirts, across the high plateau.
The statues gave chase, their speed increasing only slightly; they were heavy, cumbersome creatures, and this kept them from running too fast. I jumped down to the next level and sprinted toward the trees, remembering the caves we had observed earlier. If I could lure these four far enough away from their fellows, the League might have a chance to overpower the other three and make it to safety. This was the only thought I could coherently form as I stumbled over the long grasses of the mountain, periodically glancing back to see if they still followed.
Down another level...I could see the entrance to one of the caves now. I wasn't sure how deep it went, or what was inside, but I thought there was a possibility I could lose them once I was in the darkness. I reached the cave mouth, cast one last fleeting look at the lumbering statues, and darted inside.
I could see nothing. The light penetrated little beyond the entrance to the cavern, and I went forward blindly. Hands out, I moved very slowly, suddenly frightened that I might find myself at the edge of a precipice. But instead, I found the back wall, sooner than expected. The cave was so small it scarcely deserved the name; it might have been nothing more than the den of a large animal, and I shuddered to think of its occupant returning to discover me there.
The statues had reached the cave entrance, but they did not come in after me. Instead, three of them turned on the fourth and, to my utter amazement, began smashing it into fragments. It put up no struggle; it was as if this was planned. Soon the cave mouth was littered with broken pieces of the statue. Two of the remaining three began to then do the same to their fellow, and the rubble began to accumulate. Another statue, which I presumed was one of the three left guarding my friends, soon joined the group and was likewise broken. I watched, fascinated, wondering if they would all destroy each other and leave me free to exit unharmed. Yet another statue arrived, meaning that only one remained standing over the League.
The statues who remained standing began to collect the broken pieces which lay on the ground and, systematically, piled them at the cave mouth. It was as high as my knees before they started placing new stones. Only then did the horrible truth force its way into my mind: they were sealing the cave. I was being buried alive.
I ran forward to the light, thinking I might climb out and slip past them unnoticed, but the nearest one caught me and tossed me roughly back into the cave. I hit the floor and rolled over; the wall of stone pieces was now as high as my own waist. The cave was not large, and if they completely sealed it with me inside, I knew I would run out of air before very long.
Other rocks, not formed by the breaking of the statues, were added to the growing pile. Two of the statues seemed to be in charge of finding these larger stones and pushing, rolling, or carrying them to the cave mouth. The pile grew swiftly, and though I tried to push against it to knock it down, it was already too heavy, being several layers thick. I heard breaking sounds, the barrier having grown so high I could no longer see past it, and knew that the other statues were being shattered to complete the pile. The last square of daylight was blocked out; I was alone in the darkness.
I had correctly guessed that the two statues who joined the group were two of those left standing guard over my friends. Needless to say, this perplexed them utterly, and they kept trying to get away from the one which remained. Mina dissolved into bat form and flew over its head, but she was the only one who was able to escape. She followed the others to where the cave was being sealed, but by the time she reached the site, I was already eclipsed from view by the stones.
The last of the statues guarding the men appeared and was broken into fragments like the rest; only one statue remained to put these pieces in place. Once the last stone was fitted into a slot, the final statue turned away from the cave mouth and raised its arms, as though toward the sun. It opened its mouth, and a strange guttural sound emerged, a stone voice speaking in an unfamiliar tongue. Mina resumed her usual form as the others came into view. They stopped short, watching the peculiar chanting, which lasted for several minutes.
When it had concluded the prayer, or speech, or whatever it was, the statue closed its mouth and lowered its arms again. It sank into a sitting position on the grass before the stone pile and, quite unexpectedly, crumbled into dust. Nothing remained but a fine powder.
"Where are the others?" asked Hyde.
"They're in this pile," Mina said. "It was most unusual -- they broke each other into pieces."
"They -- they destroyed themselves?" Nemo was stunned.
"Is it me, or does it seem like our lives are getting progressively weirder?" asked Tom flatly.
They stared at the pile. The League members were assembled nearest; the Indian soldiers formed a circle around them.
"Captain, correct me if I'm wrong," said one of the men, "but was there not a cave at this location when we first came this way?"
"I believe so," said Nemo, slowly.
Hyde and Skinner both moved forward and began tearing at the pile of stones. It took the others a second longer to understand before they, too, began to shift the rock.
The pile of stones was so dense that, for a long time, I could not even hear the sounds of them trying to break through it. I was utterly encased in the blackness -- there was nothing to see, nothing to hear. All I could feel was the cold cave floor beneath me. There was also a throbbing pain in my wrist, from when I had been thrown by the statue; it had been sprained in the fall.
I sat in the darkness, wondering what was going to happen. I wondered if my friends were safe, and if they knew where I was, or if I was going to die.
The air began to grow thinner. I felt sleepy, and allowed myself to stretch out on the cave floor. It would not be so bad, I reasoned, to die in this manner; I would simply fall asleep and never wake. Surely my father would have faced such an end bravely, and so could I.
I was, in fact, beginning to fall asleep when I first heard noises. In truth, I did not believe they were real; I assumed I was entering a dream state and merely imagining things. I closed my eyes and stayed where I was, smelling the increasingly stale cavern air and reciting Psalm 23 in my mind. I felt strangely peaceful.
Then the smell of the air changed, and grew slightly fresher. A crack of light appeared beyond my closed eyelids, but again, I thought I was simply dreaming. The crack grew, steadily, and I heard a strange flapping sound before long. Wings. I opened my eyes in time to see a cloud of black bats melting into the slender form of Mina.
"Elizabeth, are you hurt?"
I blinked at her. The air was growing fresher. "Not terribly, no," I said. It was odd; I had so accepted my impending death that life seemed almost incomprehensible. "Is everyone else all right?"
"They're fine. We'll get you out of here. What were you thinking, making those things chase you?" She helped me to sit up.
"I guess I thought it would give the rest of you a chance to escape." It sounded like a ridiculous notion, in light of what followed. She laughed.
"I don't know whether to call you brave or foolish, but all seems to have ended well. Ah, here comes the rescue party now."
I looked up. A large enough hole had been created at the top of the pile for a man to fit through, and one was now scrambling down the inside wall of the pile. "Everything all right in here, then?"
"Yes, she's fine," said Mina. I got shakily to my feet, breathing the increasingly clear air.
"Hyde's formula ran out a minute or so ago," Skinner informed us. "So it's Henry again out there, trying to make the hole bigger. Tom and the Indians are helping, but it's going to be a while, I think. Might be easier to climb back out the hole that's there, if you can manage it."
"I can try. I seem to have hurt my wrist."
"I'll go and let the others know you're all right," said Mina, "since I can get out more easily. Perhaps we can get a rope to help you climb out faster." She changed forms once again and flew away.
Something happened then, which I do intend to recount for this diary -- but not just yet. I wish to think on it a bit more first.
In any event, before too much more time had passed, I was once again standing in the daylight and greeting those dearest to me. We returned to our camp and, over the evening meal, traded accounts of all which had befallen us in the space of the afternoon.
We have decided that, as the worst danger is likely over, we can stay for one more day to explore; however, we have decided not to pursue the search for Choquequirau, nor to make public our apparent discovery of Machu Picchu. We will make our descent of the mountain, return the mules in Cuzco, and navigate our way out of Amazonia. From here, our next visit will be to Washington, D.C. in Tom's America, then a trip by rail to the Midwest to visit his hometown of St. Petersburg.
And now, after the events of today, I am most desirous of a good night's sleep.