Stanley Brambles and the Lost City

“Okay,” Nell said at last, raising her hands and closing her eyes, “Just what…on earth…is going on here?”

“I dunno,” Stanley said, breathing heavily, “but that’s where we came through, no doubt about it.”

“Well, it can’t be!” said Nell. “There’s a huge old building in the way!”

“We must have come through it!” said Stanley, his voice rising. Truth be told, he was starting to get scared.

“We didn’t!” said Nell, almost shouting, “I’d have remembered burrowing through a ten-million year old piece of rock!”

“Yeah?” yelled Stanley, “Well…so would I!”

“Hey, hold on a sec,” Alabaster said suddenly. Stanley and Nell both looked at him. He was kneeling on the grass in front of the rock wall. Hope flooded through Stanley’s chest. Had Alabaster found the way back, after all?

“What is it?” said Nell, pouncing on Alabaster, “What is it?”

“Well,” said Alabaster, “I’m no rock expert—”

“Geologist,” said Nell.

“—but I don’t think this ruin is ten million years old. I mean, I don’t know what kind of rock it is, but it looks like this used to be some kind of Aztec pyramid!” (If you remember, Alabaster’s parents are both archaeologists, and from time to time, he picks up little snippets of helpful archaeological and historical information from them.)

Nell blinked several times. “Aztec?” she repeated.

“Yeah,” said Alabaster. “Well, not exactly, but it sure is close, look at all these symbols. If it’s not Aztec, it might be some other Central American—”

“I DON’T CARE IF IT’S THE NOSE OFF THE SPHINX!” shrieked Nell, “I CARE ABOUT FINDING THE PATH BACK TO THE MUSEUM!” She stood up and took a deep breath. “Look,” she said, forcing herself to remain calm, “we…are…lost. I don’t know where we are, or how we got here, but I’m soaked, I’m scared, and I WANT OUT OF HERE! HELLO?” she cried, placing her hands on either side of her mouth, “CAN ANYONE HEAR ME? IS ANYONE THERE?”

Stanley decided that Nell had the right idea. “HELLO?” he yelled at the top of his lungs, “HELLLOOOO!”

Presently there came the sound of movement from the bushes at the other side of the clearing.

“Hey!” said Alabaster, “You guys did it! Someone’s come to rescue—” He trailed off as a five-and-a-half foot tall lizard stepped out of the foliage. The lizard was built like a human, standing upright on a pair of humanoid legs, with its tail sticking out behind it. Its brownish-red scales were painted here and there with bright red markings, and it was wearing a simple loin cloth with a red-and-white pattern on it. In its hands, it carried a round shield and a short, curving sword.

The lizard glared at the three of them, then made a noise that sounded like a hiss and a cough mixed together. The sound ended with a funny ‘pop’ from the back of the lizard’s throat.

Stanley and Nell stared.

“Uh,” said Alabaster, “Hablas Espanol?”