The Diaries of Ayesha

Including people who practice voodoo.

My involvement with it started simply enough as I was shopping for Mistress Minx's birthday present. Mistress Minx is a Scorpio, and her birthday is .. well let's just say Trick or Treat. So, I thought I'd see if I could find something appropriate for a daughter of the Goddess as well as a daughter of Ay'esha.

I was sort of wandering through one of the marketplaces in Arthur's Town when I spotted a stall selling incenses and what the stall owner advertised to be magic potions.

Now, before you get the wrong idea about me, I do accept the idea of magic. With some of the things that have happened to me and some of the things I've seen, I have to.

But the cool, detached, scientific side of me always found the idea of magic potions, spells, and incantations amusing.

Even as I perform my own rituals to the Goddess, I feel just slightly silly. But she understands and loves me anyway.

Anyway, set back from the rest of the magical items, almost hidden in fact under a cloth, there was a beautiful statue of a black woman hand carved from ebony. She held a staff in one hand and a bird with it's wings spread in the other.

"That carving there. How much is it.", I said pointing to it.

The stall keeper hurried over and pulled the cloth over it, concealing it from view completely.

"It is not for sale sir. ", he said anxiously.

"OK. Can you tell me where to get one like it?", I said reasonably.

"No.", he said looking around.

I was beginning to get the impression the thing was stolen from the way he was behaving about it.

"All right. I was just interested in it or something like it for a friend of mine.", I dismissed and started to walk away.

"Mister, I'll give you some advice. You don't want to give anything like that to someone you love.", he called after me.

"Why not?"

"You just don't."

Wasn't much of an answer really, but I wasn't inclined to argue with him. If he didn't want to sell it, he certainly didn't have to. It would have made a nice gift though.

It was later when I was having a snack before catching the boat back to Nassau that I saw the stall keeper making his way through the crowds near the dock carrying a duffel bag and looking over his shoulder every so often.

I finished my sandwich and walked towards the dock not really thinking about anything when I saw his bag laying on the ground and the owner nowhere to be found. I probably should have left things well enough alone but the way he was protecting the bag, I figured it was valuable, so I stopped beside it and waited for the owner.

Almost half an hour passed and no sign of him and the boat was about to leave, so I picked the bag up and walked to the ticket office to ask if there was a lost and found I could leave it at.

The clerk pointed towards the freight warehouse, and told me to leave it there, but I'd better hurry or I'd miss the boat .

I scurried across the plaza and had just about reached the freight office when I felt a hand grip my arm and looked up to see a large black woman in a police uniform next to me.

"Your bag sir. I'd like to look inside.", she said firmly.

"Well it's not my bag actually, I found it and was taking it to the lost and found.", I said in explanation.

"I'd like to look inside the bag please.", she repeated sharply.

I sat the bag down and was about to give it to her when I noticed something . She was wearing tennis shoes. Tennis shoes?

"I don't think so.", I said softly, gripping the bag again.

"What?"

"Your shoes are untied."

Stone the crows, she actually fell for it, and then fell backwards as I swung the bag at her.

I legged it for the boat, the lost and found being the last thing on my mind any more. I could always return the bag later.

This plan failed however as the boat was already pulling away from the dock, and jumping for it with the bag would only result in a loud splash. I stopped running and made my way through the crowds back to the ticket office, only to be informed that I'd missed the last boat for the day.

"Damn. OK, can you tell me where the police station is?", I asked.

The agent directed me to an address a few streets away, and I asked him to check in my bag until morning.

He took it without comment, and gave me a receipt and tossed it into the luggage area.

I walked towards the police station keeping a wary eye open for the large woman or the stallkeeper.

I was really wondering what I'd gotten myself into this time, and hoped Minx wouldn't be too worried about my failure to return. I decided I'd better call her and let her know I'd screwed up and missed the boat after I talked to the police.

The police officer on duty listened to my story and took down my description of the woman and the stall keeper.

"And where is the bag now?", he asked softly.

"I checked it in at the ticket office for the boat. I didn't want to be carrying it around with me considering what happened. It's replaceable, I'm not."

"Let me have the receipt and we'll pick it up and bring it back here.", he said holding out his hand.

I gave him the slip of paper and he picked his hat up and indicated I should follow him.

We walked back down towards the pier but before we could reach it we were passed by a fire truck and I could see smoke ahead.

The ticket office was ablaze when we arrived and spreading despite the efforts of the firemen to stop it.

I looked at the cop and his expression indicated his anger with the whole affair.

"Wait here.", he said and walked over to the fire chief and spoke with him for a few minutes then returned to where I was standing.

"Do you have any idea what was in that bag?", he asked me.

"Not really. I think there might have been a statue in it. I tried to buy a statue from the man earlier, but the man refused to sell it to me. In fact he said I wouldn't want to give it to someone I loved. Weird.", I explained.

"What did the statue look like?"

I described the piece and as I did so I could see a change in the officer's expression. It shifted from official interest to personal interest.

"I'd like to see that piece myself.", he said.

I looked toward the now smoldering remains of the building and shook my head.

