I am guardian of an ancient secret, one that the wise dared not tell the uninitiated. I am guardian of the Maya Tree and by the end of my discourse, after the secret is told, I seal my fate, the fate of all humanity. Her every word bore meaning and could never be retracted. Everything she thought and did was sacred, now that she was Guardian. The words eased her painful struggle to escape a burden thrust upon her, by the Ancients Ones.
Footsteps echo down the corridor.
She pauses, fearing she must quickly hide the paper and pen. No one has ever come to her cell this early. The steps stop at a neighboring cell where the familiar voices of two men scoff in anger. A distant perro barks then yaps. The streets have filled with traffic.