At the end of the world

This is the third in a series of five linked novels.

View/Download the first 3 chapters. (PDF, Double-spaced, 52KB)

Short Description
At the End of the World, a plot-driven literary fiction novel with a small speculative fiction element, tells the story of four couples when their lives intersect at the end of the world.

Arthur Dawkins, an archaeologist, and Michelle Bayles, a Mayan writing expert, are trying to resume a relationship ten years after a disastrous break-up. Hamish Anderson, a friend of Arthur, and his wife of forty years, Kate. She has recently left him. Jim, Hamish’s teenage grandson falls in love with the Mayan girl, Pep’Em Ha, daughter of the tribal leader. Hachakyum, creator god of the Mayans, and K’ul Kelem, his human wife. Their love from thousands of years ago has tragic consequences.

The four sets of lives come together on an archaeological dig, in Southern Mexico, to discover the tomb of K’ul Kelem.

Synopsis

WARNING! - PLOT SPOILER!

Arthur Dawkins, an archaeologist, a long-time friend of the KulWinik Mayans of Southern Mexico, has lost the love of his life. Ten years ago he made a horrible mistake and left Michelle Bayles, an expert in Mayan writing. She surprisingly agrees to accompany Arthur on his archaeological dig. He will do anything to get her back.

Yax K’in (“Yash K-In”), the leader of the KulWinik Mayans, has seen an old photograph of a friend of Arthur’s, Hamish Anderson, and his twin grandsons. The Mayan leader insists that Arthur bring Hamish and the twins to Mexico. But before they can arrive, Hamish’s son and family are horribly killed in a car crash. Only one grandson, Jim, survives. Hamish’s twin grandsons are instrumental in the plans of the gods and those plans derail when a grief-stricken Hamish arrives in the village with only one grandson. Yax K’in’s late-teenage daughter, Pep’Em Ha, is the same age as Jim and despite their different lives they fall for each other. The adults don’t know what to do about the teenagers.

Thousands of years ago, Hachakyum, the creator god of the Mayans, loved and lived with a human wife, K’ul Kelem. Her tomb is found and is then lost to the team when the Mexican authorities intervene. Yax K’in is distraught. He needs what is inside the tomb. He has instructions that have been passed from one leader to the next since they were received from Hachakyum, after the tragic death of K’ul Kelem. His secret instructions are brutal, Yax K’in must perform an agonising blood-letting ceremony on his beautiful daughter. Only Pep’Em Ha’s sacrifice can summon the gods.

Jim and Pep’Em Ha along with Arthur and Michelle, both couples experiencing difficult relationships, work together to execute a dangerous plan to foil the Mexican police and re-gain access to the tomb. Yax K’in performs the ceremony and Pep’Em Ha’s blood resurrects Jim’s twin brother Harry. Hamish is shocked and delusional. He believes his grief has constructed an impossible scenario. Harry heals Pep’Em Ha. They are discovered in the tomb and Harry reveals who he and Jim are, the Hero Twins of Mayan mythology, when he erases the lives of the malevolent Mexican bureaucrat, Roberto, and a phalanx of policemen. Pep’Em Ha thinks she has lost Jim and is wary of the changed creature that looks like him. Jim reveals that he still loves her, although he has been altered by her sacrifice.

Pep’Em Ha reveals to the Westerners that there are ancient and secret stories of the Mayans. The Mayan creation stories, where the Hero Twins defeat the gods and the world we know is created, are not stories of what has happened, they are stories of what is to come. Jim is frantic. He does not want the world to end. He wants to live his life with Pep’Em Ha, as did his god-grandfather, Hachakyum, and K’ul Kelem. He refuses to implement Hachakyum’s plan. Pep’Em Ha understands that it is all too late. Harry’s erasure of lives has warned the gods of their return. The end of the world is inevitable.

Yax K’in’s responsibility is over. He invites Pep’Em Ha to tell the Westerners all the ancient stories so they too will understand what is to come and why. It is only fair that Arthur, Michelle and Hamish know what their efforts have helped to begin. He leaves the tomb where the remains of Hachakyum and K’ul Kelem are interred.