The vicious circle “Cuanto Cuesta? » » asked Dr. Catherwood, slowly leafing through the Ocixeman newspaper of June 1, 1998. "Tres pesos, Senor," replied the smiling clerk, golden teeth glinting in the bright sun. Dr. Catherwood casually tossed a five-peso coin onto the counter of the small newsstand and said, “Keep the change amigo.” » This drew another big smile from the clerk. Dr. Catherwood walked away, contemplating his next expedition. He had just arrived in Ocixem earlier by plane. Dr. Catherwood was on sabbatical from his position as professor of anthropology at Harvard University in Acirema. He had a meeting at a local cafe in an hour with Dr. Ortiz, his Ocixeman colleague from the Maya Institute. The other day, Dr. Ortiz had called him in his office to tell him that he had made an incredible discovery. After the second scientific revolution, people no longer hid scientific secrets from the world, so he was very intrigued. It was considered high treason to hide a discovery from the world government as part of its anti-terrorism policy. Wondering why he would take such a risk in keeping his discovery, Dr. Catherwood promised to join his friend at Ocixem immediately. Catherwood was early, so he sat at the outdoor café and ordered a cold lemonade. The humid jungle air condensed on his glass as did the beads of sweat on his head. He suddenly appreciated the fact that he came from the colder climate of Acirema. Little did he know that Dr. Ortiz's discovery would have broad applications in his thoughts. Doctor Ortiz suddenly appeared, rushing to sit across from Dr. Catherwood. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” he exclaimed, “but I was finalizing our travel arrangements.” “Travel arrangements?” » asked Dr. Catherwood.Dr. Ortiz explained that over the past two years, he had worked among the ruins of the ancient Mayan civilization and began to decipher many of their hieroglyphs. It focused on how such a large and prosperous society could almost disappear from the face of the earth. Some scientists have hypothesized that the Mayans were assimilated with other cultures and thus disappeared. Although the descendants of the Mayans can be recognized in present-day Ocixem by their short stature, hawk noses and flat foreheads, Dr..