The bad thing about taking a smaller jet was the noise. Lykopis was seated near the right engine, so she was partially deaf. Icarus had his iPod playing, so he was deliberatly deaf. Drake and Adem continued going over the papers, organizing the victims. Some of the packets were sprawled out in the little floor space they had, and others were crammed on their laps or between their fingers.
"Five of them were currently students at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid," said Adem.
Drake wrote this information down on his notepad. "Two others had graduated from the Univeristy." Drake went back to the first page of the victim's information packet. "One had a bacholer's in Accounting, and worked for Madrid Banking."
"The other..." said Adem, since he held that victim's packet. "Had a degree in Art History and worked at a Starbucks."
"Man," began Drake, grinning, "they have Starbucks everywhere." He turned back to Adem. "You think any of them knew each other?"
Adem shrugged. "That's one of the things we need to find out."
"So what do you think of this whole 'Smoke and Mirrors' bit?"
Adem leaned back in his chair. "I'm not familar enough with Earth theology to really answer that." He leaned back and looked at Lykopis. Her eyes were half shut in an attempt to drown out the engine noise. "Lykopis, can you come over here?"
Lykopis navigated her way over the victim packets. "You need something." She spoke a little louder than usually, forgetting that her hearing had been messed up. "Sorry. You need my help?"
"'House of Smoke and Mirrors'. Ring any bells?"
Lykopis nodded. "I have been trying to remember when I heard the name before. The thing is, I do not think it is a Spanish term."
"It's Mexican."
Lykopis, Drake, and Adem turned to the rear of the plane. Edmund Gaunt was drumming his fingertips on the armrest. The Amazon raised one jeweled finger, and she smiled smartly. "Aztec, actually. I remember now."
Gaunt nodded to Lykopis and continued. "'Smoking Mirror' is the English translation to 'Tezcatlipoca', one of the gods worshipped by the Aztecs."
Ozzy, half-sleeping, half-spying, felt the urge to speak all of sudden. "How the friggin' hell," he said to Lykopis and Gaunt, "do you know random shit like that?"
Gaunt lips narrowed as he tried to avoid grinning. "I read a lot."
"So," said Drake, trying to get back on topic, "he's some sort of Aztec god? This doesn't explain why the missing people were taken from Spain."
"Not really," said Lykopis. "There is a connection...not a very strong connection, but it is something. The Spainish took Mexico from the Aztecs. There are no more Aztecs living. They were killed centuries ago. Disease, war...take your pick."
"Don't feel too sorry for them, Lady Lykopis," said Gaunt. "Tezcatlipoca was rough, even by their standards. Keep in mind, he wasn't originally an Aztec diety -- he preceeded the Aztecs." Gaunt folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. "He had a mirror that gave off smoke -- that's how he killed his enemies."
"'The House of Smoke and Mirrors'," said Drake. "I think this means we have a lead. Nice job you too."
Lykopis held up her chin with her hand. "One other thing. I remember hearing about this when I was in Mexico looking for gold. He had an animal form. A massive jaguar."
