(A short Story, Dedicated to Joseito Arrieta from Radio Station 91.7 "Super Latina" ? in Huancayo)

Forward: When Gilmore Anquist disappeared, no one knew quite where to start looking for him. That was a almost three decade ago. I knew him quite well, that is, as well as anyone I suppose" ?, for an American chap" ?one that was wandering in Latin America for about two-years. He told me he was looking for the mystery of the Amuc. I thought he weas lying at the time, and was up to no good" ?some kind of hoax, it seemed to be a riddle at first, then I started to get these diary notes sent to me, the ones I am going to put together and share with you. The story takes place in parts of Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia; and although these are just short notes of a man who turned into an Amuc, it is much deeper than that, should you not have read the first adventure of Gilmore Anquist, you will have missed a little information, but not enough to make this not worthwhile reading. The one location he liked the most was in the area of Huancayo, so I heard from many of its residences thereabouts; in the Mantaro Valley region, up and around San Jeronimo, by the old 16th century church, San Sebastian.

The Amuc (By Gilmore Anquist ((diary notes))

From the first story: The Amuc: "The little Amuc smiled a sneering smile; I was a new creature to him, as he was to me. He spit out sounds I never heard, as I suppose I did to him, two languages that hung on smiles and body language. But I understood him to say, "We have a kingdom down here, and you are welcome, yet I do not think you will be leaving." ? And of course he was right. And in his face and hand gestures, he implied: I must hurry along, the funeral was taking place, and like a candle blown out, he was gone. I cannot remember for the life of me when that was; I mean, was it a year ago, or five, or perhaps ten?" ?

The Second Adventure: The Amuc, and Inca Hydra

Out of space and time, I had wandered aimlessly in the colossal mineral mines of the Andes, and salt mines of Colombia, tunnels that reached from Boliva to Peru, all the way under Ecuador, right under Bogota, Colombia. Here is where I met Inca Hydra, she said she was born in the Huancayo, region of Peru, better known as the Mantaro Valley area. Then her parents migrated to the salt mines of Bogotia, some ten years ago; so she told me, thus, I had been wandering in these mines, tunnels for fifteen years. I was a loner for the most part, and had been shrunk to the size of about two feet from close to six feet tall. It was that, or die by the hands of the Amuc, there were two Amuc cultures down here. One, I call the Angelic Amuc, more friendlier than the other, the Iron Winged Amuc. The Angelic Amuc have blond hair and guard the tunnels for the most part, for the miners. They are friendly, and like to joke, and Hydra is from that race of Amuc. And then there are the more demonic, or cruel Amuc, the gray and black Amuc whom like to scare you to death, more like goblins. Let it also be known to the readers, there are ghouls in these tunnels, should you be like me, fall into such a dilemma, and find yourself, such in this underground world; fate does not always play fair, nor does it favor any one person.

So here I was, in the hollow of the earth, under the city of Bogota, and out into the far regions of the city, with my new wife, Inca Hydra, from the tribe of the Angelic Amuc. We had been married now, going on, a year, and we went from lone location to the next like gypsies. She would dance and I would sing, for our food. Be it mushrooms, fresh water, bread or an assortment of foods. I liked mondongo soup, and some of the Amuc made it from corn and cow meat, the only problem was is that they had to creep into some farmers kitchen and steal it, bring it back to the underworld, and thus, it was quite expense, when bartering. But such foods like potatoes were easy to bargain for (sweet potatoes, mushrooms, carrots, worms, lettuce).

" ?Now that time has gone by, I have had ample time to think of course, and I wish to take for the remaining days of my life, only my devoted wife; and writing my diary notes for those who wish to read them in future time. But Hydra wishes to go back to Huancayo, Peru, to live, where the ghouls are fewer, and the Iron Winged Amuc are less than the (Angelic) Blond Haired Amuc. There we will build a home in the Mantaro Valley (San Jeronimo), by an old brickmaker's home, called Old Man Augusto, whom at one time the Iron Winged Amuc cornered, but he escaped into the hidden site of a mountain he was carving out and using to make bricks out of. He had hidden there until the Blond Haired Amuc appeared, and rescued him.

In Short: as I look back now, at this second event, or adventure in my life, it again has changed my whole life, as often times events do. Had I not taken this adventure to marry Hydra, I would have perished within these forbidden roots, within the crust of the earth, no question about it, my life was often in they wit and quickness of Hydra. We have now been married ten years, yes, oh yes, almost twenty-five years have passed since I came to this underground world, and I m aging with the Amuc, and you may very well call me a half breed, for I am just that. And most of the underground world sneer at me, but my lovely wife they d kill for, should she accept the many offers to marry, should I abruptly die. But this is all I can write now, I'm 60-years old now, my wife, but 27-years old.

Note: written during the month of October, 2005; while traveling through South America (Peru and Colombia).

In Spanish Translated by Nancy Pe aloza

El Amuc, e Inca Hydra (La Segunda Aventura)

El Amuc e Inca Hydra: la Segunda Aventura (un cuento, Dedicado a Joseito Arrieta de La emisora de radio 91.7 "S per Latina" en Huancayo)

Adelanto: Cuando Gilmore Anquist desapareci , casi nadie sab a donde comenzar a buscarlo. Esto fue hace casi unas tres d cadas. Yo lo conoc a bastante bien, es decir tan bien como cualquiera supongo-, para un americano que estaba vagando en Am rica Latina por aproximadamente dos a os. l me dijo que l buscaba el misterio del Amuc. Pens que l estaba mintiendo esta vez, y no esper nada bueno - una especie de broma pesada, pareci ser una tonter a al principio, entonces comenc a obtener estos apuntes de diario enviados hacia m , estos los que voy a reunir y compartir con ustedes. La historia ocurre en partes de Per , Ecuador, Bolivia, y Colombia; y aunque estos son solo los apuntes cortos de un hombre que se convirti en Amuc, es mucho m s profundo que esto, podr a usted no haber le do la primera aventura de Gilmore Anquist, usted habr perdido una peque a informaci n, pero no mucho para no hacer de esta una lectura que vale la pena. La nica localidad que disfrut m s, es en el rea de Huancayo, por que tuve noticias de muchas de sus vivencias por all ; en la regi n de Valle del Mantaro, por y alrededor de San Jer nimo, por la Iglesia antigua del siglo XVI, San Sebasti n.

El Amuc (Por Gilmore Anquist (apuntes de diario)

De la primera historia: "El Amuc" ?: El peque o Amuc sonri una sonrisa burlona; yo era una nueva criatura para l, como l lo era para m . l solt sonidos que nunca o , como supongo que yo lo hice para l, dos lenguas que colgaron sobre risas y lenguaje corporal. Pero lo entend