"Well it's gone now."

"Maybe not. It might have survived.", he said positively.

As the debris cooled we made our way through the smoldering mass and started looking through the rubble. I thought I'd remembered the layout of the place reasonably well, and a lot of the baggage was still intact although soaked with water.

There on the floor lay the duffel bag, limp and water soaked.The zipper had been fused by the heat, so I had to cut it open with my pocket knife.

All that was inside was a collapsed mass of packing materials and nothing else.

"Well if there was a statue in here, it's gone now. Maybe someone stole it and started the fire to cover up the theft.", I said.

"Possibly.", was all the officer said noncommittally.

And that seemed to be the end of it.

I thanked him for his time and walked back towards the center of town to find a phone and a hotel for the night.

When I called Minx, she wasn't in her suite, which didn't surprise me. After all, a beautiful woman does not generally sit at home alone on a Saturday night.

I left a short message telling her where I was and a brief description of what had happened, and assured her I wasn't going to look for trouble this time.

I wasn't sure she'd believe it, but I had to try anyway.

And I'll be damned if trouble didn't find me instead. And over dinner too.

The cafe in the hotel was a bit crowded that night, and I had just been seated when the headwaiter asked me if I'd mind sharing the table with someone.

"I don't see why not. No problem.", I said.

Me and my big mouth.

He led a short blonde woman up to the table and introduced her as Kelly Allen.

She was fine boned and fair skinned, and I could see a hint of amusement in her eyes as she looked at me.

"Michael Forbin. Please join me.", I said standing up politely and pulling out a chair.

"Thank you.", she said with a soft Irish accent as she sat down.

I will say having a young lady at my table improved the service considerably, and the meal passed most pleasantly as we talked about the islands, the people, and the other things two people do when they're making polite conversation.

We has progressed to the coffee stage of the meal before things started to go slightly off kilter.

"You know," she said, "I've really enjoyed this. You're a very interesting man."

"Well, thank you. I'm glad I'm so amusing.", I replied with a grin.

She blushed and started to apologize.

" You have a wonderful smile and you make me feel very comfortable. And I'll admit I asked the headwaiter to seat me with you. You just interest me."

"Professionally or personally... Doctor?", I said taking a wild guess.

The blush intensified.

"Both. I saw you in the marketplace, at the magicians stall. You didn't seem like the type of man to go into a place like that."

"Surprise. What is your degree in?", I asked.

"Well my degrees are in psychology, and parapsychology. And to use a vulgar phrase, I'm a practicing shrink in New York. I came down here to do research on voodoo."

I scowled.

"Aren't you a little bit off? Voodoo is Haitian."

She shook her head in disagreement.

"Voodoo may be more well known as Haitian, but it is actually rather well spread through the islands. In fact there was at one time a group of practioners here that I came to see."

"You know , I wouldn't mind meeting them myself. I'm actually pagan in my beliefs."

"A Goddess worshipper? That's very interesting for a man."

"Making a judgment call aren't you? I've always felt that every woman has aspects of the Goddess in her. From the positive aspects of Venus and Minerva , to the less attractive aspects of Kali and Lilith."

She sipped her coffee and nodded politely.

"And which Goddess do you worship?", she asked.

I smiled , thinking of the Goddess I worshipped.

"You've never heard of her. But she is an avatar of Aphrodite and Demeter combined."

Kelly laughed.

"She must be very special to you to say that."

"She is. And now after talking with me, do you think I need to spend some time on your couch?", I teased.

She raised her coffee cup and looked at me over the rim of it.

"No. But I would certainly like you to spend time in my bed."

I just looked at her in amazement for a moment before speaking.

"Do you do this sort of thing with strange men often?"

She just smiled gently at me.

"Yes. I'm also trained as a sex surrogate."

When I got to my room escorted by the lady, I discovered that I'd had a visitor with a strange sense of humor or tastes even kinkier than mine.

On the bed was a pair of crossed chicken feathers in a puddle of blood.

Kelly looked at the mess and then back at me.

"And who have you pissed off today?", she said calmly.

"A big black woman who claimed to be a cop."

"How'd you piss her off?", she asked curiously.

"Knocked her on her ass. And I won't say it was an accident."

"Why?"

"It's a little complicated actually.", I demurred, looking at the mess on the bed."Let's talk somewhere else."

We walked back towards the bar in the hotel and I explained the events of earlier in the day over drinks. I had ginger ale, she had a gin and tonic.

"It's possible the statue you were describing is an orisha.", Kelly said speculatively." But I don't recognize the figure."

"You want to try that again for me. A what?"

She smiled indulgently at me.

"An orisha is a worship item, a statue or carving of a particular God or Goddess. And I will say that the priests or priestesses are very protective of them. It's very possible the man stole it and someone was trying to recover it."

"Well, setting a building on fire is not exactly a way to recover it.", I observed.

"It would however keep it from falling into the wrong hands.", she replied.

"Except for the fact it wasn't there. Unless they burned the building to hide the theft. Or maybe it beamed up.", I joked.

