5 Go Slow Fast!

Chapter 5 GO SLOW FAST! A black-and-green snake was sliding out from the underbrush. Then Jack saw another! "Pit vipers!" he yelled, springing up from the ground. "Venomous!" The two pit vipers slithered away between the rocks. "Go! Go!" Jack shouted to Annie. "Go slow!" she yelled, hurrying after him.

"Go slow fast!" cried Jack. They scrambled up the mountain slope. The snake scare gave them a burst of energy. But after a while, they grew tired and short of breath again. "I… I need to… stop…," said Annie, panting. "Up ahead… short way…," Jack gasped. "A clearing… keep going." Jack and Annie pushed themselves harder, climbing through brush and tall plants, until they came to an open area. "Stop… here…." Jack could barely get the words out. Just below the misty mountaintop, the forest had been cleared. A series of low stone walls had been built on the slope. Between the walls were narrow, flat fields. "What are these walls?" said Annie, still breathless.

"I think they're called terraces," said Jack. "The walls keep rocks and mud from sliding down mountains." "Looks like… a stairway for giants," said Annie. "I'll bet it leads u… to the Secret City." "Yeah," said Jack. "Let's rest again… figure stuff out…. But first… check for snakes." They both looked around carefully for snakes. "All clear," said Annie. She and Jack sank to the ground. They rested their backs against the first stone wall and took deep breaths. Jack felt sleepy and light-headed. "Let's read about… Old Mountain," he said. He pulled out their travel guide and looked in the index. "Here." He read: In the language of the Incas, Machu Picchu means Old Mountain.

"What? Machu Picchu?" said Jack, suddenly awake. "That's where Uncle Josh went!" said Annie. "I saw his photos! He took a train up the mountain!" "I know," said Jack. "Lots of tourists… go to Machu Picchu. It's one of the wonders of the world… like the Great Wall of China." Jack turned the page. A photo showed crumbling stone ruins on a mountain ridge. The roofs of the buildings were gone. He read: The fortress of Machu Picchu was built almost six hundred years ago, at the height of the Inca Empire. It was a secret retreat for royal families and their guards and servants. Machu Picchu was active for only about a hundred years. After the Inca Empire

ended, the secret city fell into ruin and was forgotten, until explorers discovered it in the early twentieth century. "Whoa," said Jack. "Topa and his grandparents are still calling Machu Picchu the Secret City, so we've definitely come here hundreds of years in the past." "I know," said Annie. "Come on. We have to keep going." "Wait. We should rest longer. To get used to the low oxygen," said Jack. They took deep breaths and tried to relax. Finally, Annie stood up. "I think I'm ready now," she said. "Me too," said Jack. He felt a lot better. "Let's give it a try." He put away the travel guide, then turned to Annie. She gave him a thumbs-up. Then

she pointed toward the Secret City. "I see a path," said Annie. She led the way to a pebble path that ran between the terraces up the slope. "Not too fast!" said Jack. They slowly hiked up the path. Clouds hid the higher terraces. Through the haze, they saw people working in the narrow terrace fields. The workers were using wooden shovels to break up the hard ground. Jack was glad the workers wore ponchos and hats like theirs. He was also glad it was hard to see through the cloud mist. Hopefully no one would notice two kids heading toward the Secret City. "Keep going," Jack said. "Keep breathing." They kept following the path. Near the top of the mountain, they came to the last terrace. A high wall loomed beyond it.