I remember this from National Geographic back in the days when they covered sciences and archeology.
36 years ago in Cuzco Peru... we went to a small church and found ourselves in the middle of an Inca festival which consisted of a bunch of very drunk Indians running around wearing masks, very old masks, of what appeared to be conquistadors. And they were shooting off guns as well as fireworks. Very scary. Then, same week we were trying to find someone who knew someone who knew someone and found ourselves in a suburb (not like here - more barrio) and ended up in a little museum full of mummies.... row after row of mummies in fetal position. Very creepy. Then we went to Macha Pichu where my husband developed strep throat. Came back, got him a shot and a flight out of town and in the air port a crazy french guy runs up and starts yelling at us that Nixon resigned. Very odd week at 10,000 feet.
CASSANDRA Hello Arnold, bang on time.
RIMMER I’ve brought you a visitor, Cassandra. Do you know his name?
CASSANDRA Yes, I do. Not –
[Shock registers on RIMMER’s face]
RIMMER What?
CASSANDRA Not –
RIMMER ‘Knot’??
CASSANDRA Let me finish! Not that it matters what his name is, I mean, our relationship doesn’t last very long.
[RIMMER calms himself, visibly trying to relax]
KNOT I understand you have the ability to predict –
CASSANDRA - the future, yes, I do.
KNOT A hundred percent reli –
CASSANDRA - able, yes.
KNOT What happens to me; do I get back to Earth?
CASSANDRA No, you die in about four seconds’ time of a heart attack after hearing the news that you’re going to die of a heart attack.
KNOT You filthy ly — Ack!
[KNOT clutches a hand to his chest and stares at RIMMER and shock. RIMMER watches nonchalantly as KNOT sinks to the floor and sprawls on his back. CASSANDRA peers down at him sympathetically]
CASSANDRA Poor Rimmer.
RIMMER Yes, poor old ‘Rimmer’.
[KNOT raises a hand weakly]
KNOT My name is not –
[Quick to obfuscate the man’s inconvenient last words, RIMMER leans down as if to listen intently]
RIMMER Your name is not *what*?
KNOT Knot! Not... Knot..! [The man’s lead lolls back slackly. RIMMER looks to CASSANDRA impatiently]
RIMMER Is he dead now?
CASSANDRA I’m afraid so.
RIMMER Yes! [Enormously pleased, RIMMER holds up both fists triumphantly]
CASSANDRA He died of a massive coronary, just as I prophesied.
RIMMER Yes! [RIMMER punches the air again]
CASSANDRA You seem inordinately happy, Arnold, but why? You’re going to die too. [Once again RIMMER’s smile is mercilessly killed]
RIMMER But you said - I just... I’m gonna die too?
CASSANDRA I already told you: Rimmer dies of a heart attack, and then you and all the other Canaries die too; all except Lister, Kryten, Kochanski and the Cat. I’ve seen it.
A “khipu” is the basis for a treasure map in the Clive Cussler novel “Inca Gold”. The “khipuy” (or “quipu”, as the novel refers to it) is used to delineate direction and distance to the treasure that is the basis of the story.