Túlio looked in the restroom mirror, pale as he pressed the flush button. He had never felt that sick. Maybe it was the mix of altitude with that nonsensical story of indians that traveled in time and Germanic weapons of mass destruction.

He thought about what he was doing there, going to the Green Hell in the company of those lunatics… even though the lunatic was beautiful and had almond eyes, black like jabuticabas. There wasn't much to do, he couldn't jump off the plane without asking for a ride back when he landed… so, it would be best to continue that madness. He took a deep breath.

He opened the restroom door and found himself face to face to a smiling flight attendant. He had a big scare, since he wasn't expecting there to be someone waiting to use the restroom… besides, he soon saw that, with all his hurry and despair, he had entered the ladies’ restroom! His face was burning, which seemed to make the attendant's smile grow even larger.

“Do you need something? Are you feeling well?”

“I… I am now. Sorry, I hadn't seen that the restroom was… that I had gone in…”

“Relax, it's alright. That doesn't matter. Come with me to the galley, I'll provide some medicine for you.” She took Túlio by the hand and pulled him to the front of the airplane, closing a curtain behind them.

“Here he is,” said the attendant to a man that was standing between the snack carts. Túlio looked from one to another, not understanding anything.

“Thank you. Now, leave us,” the man retorted. He was a little taller than Túlio, but noticeably very strong. He had a scar under his right eye that almost reached his throat.

“I am Corporal Mendes, Túlio. Colonel Lobato sent me.”

Túlio's astonishment seemed endless. Was it possible that the Colonel had sent someone to watch over him in the jungle? An unusual action for someone who barely greeted him.

“I'm undercover, you must not tell your companions that we've had this conversation, do you understand?”

The boy could only nod, trying to assimilate all that.

“Pay close attention: the Colonel sent a message and it's important that you understand it perfectly. You are now on a mission. Your objective is to win the Professor's trust and find out how to cross the portal, besides how to calibrate it for specific dates. You must also find a way to bring material from the other side, especially war material. Do you understand?”

“No… I don't understand a thing… what portal? What are you…” And then all the truth fell over his shoulders with the force of a cold water cataract. It was all true, then? That story of time travel… Power generators built by indians… the Colonel telling him not to let him down…

“You understood. Great. Just one more thing: don't trust in anyone. And don't tell your friends about our conversation! Now go, before they get suspicious.”

Túlio couldn't think straight. He walked like a zombie, crossing the curtains and through the first class corridor until he arrived at the economic class. Airu, looking worried, asked something about his health, but he could only shake his head. He sat down. Everything seemed out of focus, like that time he had tried a glass of wine from Seu Joaquim's wine house. Bit by bit, his hearing sharpened and he could follow Airu's conversation with the Professor.

“Yes, these photos were also in the chest. But there is no data on the location of the pyramids.”

The word called his attention. “Pyramids?”

“Yes, look!” the Professor said as he showed two already yellowed sheets with whitish edges. They were in black and white, probably taken from a plane. They showed a vast forest with two prominences covered with vegetation, that resembled, indeed, two pyramids. Or hills covered with trees.

“These pictures were in the chest, in my father's research. For what I understood, they show a sacred place to the ancient natives from the region of Padauari river. It's very coincidental, don't you think?” and he gave Túlio one of those smiles of the I-already-know-the-answer sort.

“Pyramids… now I've heard of everything…” And he ran back to the restroom, feeling his stomach twist.