She set her drink down and looked at me severely

"I wouldn't make jokes about it if I were you. The people here take their beliefs quite seriously.", she scolded.

"I'm sorry. I just have a tendency to make dumb jokes when I'm nervous. Having blood and feathers in my bed isn't exactly a normal thing for me."

She relaxed and took a sip of her drink.

"Actually, it's quite possible that the person who did that is trying to protect you from a curse.", she lectured.

"I'm already cursed. I have a beautiful woman offering to sleep with me, and instead of being in my little bed with her, I'm dealing with chicken feathers and blood, and a statue I don't know shit about. I'd rather deal with vampyres."

She patted me gently on the cheek.

"Patience is a virtue.", she reminded me."Vampyres?"

"Don't ask. "

I paid for the drinks and as we walked past the front desk the manager stopped me.

"Mr. Forbin, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave the hotel.", he said.

"Excuse me. Someone vandalizes my room, and you ask me to leave?", I said in disbelief.

"Mr. Forbin, we have to live here. You don't. Please leave.", he said walking away.

I was about to explode when Kelly spoke to the manager.

"Are you afraid ?", she said.

He stopped and walked back and looked her in the eye.

"Yes. And you should be too. The Obeah are very strong, and your friend has offended them."

He turned away without another word.

"Obeah?", I asked.

"It's been used, in some ways, to mean a high priestess of a voodoo sect. The correct word should be hougoun, but it has become somewhat corrupted."

"Obla de Obla da life goes on."

"You are a very annoying man.", she said.

"I try."

I managed to convince Kelly to go back to her room and arranged to meet her for breakfast the next morning near the pier. As for myself, I still needed to find a place to stay for the night, and finding someplace open at midnight was going to be a bit tricky.

The moon was full and cast its light over the quiet streets of Arthur's Town as I walked looking for a room for the night. I didn't want to be any more paranoid than I usually was but I found myself listening for footsteps behind me.

I rounded the corner and saw a small Anglican church, the doors open and a priest looking up and down the street.

He greeted me as I walked up the steps, and I explained I was just looking for a place to sit for a little while.

"Certainly my son. I'm Father McKenzie. I couldn't sleep, so I came outside to look around. A fortunate thing for you.", he said shaking hands with me.

"I agree. I missed the boat back to Nassau, then the hotel kicked me out. My luck had to change somehow."

"Indeed?", he said leading me inside and to a small comfortable kitchen in the back of the building." You didn't have the money for your bill?"

"Oh no sir, nothing like that. The manager thinks I may be cursed or something."

Father McKenzie's eyebrows raised at that.

"Cursed you say? I know that Deacon is a very superstitious man, but cursed? What would make him think that?"

"It's a long story, and getting longer with each telling.", I said accepting a cup of tea.

He smiled.

"Once more to pay for the tea?", he said gently.

I told the story again, although by now I was getting pretty tired of telling it, while Father McKenzie listened without commenting.

"You have had an interesting experience young man. Yes, there are a few practioners of voodoo here and despite my attempts, they persist in the old ways.", he said when I was done.

"Anyway, I need a place to stay for the night. I'm leaving for Nassau in the morning."

"You can stay here for the night. Even if you are cursed no one will bother you here.", he offered.

"Thank you."

He waved a hand brushing away my gratitude.

"A church is a sanctuary, against even imagined terrors. You can sleep in the library."

He led me into a small library with a couch and took a blanket from a cabinet.

"Sleep well my son, and I'll see you in the morning."

He left the room and turned out the light as he left.

I laid there thinking for a long while before I drifted off to sleep.

Sunlight was streaming into the room by the time I woke up. I got up and made my way back into the kitchen. I looked out the back window into a small churchyard, and saw Father McKenzie. He rose and wiped the dirt from his hands as he walked from a grave. I opened the back door and greeted him.

"And good morning to you to Michael. Did you sleep well?", he said as he walked in.

"Very well thank you. "

"Good. Will you join me for breakfast before services?", he invited.

"No thank you. I'm supposed to meet someone for breakfast before I leave.", I declined.

He reached out and took my hand.

"Remember Michael, that you are dealing with people who don't think as you and I do. If you are involved with obeah, then be careful. You may not believe, but those around you might."

He shook hands and walked me out into the street.

"May God watch over you Michael.", he said.

"And may the Goddess watch over you.", I replied.

I walked back through the streets of the town right to the dockside cafe I'd told Kelly to meet me at.

Instead of Kelly, the police officer I'd met the previous night joined me at my table without an invitation.

"Mr. Forbin, I see our paths have crossed again.", he said.

"I suppose so Mr. .., you know I didn't get your name yesterday.", I said.

"Desmond Jones. My wife Molly works here as a singer with the band at night.", he replied. "I understand you had a minor problem at the hotel with my brother Deacon."

"Not at all. A little misunderstanding is all. I got an order of chicken I didn't want.", I said lightly.

A big grin split his round black face.

"I'm glad you have a sense of humor. You're going to need it. I did some checking on the woman you described.

