The cars were heading at full speed towards the Cuiabá War Arsenal. The building from the XIX Century had been enlarged several times and now also hosted the Center-West Military Command, being one of the jewels of the War Ministry.

Airu couldn't hold back: “What do you mean? What do they want with the forest?”

The Captain, irate with the indian's insolence, yelled at the top of his lungs, “Well, bugra, you know what they want! All of you know! They want the pyramids!”

Túlio nearly threw up onto his own feet.

The Professor, with his mouth agape, had a hard time articulating a sentence, which died in his mouth before it could even be spoken.

“Don't deny it, Professor. Please, do not insult the intelligence of the Imperial Information Service. We know what you'll be doing in that Green Hell.”

“But how? How…”

“That doesn't matter now. What matters is that you have acquired military escort and total priority of the Army. And that's not little.”

The Professor was grasping the strap of the suitcase so tightly that Airu thought his hand would bleed. She held it in a tender gesture of support and felt the pressure of his hand lighten a little.

“We've got little time, Professor. The Germanics have planes with a kind of propeller that can boost them to a speed far superior than that of sound and of any of ours. It is possible that some of those bombers are able to cross the Atlantic without a single refueling! Besides, the rumors about those subs seem to be true — they have damned ships that submerge!”

“But the Germanics will have to fight against our troops in Europe and in the African colonies. Even if they win, it'll take months for the war to knock at our doors.” The Professor seemed to think out loud.

“Bad mistake, Professor. A single bomber dumping a single bomb on the capital of the Empire and the war will have been won. Never has a hostile nation shot a single shot within our frontiers. If a bomb hit the capital, psychologically it'll be their victory. In a matter of months, we'll be surrendering.”

Túlio managed to muster the strength to ask: “If they have all that technological superiority, why don't they end us at once?”

“Because they have detected the radiologic activities in Gabon and in the Amazon Forest Area. To our luck, the mines in Oklo have entered some kind of ‘spontaneous combustion’ in a reaction powerful enough to be felt in Berlin. The Germanics believe it was a controlled explosion, a type of reactor like the one they have in Peenemünde.”

“But we have no idea how to control the explosions, do we” the Professor retorted with a somber tone.

“No, we don't. But we will use that as a smoke screen, buying time until we get to the pyramids and can study the area. According to the readings, the radiologic energy there is controlled, God knows how.”

An idea began to form simultaneously in Airu's, Túlio's and Professor José Antônio's head — Captain Barthel still had no idea of the existence of a “temporal portal” or anything of the like. But Túlio couldn't understand how Lieutenant Mendes could know something that a superior didn't. Although Colonel Lobato was the actual superior… he decided to test his theory. He knew he was stepping on eggs, but he needed to be sure.

“Captain…” his voice came out thinner than it should. He cleared his throat and tried again, feeling a drop of sweat run down his back, “Captain, but what do you think we'll find in the pyramids?”

The Captain glared at him. He seemed to be studying each millimeter of Túlio's face as if he were a truth machine looking for suspicious signs.

“The same way as you, we think that the pyramids are remains of a civilization prior to the Mayans and Incas. Our scientists have a theory that the human civilization is cyclical and that every one or two million years, a catastrophe happens and everything restarts. The Emperor hopes that there is an advanced technology in the pyramids, more advanced than the one found by Cabral.” He said that and fell in silence like someone who says more than they should. But he knew the damage had been done.

“So, it's true!” exclaimed the Professor.

“There are many truths, Professor. The one you must focus on now is that the Empire needs the reactors that are in the pyramids. And with urgency.” He turned to the driver and said dryly, “Faster.”

“Yes, sir,” was the driver's automatic reply. But Túlio recognized something in that voice… he looked through the lateral of the seat, worried not to let it show he wished to see the face of who was sitting in front of him, and recognized the scar… it was Lieutenant Mendes!