Prologue Summary

Dr. Marion Ford is crawling in a hidden tunnel from the convent connected to the Presidential Palace to a park outside. He is wearing no pants but has managed to grab his shoes in his rush. Pushing aside a stone disk, he is greeted by an old man who is praying to ancient Mayan gods outside the convent. Seeing Ford, he speaks to him in the ancient Tlaxcen Mayan language, but Ford immediately corrects him that he is a mere American tourist and can he buy the old man's pants? The old man is suspicious, thinking Ford has been in the convent defiling nuns but agrees to give him the pants anyway. Ford promises to return the next day to give him money. While the police are searching for him, he rolls up the pants and pretends to be a jogger, intent on...