"The woman may be the leader of one of the voodoo cults here in the islands. I tried to contact you last night, but you'd already been evicted."

"Father McKenzie was nice enough to loan me his couch. So, where do we go from here? Am I under arrest, under survalliance, or just under a curse?", I said, motioning for the waitress.

"So far as I know, none of the above. But I would suggest leaving as soon as possible."

"I'm having breakfast with a charming young lady and then I'm on my way.", I assured him.

That idea was disrupted a moment later by a teenaged girl who came into the cafe carrying an envelope.

"Are you Mr. Forbin?", she asked after nodding politely to Mr. Jones.

"Hello TJ, how is your momma?", he said to her.

"She's good Mr. Desmond. She said to tell you that she'll be in town later."

"I'm looking forward to it. This is Mr. Forbin."

I was told to bring you this.", she said smiling shyly and handing me the envelope.

I opened it to find a short note inside.

"I would like you to join Ms. Allen and I for breakfast this morning. The girl will bring you to me. Do not fear, you will not be harmed, but tell no one of this meeting."

It was signed Mama Tisha.

"Would you excuse me Mr. Jones? It seems that my date has changed the location of our meeting today.", I said rising.

"Certainly. But please check in with me before you leave the island. I may need you to identify the statue."", he replied softly.

"If you can find it." I said following TJ.

She led me to an old jeep that even Patton would have shot to put out of its misery, and then we drove off towards the interior of the island at a speed that surprised me.

"Where are we going TJ?", I asked over the roar of the engine.

"Mama Tisha said to bring you to her, and that's what I'm doing.", she said shortly.

"Who is Mama Tisha then?", I asked.

"She's the woman in charge. And you'll learn that soon enough.", was all she said as we took another turn on two wheels.

Well at least Desmond Jones had some idea where to start looking for me if I didn't come back. Oh , Gopher Boy what would you do now?

We finally slowed to a stop in front of a small stone house, hidden from view by a large grove of trees and a stone wall.

A well dressed black woman sat at a table with Kelly and they both stood to greet me when I arrived.

Kelly kissed me on the cheek and introduced me to the black woman.

"Michael, this is Mama Tisha, the local high priestess here. "

Mama Tisha looked at me and I felt a touch of the power Minx possesses, but more mature and controlled.

Without thinking I sank onto one knee before her, head bowed.

"Not before me Michael. I know the one you worship, and she is worthy of it.", Mama Tisha said raising my head so she could look into my eyes.

In that instant she saw into me as Minx had the night I broke before her, and her expression changed to one of concern.

"Let us eat and talk. We have much in common, including our enemies."

I rose and sat between the two women at the table.

"Teresa June, please fetch another place for Michael.", she directed to TJ.

TJ looked at her with a disgruntled expression but did as she was told.

Kelly and I talked to Mama Tisha about voodoo during our meal, and I learned quite a bit I didn't know, and a few things I could have done without knowing.

Especially about the idea of the zombie.

"It's more a Haitian thing really, but it does happen in other parts of the islands.", Mama Tisha said.

"And people really believe in the living dead?", Kelly said taking notes.

"I've seen it, child. You may have your science, but the power of the mind should never be doubted."

"And the person is actually buried, and then dug up again alive later?", I asked.

Mama Tisha looked at me and I again felt that tickle of her power.

"You know it can be done. You have died and been reborn yourself."

I thought about her words. Was she referring to the death of my soul when my wife and daughter died, or was she referring to something else, something more physical?

"Do you mind answering a question?", I asked.

She smiled at me knowingly.

"Ask your questions."

"Have you taken a Rhine series?"

Kelly looked at me in surprise.

"How do you know about a Rhine series?", she asked.

I looked at her with an knowing smile.

"I took my classes in psychology too. I've even taken the test myself. Didn't do half bad either. I get flashes at times."

Mama Tisha laughed.

"You get flashes at times? I think you do more than that. Miss Kelly, do you have the test?", she asked.

Kelly just looked at me for a moment before answering.

"I have the card deck in my briefcase.", she said.

"Then let's see how well I do."

The Rhine cards are used to test for what is referred to as ESP. There are a set of cards with symbols on them, and the purpose of the test is to see if the subject has any abilities.

Most people get about twenty out of the hundred by simply guessing.

I scored a little higher in my tests, but not amazingly so.

The test that Kelly ran on Mama Tisha blew the end off the bell curve, and Kelly ran the test four more times before becoming convinced.

"Now, Miss Kelly, you've had a chance to test me. I've answered the questions you've had. I need your help now, and his.", Mama Tisha said, settling back in her chair.

"You said we have enemies in common. Who are you referring to?", I asked her.

"You have seen the orisha? It was stolen from us and we are helpless to recover it."

"If it was stolen, can't you ask the authorities to help?", Kelly said.

"They do not understand. They treat it as if it were only a statue, an object. But embodied in it is Oshun."

"I'm sorry my ignorance is showing here. Who or what is Oshun?", I asked.

"In Haiti she is known as Maitresse Erzulie. Think of her as Venus or Aphrodite.", Kelly explained.

