One day, an old manuscript in Spanish lands in the hands of a translator. There will be interesting work to do, because up to now it had mostly been necessary to translate contracts and instructions. Here, apparently, is a diary of a Spanish conquistador—one of the researchers of the Yucatán peninsula. We open the first page and see “Capitulo ll.” We plunge into a thrilling adventure, and realize that the events from five centuries ago echo our own days.