The Anacondas

No, please, I beg of you!

No, no, please!

I beg of you!

I'm not willing.

I am not willing!

Hey! Hey!

Please!

I'm not willing!

She was unwilling!

We have angered Quetzalcoatl!

Irving, Hector, Amy and Steve

are setting up base camp half a kilometer away.

You sure you don't want to get a head start?

We can always leave a trail for Bella.

And leave the woman we're hoping is going to fund

the next decade of expeditions alone

to fend for herself in the jungle?

I don't think so.

I mean, anyone can follow a trail.

You don't know these office types.

Then why is she coming?

She's just going to slow us down.

She wants to make sure her money's being spent

the way she wants it.

The last expedition we did,

the exhibit was sold out for 14 months.

Money's no issue for her.

Yeah.

That 14-month run was four years ago.

Besides, it's always about money with those types.

Well, I guess it's lucky for her we have a lead

on that location for the temple.

Oh, there she is.

Be nice.

I'm always nice.

Oh!

I'm always nice.

Dr. Jacobs, how was your trip?

Rough.

I'm just not used to small boats.

I just wanted to see a--

Oh.

Not to worry, we've got GPS trackers,

satellites, everything you need.

Camp is about half a kilometer away,

so we can move in right now.

I hope you have some bug spray.

It's easy to get eaten alive out here at this time of year.

Um, yeah, I did, but could I borrow yours?

Because mine's buried deep in my luggage

and I don't want to rummage around for it.

Of course.

Wouldn't want to ruin a fresh mani.

This is Jess Mansfield,

our resident foot in mouth specialist.

She's also an expert in the region.

What? I like the colors.

Really.

Um, okay, anything else you need before we head off?

Um, no, I'm good.

All right, let's head out.

Okay.

A small plane, a minibus, and then that boat.

I can't believe I made it here in one piece,

but I thought you'd like to know that I invited Dr. Stiglitz

to be a keynote speaker at this year's

museum symposium at your behest.

Has he responded?

Mm-mm.

That's just like him.

Well, I'm sure that meant a lot to him.

Retirement hasn't been easy for Augustine.

Well, if he keeps declining public speaking engagements,

the public will stop engaging with him.

Oh, I'm sure he'll be out on the appearance circuit

next time he writes his big book.

Yeah, when will that be?

The last one was five years ago.

Oh, I'd love to sit.

If you ask me, Augustine hasn't been the same

since his last expedition.

That's why I informed him, I intend to stand up.

Thanks.

So what made you want to come out on this expedition, Bella?

Dr. Jacobs.

No, Bella... Bella is fine.

And that's a fair question, Jess.

I guess I was just a tiny bit jealous of Marlene

and all the time she gets to spend in the field.

I mean, you both know I got my PhD in museum studies from SUNY,

and it's just not that exciting, you know?

And I just felt isolated and secluded, and I just wanted...

Oh.

It'll get you.

Thanks, Marlene.

I guess I just wanted to feel

the dirt in my fingers, you know?

And hold these artifacts in their natural habitat,

and then authorize and negotiate cultural property agreements

with Mexico's Ministry of Culture

for temporary loans of those very same artifacts.

That's when the real adventure begins.

Yeah.

Come on.

Yeah, then it is an adventure.

How could I pass up the opportunity

to tour long-lost Aztec ruins with a private local guide?

I mean, that is a dream.

What is that?

-Get behind me. -Okay.

Is that a...

Jaguar?

If it were a jaguar, we'd be dead already.

Wait, is someone coming to meet us?

Everyone should be back at camp.

Everyone...

take one step back.

Yaretzi, you were supposed to meet us at the camp.

Everyone, this is Yaretzi Tlacaelel.

He's our local guide.

Yaretzi?

I won't even attempt your last name, I'll slaughter it.

Pardon me, Dr. Bella Jacobs,

Chief Curator, World History Museum, Los Angeles County.

Pleasure to meet you.

Shall we head to camp?

Yes.

Lead the way.

Let's go.

I told him, just stay with us.

It's gonna be nightfall soon.

Still no sign of them.

Well, I gave Jess our coordinates.

They should be here soon.

Should have given them to Marlene.

Sure, her assistant's great, but Marlene--

Has the utmost faith in her choice of assistants?

Oh!

Next time I'll stay at camp

and you can fight off the jaguar we almost ran into.

Doctor, we're just starting to get worried.

Had to show Dr. Jacobs the scenic route.

Oh, everyone, Yaretzi Tlacaelel.

Our guide.

With your guidance, we will treat this place

with the utmost respect it deserves Senor...

Tilly-Tale, Toliki...

Tlacaelel.

Hmm? Ta-lac-el.

Thank you.

I look forward to working with you all

in discovering my ancestral homelands

and presenting the rich and powerful heritage of my people,

the chosen people, in your museum.

Many artifacts and symbols of our sophisticated culture

are still hidden deep within the Temple of Quetzalcoatl.

Doctora Potts, this includes the Ehecacozcatl.

Few pieces like it ever survived the Spanish conquest

and none have been unearthed fully intact.

We may have the rare opportunity to recover

the first Ehecacozcatl in one piece

for the first time in six centuries.

How can you be so sure?

Well, most people say the Temple was destroyed

and those who have searched for it

come home empty-handed if they've come home at all.

And why is that?

Because a group of Quetzalcoatl cultists

make human sacrifices.

But I thought that Quetzalcoatl

was against the practice of human sacrifice.

True.

But this group, if the legends are true, of course,

believe that sacrifices will get them closer to Quetzalcoatl.

That only the truest of true believers

could commit such acts.

So it will likely be a small temple

since it was a small cult.

It's most likely swallowed up by the jungle for six centuries.

We could be venturing into nothing, though.

Nothing? But I--

There's always a risk, but we mitigate that risk

by having experts like Senor Tlacaelel to guide us.

No one has seen or even touched a fully intact Ehecacozcatl.

-No one? -No one.

Well, someone got close.

Wait, I'm confused.

Someone did or...

You know him. Dr. Stiglitz.

Ah.

Right.

Is that what drove him to an early retirement,

searching for a complete Ehecacozcatl?

Well, I can tell you, he might have succeeded

if he had what we have, our secret weapon,

Senor Tlacaelel.

It's thanks to him that we know

exactly where to look for the temple.

Well, Steve, why don't you show Bella to her tent?

I'm sure she's tired and could settle in.