"I see."

But I didn't really.

"Michael, there is a darker side to Oshun. Have you ever heard of Marie Laveau?", she continued.

I thought about it for a few minutes before the name surfaced.

"There's a house in New Orleans named for her.", I said.

"She was one of the best known practioners of Voodoo in the United States in the early 1800 and basically ran the French Quarter as it suited her. One of her students was said to be Madam Delphine Lalurie.

"Madam Delphine Lalurie was said to have kept slaves in the most terrible conditions and carried out the most sadistic fantasies on them. Her house was burned down by her cook who was so made with fear from the abuse he set fire to the place.

"When the firemen were going through the house they found several slaves that had been tortured half to death, and two skeletons chained to a wall.

"She escaped the fire and fled the country."

"Yes she did," Mama Tisha agreed, "But after leaving America and returning to France, she had a daughter. It is Madam Delphine's ancestors that have come to reclaim their property that are at the root of my problems, and yours."

"One of her relatives has stolen your orisha.", I summarized.

"Yes. And we are powerless to stop her without it."

I sat and thought about the situation for a few minutes.

This was getting almost too weird for me. I was being asked to find a statue of an African goddess of love, so that her worshippers could .. what?

"Exactly what will happen if you don't get the orisha back?", I asked.

"Nothing earth shattering. At least not yet. But as the evil side of the power of love is exploited, it will poison more and more."

I looked at her intently.

"You know who I serve and what I believe. I was not brought willingly into my new life, and I fought it until I realized I was fighting myself.", I said.

"Yes I do. And your friend here will not understand why you are going to help.", Mama Tisha said honestly.

"Am I going to help?", I asked honestly.

"If you honor both the woman you love, yes."

Kelly just looked at the two of us in confusion, having been lost along the twisted path of our thinking.

I looked at Kelly

"Hang on to everything you ever thought you knew. This is going to really bend your head.", I said.

Turning my attention back to Mama Tisha I held out my hands palms up.

"If you truly know who I serve and who I love, show me.", I said.

Mama Tisha looked at me sadly and then reached out and touched my head gently. I felt a warmth flow through me and a calming influence. I heard her speak inside me, asking me to release myself into her. I knew I was hearing her, as I had heard Minx in New Orleans, not with my ears, but with my heart.

I saw my wife dying again and I saw Minx for the first time. I saw Lydia and felt her hatred of me again, and through it all I felt Mama Tisha's love encompassing me, protecting me.

Then the bond was broken and I was looking at Mama Tisha in the warm island sunlight,and saw the tears in her eyes at my pain of loss.

"You loved your wife, as you do Minx. Lydia represents the evil of uncontrolled passions", she said for Kelly's benefit.

"Thank you Maitresse", I said, taking Mama Tisha's hands and kissing them softly.

"You are a very pure soul in your love Michael. Perhaps that is why you were the one that Oshun chose to rescue her. You are Ogun."

I shook my head negatively.

"No, I'm a damned fool with an overdeveloped sense of what's right and wrong. And I can't get much whiter."

"Just remember, we all came from the same place Michael. Why shouldn't the spirit of Ogun be as much a part of you as the spirit of Thor, and Vulcan, and Pluto is? And you are named after an archangel. Those things are as much a part of you as Oshun, and Venus, and even Kali are a part of me."

At the name of Kali I stiffened instinctively.

"What is it?", Kelly asked me seeing my reaction.

"Kali and I are not on the best of terms. Lydia has seen to that.", I replied looking at Mama Tisha.

"She has poisoned the love aspect of Kali for you as the children of Madam Delphine have poisoned the name of Oshun. So you do understand."

"Yes, for the first time, I think I truly do."

I looked at Kelly warmly.

"Doctor, take careful notes of everything from this point on. You'll either have one hell of a story to tell, or enough to have me committed."

As Kelly drove us back towards Arthur's Town in her car, I told her as much as I could about myself without going into too much detail. The last thing I needed was to have to try and explain Ay'esha.

There are some things that most people would be more comfortable not knowing.

"I know you know a lot about voodoo, but do you practice it yourself?", I asked as she pulled up in front of the police station.

"I'm a doctor, not a witch doctor.", she said. "It's an interesting subject for study, but if you're asking if I believe in it personally. No."

"So, we're going to need a little extra help. I'll need to make a couple of phone calls after I see Desmond Jones.", I said, getting out of the car. "Wait here."

Desmond was sitting at his desk, his coat on a hook and a phone in his hand.

"Yes sir, I am aware that an arsonist is responsible for the fire near the pier. No sir, I don't have any suspects or a probable cause at this time."

As he said that he turned his eyes skywards.

"Yes sir, a full report will be on your desk by tomorrow."

He hung up the prone and looked at me with a frown.

"The Nassau office wants a quick arrest of the person who started the fire. What can I tell him? That I think the fire was started to cover up a theft?"

"Well you could. I've been speaking with Mama Tisha and .."

He stopped me with a wave of his hand.

