The Royal

After la pendeja
had left,

climbing the ladders
exposing her ample backside,

Isidra quietly removed
the red alloy screws

which held the replica
in place.

She was startled to find
Martian writing

where she had removed the replica.
Even more startling

were the three embossed buttons.
Isidra had not mastered

the Martian language
but she knew enough

to read
the instructions

underneath the buttons.
She pressed them

in the sequence
called for,

sixty-nine positions in all.
A door silently opened.

She almost passed out,
her heart was racing.

The tomb of a Martian royal
glowed with a hum.