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"Friendlylooking fellow," said Zavala "You don't suppose he bites?"

"Meet the feathered serpent Known in these parts as Kukulcan"

"He looks like a cross between a Rottweiler and an alligator Ask hiet into the pyramid"

"Maybe that's not such a dumb idea" With a few fin kicks Austin propelled hi ht "Say 'ah,' " he said, and headed straight in His air tank bonked and scraped against the thick fangs, but once inside there was room to turn around He stuck his head out of the mouth, invited Zavala in with a wave, then headed deeper into the pyra floor They swale for about two eway ended in a chah for both of theeway

"I feel like a load of dirty clothes that's just gone down a laundry chute That was too easy," Zavala said suspiciously

"I was thinking the sa kneas going to be underwater They probably figured that anyone trying to get in would waste tih the slab just below the teo into the serpent's mouth Just the same," he added, "keep a sharp eye for booby traps"

They rose up the stairs like ghosts in a haunted house Austin could hear Zavala gru "Wish they'd make up their mind, man Down Up"

Austin syripes Even an experienced wreck diver can't always put aside those formless claustrophobic fears that the thousands of tons of rock overhead could co down Even worse, that they could be trapped, unable to lad when his head broke the water Zavala popped up a second later They flashed their lights around the circular pool Zavala reached up to take his regulator from his mouth

Austin's hand shot out and clamped Zavala's wrist "Wait!" he warned "We don't know if the air is good"

The atmosphere could be more than two thousand years old Austin didn't know if any anisms, spores, or toxins could have been built up in all that ti to take the chance He pulled himself out of the pool and removed his fins and belt, then helped Zavala do the same They climbed the stairwell to where the floor leveled The noise of their breath through the regulators sounded unnaturally loud out of the water

The long, narrow chah vaulted roof supported by arches, built in tire corbeled fashion that the Maya favored with levels of horizontally laid blocks Austin's flashlight beaated head with pointed ears and flared nostrils

Zavala said, "Is that what I think it is?"

A horse is a horse"

"Of course, of course But what the hell is Mr Ed doing here?"

Austin lowered his flashlight so that the bea wooden neck "Well, I'll beit's a figurehead"