"No. I've listened to her stories over and over again. There is not one shred of proof that anyone related to Madam Delphine is even in the islands.", he protested.

"Then you knew about the theft even before I showed up!", I exclaimed.

"Yes. You were just the first real clue I had to finding the statue. I've been trying to find it for weeks now."

"You said something earlier about a member of one of the other cults. Who was it?", I asked intently.

He shook his head sharply.

"That's official business. I'm planning on investigating it myself."

"Come on Desmond, you and I both want the same thing. Who is it?", I pleaded.

"Sorry."

I shrugged casually.

"Ok then, I guess Kelly and I will just have to put what we have on the wire.", I said turning away.

"On the wire?", he said.

"Didn't I tell you? I'm a reporter for an American newspaper.", I said pulling out the press card I had used once before in New Orleans, and handing it to him.

He examined it and then handed it back.

"And what do you expect me to do? Let you participate in a police investigation?"  He sighed. "And if I don't agree, you'll put the story so far out for the whole world to see."

"Well, it wouldn't do much for the tourist trade you know. Burning buildings, local unrest. Not very pretty."

"You realize that this is blackmail.", he said heavily.

"Let's just say that Ogun made me do it."

His response was to scribble a name and address on a pad and hand it to me.

"Get out Mr. Forbin."

I went back outside and found the car sitting empty and no sign of Kelly. I walked to the cafe on the corner and made my phone calls, and returned to the parked car.

Still no sign of her. I looked inside and noticed the keys were still in the ignition. Now the crime rate may be low in the islands, but Kelly is a New York girl. They lock EVERYTHING.

Then my eye was caught by an object in the passenger seat.

A blonde doll , bound and gagged.

Son of a bitch.

I opened the door and picked up the doll and felt a slight prick in my finger.

I started to look to see what had stuck me then felt myself falling forward into a black void.

When the blackness cleared I found myself lying naked on a soft bed, a collar locked around my neck and a chain locked to the iron headboard.

The room was decorated in shades of yellow except for the bed I lay on which was black. I could smell the odor of cinnamon and I heard soft music, the sound of drums and flutes.

Somewhere out of sight I heard the scream of a peacock.

"You are quite safe here.", I heard a voice say from behind me.

I rolled over and saw a young black woman standing in a doorway, dressed in yellow silk scarves tied around her, a gold chain around her neck and golden bracelets on each arm.

"If I'm so safe, why am I chained here. You could have asked me to come.", I said gathering my wits around me.

She laughed softly as she walked closer.

"You were coming here anyway. I just preferred it on my terms. If you had come on your own you might not have found what you were seeking.", she said.

"And what am I seeking?", I asked.

She touched me softly and then kissed me, her lips tasting of honey.

"You are seeking Oshun. And I am here.", she said.

I saw in her face the expression I had seen in the face of the statue, but not quite. The woman was Creole, not black.

"I'd like to know your real name", I asked.

"I am called Pomba by those who do not know me as a Goddess."

"I'd like to leave please.", I said sitting up.

"No, you do not wish to leave. You wish to become my lover.", she said pushing me back down.

I laid there as she stroked me with her fingers, touching me all over my body. I concentrated on my training. I could not allow myself to become aroused by her. I was Ogun, forger of iron, strong and controlled.

Her attentions increased and became more insistent. She stroked my cock and ran her tongue up the limp shaft and still I maintained my control. I could sense her growing anger.

She removed her silks and stood before me naked and beautiful as if carved from the same wood as the orisha.

"I don't interest you?", she teased, but with a hint of malice.

"If you were Oshun I would be honored to become your lover. But you are not. You are a child of Madam Delphine Lalurie, and you have perverted the spirit of the Goddess for evil."

She struck me across the face brutally.

"That may be. But I will know everything you know, and I will learn it either in bed with you, or from your dead body."

Frankly I preferred choice number one over choice number two.

"And what would you wish to learn from me?", I asked.

"I want the orisha. And you know where it is."

I shook my head.

"I haven't seen it since that day in the stall."

She straddled me, her perfumed breasts filling my vision with their promise.

"Tell me the truth my love, give me what I want and I will give you pleasure."

I gazed up at her face and looked into her eyes that spoke of desire, but held only darkness for me.

"If you are who you say you are, you know I speak the truth.", I said calmly

She smiled at me, the smile of a wolf about to devour it's prey.

"I will find the truth in you by turning the pleasure of my love into a living hell for you. Your control will not last forever, and when it fails, I will own you."

I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. I wanted her but the price she demanded was too high.

She left me alone for a few minutes and returned with a bowl of fruit and offered it to me and crouched on the bed spreading my legs.

"Thank you , no.", I said.

She plucked a handful of grapes and ate them slowly, taking them into her mouth one at a time, wrapping her lips around them and sucking them in slowly and sensually.

I tried to keep my head clear and ignore the response of my body. I wanted her lips on me in the same fashion, kissing and sucking me.

My cock stirred despite my efforts to control it and her eyes lit up.

"You want my lips on your body don't you my love? That will come in time, if you tell me what I want to know."

