Chapter 3

The Scroll of Potential

Marduk opened the iron box inside a wall in Jason’s villa – two years ago, Marduk put a plastic box into this iron box and warned Jason not to open – then he pulled out the smaller plastic box and opened it. Inside the plastic box was a paper scroll with wooden handles.

Marduk opened the scroll. There were small pictures on it. Jason soon recognized that they were thousands of Maya letters. “Can you read them?” Jason asked nervously. “No one has yet found out how.”

“Crueza found that out. He has got a scroll like this, too.” Marduk pulled out a small pen-like stick out from his pocket. “I found a rock with the pronunciations and meanings of Maya words in Egypt – yes, Jason. The Egyptians knew there were Mayans and they had communications before – soon I got this magic translating stick from an heir of Mayas and linked it into my brain. So only I can use it. I recorded the …… information on the rock with this amazing object. Now I can read this scroll.”

“What’s this scroll about?” Jason asked with great curiosity.

“This is the Scroll of Potential,” Marduk explained patiently. “If someone reads it in Maya language, the great potential in his or her mind will wake up. Now I am going to read it.”

Jason believed that there were some supernatural things in this world. He saw the serpent. But the idea of reading a scroll full of Maya words to get power was really crazy.

Marduk pointed the translating stick at the first Maya letter on the scroll. The stick glowed and Marduk started to read. Jason could hardly describe what he had seen. His crazy brother’s face was covered in the blue light coming out from the scroll. The language Marduk was using was really weird – it was different from any language Jason had known or heard. The weird thing wasn’t just the language Marduk was speaking, but the effect of it. The language created a low and peaceful music in the room.

Jason could see sweats on Marduk’s hair. He felt a little bit worried – and also very terrified. Jason wasn’t an adventurous man at all. Unlike his brother Marduk, he wanted a peaceful life.

Suddenly, a noise came from the garden outside. Jason ran towards the window and saw a man walking to the villa. This weirdo had destroyed the lock on the garden’s big steel-made gate. The man was wearing a grey coat and a brown hat. His skin was brown and his hairs and beard were grey. He was holding a thin and long stick with words on it. He looked straight at the living room. Jason could see his face clearly now. This man was nearly 50 years old. His eyes were covered by sunglasses.

“Jesus Christ,” Jason screamed. “You must come and see this. Is that the Yuri something?”

But Marduk couldn’t hear Jason at all. He was using all his might and energy to read the scroll. Jason had to do something about the man outside.

Jason took a hammer out of the corner of his living room and opened the villa’s door. He walked towards the man and told the man to stop.

“This is my garden,” Jason said, his voice shaking. “You can’t just walk inside like this.”

The man said nothing. He raised his stick and Jason flew backwards and fell down onto the ground. This poor merchant tried to stand up, but the man stopped him by his stick. Jason picked up his hammer and tried to hit the man, but he soon found out that his hammer was already melted.

“Who are you?” The man asked Jason.

“I want to ask you the same question,” Jason replied, still trying to get back onto his feet.

“I don’t want to harm anyone,” The man raised his eyebrows behind his sunglasses. “And I don’t want to force anyone to tell the truth.”

Just then, a flash of blue light flew out of the villa and hit the man. The man was thrown out of the garden and landed on the grasses outside. He was tied up by blue ropes.

“Are you alright?” Marduk walked out of the villa and pulled Jason up.

“I think so,” Jason groaned. “What about you?”

“I feel as if I can push down a mountain,” Marduk smiled. “The scroll worked. But I think we must leave this place as quickly as possible. I think we should take the man who’s tied up with us, too.”