"I can't tell you what I don't know.", I said.

She sat back and spread her legs so I could see her delicate pussy, moved forward until her legs and mine were intertwined , and then selected a banana from the dish of fruit.

She ran a finger between her legs and brought it to my mouth, glistening with her arousal.

"Your resistance only excites me more", she said, rubbing her juices on my lips.

She peeled the banana and slid it into her mouth, her red painted lips encircling it, drawing it deeply into her.

The smell of her pussy and her closeness made my cock twitch again, and she touched it with her nails, teasing the head as she sucked on the banana.

A crack formed in my resolve. Perhaps I could submit and still escape her powers, I thought.

But for what purpose? I didn't have the information she wanted and if I did submit to her she would destroy me anyway. Time was my ally. Could I lie to her instead and have that taken for truth?

"What have you done with Kelly?", I asked as she continued to tease me.

Pomba tossed the banana aside and stroked my chest.

"Nothing. She is quite unharmed other than a few marks. Perhaps I will let you see her later after we've finished our discussion."

"I need her help to get the orisha. I can't do it without her."

"Later.", Pomba said and forced her mouth over mine, driving her tongue deep into me.

Pomba slept nestled next to me, as I lay there awake and sweating, my body sore and spent from the passion of her love making.

How much time had passed since coming here? Was the here I was at, the same here that Desmond was going to investigate?

My chains rattles softly as I shifted position, waking Pomba from her slumber.

"Now my love slave, tell me where the orisha is?', she said , all business.

"Nothing about my performance. I'm hurt.", I whispered softly, smiling at her.

She rolled off the bed and stood looking down at me.

"You will be if you don't tell me what I want to know.", she said upon seeing my smile.

"Shall I lie to you? Shall I make up a story about where I'm hiding the orisha?", I said.

She stalked out of the room and returned a moment later with the large black woman I'd knocked down the day before.

"Release him and take him outside. Chain him next to my throne and then bring the girl before me.", she commanded.

The large woman unlocked me and then took a grip of iron on my collar and half dragged me from the room.

I blinked at the late afternoon sunlight and looked around as well as I could while being dragged.

I was now in an African village, or what looked like one. A museum perhaps, or an old movie set for a Tarzan picture.

The woman dumped me on the ground next to a wooden throne that was padded in leopard skins. A set of skulls sat on the platform next to it, adding a somewhat grisly air to the scene, and before me I could see a whipping rack, it's iron shackles waiting for the next victim.

A chain was again locked to my collar and the woman walked away towards one of the huts away from the main group.

When she returned she was leading Kelly by her hair, and Kelly's hands and feet had been shackled together rendering her helpless to resist.

She was chained facing the throne, and spread wide on the rack as the hand and leg shackles were removed.

"Bitch!", she shreaked at the back of the departing woman who turned and glared at her.

"Best save that tongue. The Maitresse may pull it out if it suits her.", was the stony reply as she walked away.

Kelly turned her attention to me.

"What is going on here?", she asked frantically struggling against the bonds.

"It seems that Mama Tisha may have been right. The problem is I don't even have an idea where the orisha is, and that devil woman won't listen to me."

"What do you think they're going to do?"

"Offhand I'd say torture you to get me to talk.", I said bluntly.

Kelly started weeping in frustration and fear.

I considered the situation and wanted to cry myself. Concentrate on the problem. Think calmly.

As I sat there the big woman dragged another man out of a hut and as they approached I could see it was the stall keeper, his face bruised and bloodied, his clothing slashed to rags

She threw his body to the ground before the two of us and he lay there moaning as she walked away. I could see blood welling up from the wounds on his back, staining the dirt.

"Oh man," he moaned to me, "I told you it was bad luck."

"Where is the orisha?", I hissed.

He moaned and curled into a ball of pain.

"Damn it, we're all going to die if you don't tell me.", I said in anger.

He looked towards Kelly and moaned again.

"It was in the bag. I swear it was.", he said gasping.

"The bag was empty after the fire.", I said.

His moans became louder.

"We are the dead.", he groaned.

Pomba and the large woman left her hut and walked towards us, Pomba carrying a coiled whip.

She kicked the moaning man before sitting in the throne. The large woman went to a set of drums and started tapping out a rhythm. Soon other women and men were gathered around us, all of them fearful of Pomba and looking at us with hate.

"These people have stolen what is yours.", Pomba said as the drums stopped. "They have taken the spirit of Oshun from us.

"This man", she said pointing to the heap of flesh on the ground," betrayed his own people. And the white man and woman would work with our enemies.", she continued, pointing at our chained and shackled figures.

There was a murmur of discontent from the gathered group.

"Our fallen brother will rise to serve us again after his death!", she continued and stepped down from the throne with a staff in her hand. She touched the man with it and he collapsed limply and his breathing stopped.

"Take him and prepare him. On the third day he will rise again and serve us.", she commanded.

Four of the gathering picked the limp form of the man up and carried him out of sight.

She resumed her throne and placed the staff across her lap.

"The living death awaits you both unless you tell me where the orisha is.", she said loudly.

The living death. Zombie poison, designed to destroy our wills and our minds.

"Maitresse, I can not tell you what I do not know. You would have me lie to you?", I called loudly.

"I will have truth from you."

"And I have given it to you freely. The orisha is not in my possession."

Pomba's only response was to stand and uncoil the whip at her side, placing the staff down carefully.

"Perhaps the woman will be more responsive to my questions.", she said, swinging the long whip at Kelly's bound form.

The tip struck Kelly, slashing her blouse open, exposing her breasts , restrained by the thin fabric of her bra as she screamed in terror.

I knelt mute on the ground. I knew that Pomba was trying to force a reaction from me.

Another crack of the whip and Kelly's pants were split from the blow.

"If you're trying to prove something to me, I guess I'm missing the point.", I said looking at Pomba.

She looked at me in a mixture of disgust and amazement.

"Don't you care about her?", she asked.

"I told you that I need her to get the orisha. So, you don't want to listen to me, fine. Let it be on your head.", I replied impassively.

Two more slashes of the whip across Kelly's half naked body brought a scream from her and a wince from me.

"Could you gag her at least?", I said coolly."The noise is annoying."

Pomba threw the whip down in anger.

"You do not care about this woman at all!", she accused.

"I'm supposed to? I just met her last night. She bribed a waiter to sit at my table.", I snapped.

Kelly opened her eyes and stared at me , fearful and angry.

"So if I killed her, you wouldn't mind.", Pomba asked slyly.

"Yeah, I'd mind. I hate the sight of blood. Be reasonable. Let us go and we'll find the orisha."

"You have lied before. You have denied having it.", she said before the group," How do I know I can trust you?"

"Because if you don't Mama Tisha may get it back before you do. The police are looking for it too, and your little stunt with the chicken feathers has Desmond Jones interested. Do you want to risk that?", I said.

She looked at the gathering for signs of disagreement, and then back at me.

"I will release you, but not her. She will remain here until you bring me the orisha.", she said.

"No deal. We both go, or nobody goes.", I rebuked.

"You are in no position to bargain with me.", she snarled.

"On the contrary. You want the orisha, and I'm the best chance you have of getting it."

She laughed and picked up the whip.

"I'll beat the truth from you.", she declared.

"It didn't work with the other man. Go ahead and kill her if it gets you off. As to beating the truth from me.", I pointed to the faint outline of the scars on my back and legs, "I know pain and do not fear it. Can you say the same?"

It was bullshit from the word go, but when all you have is a pair of twos , you bluff.

She called the bluff and slashed at me with the whip, leaving a streak of blood across my back. I fell back in searing pain and cursed her in Russian.

The Slavic invective only encouraged her to strike a second and third time as I rolled around at the end of the chain.

"You will tell us where you have hidden the orisha!', she screamed.

I rolled over onto my side and looked up at her, my face wet with pain fueled tears.

"I don't even know if it was in the bag. Do you? The man who stole it may have lied to all of us.", I groaned.

Pomba looked down at me and then ordered the big woman to unchain me and carry me back to her hut.

I felt like a very bruised sack of potatoes as she carried me over her shoulder back to Pomba's hut.

As soon as we were away from the mob, the woman whispered in my ear.

"You're very stupid", she said," even if you are Ogun."

"But my heart is pure.", I replied evenly.

She took me into the hut and dropped me into a tub of warm water.

"Get clean.", she directed.

I scrubbed myself under her watchful eye, and looked for a chance to escape. After all if she fell for the old "Your shoe's untied bit", I might be able to pull something off.

Then I realized what she had called me. Ogun. How did she know?

Pomba stalked back in her anger barely in check.

"You are a stubborn fool. I should have beaten you to a bloody mess!", she swore

"You aren't that stupid. Even with the influence you have, Desmond Jones can't ignore the disappearance of two American tourists. Especially since I called a couple of people before you quote invited me close quote and told them what was going on.", I said

I could see her pale even under her dark skin and her anger became more controlled. Goddess be praised I'd out foxed her. At least I hoped so.

"And I am to release you, let you take what you have stolen without penalty.", she spat.

"If you're afraid of losing face with your followers, then consider what you have to lose if the police recover the orisha first. They'll turn it over to the police and the police will turn it over to Mama Tisha."

Slowly my words sank into the hard dry surface of Pomba's anger as the big woman nodded in agreement.

"You have one chance to get it. Kelly and I."

The big woman spoke to her softly

"The man is right. Let them go. If they don't return the orisha to us, they leave the island, we can find them and kill them anytime.", she suggested.

"You would trust them Kwani? Even though he struck you, stole our Goddess?", Pomba asked incredulously.

"If we don't release them, and trust in their silence, we will surely be destroyed and Mama Tisha will win."

Pomba looked at me sullenly and then back at Kwani.

"Blindfold them and take them away. Return them to town, but have them watched. if they show any signs of betrayal, kill them.", she commanded.

Wonderful. Not only couldn't I say we weren't out of the woods yet, I couldn't't even see the trees.

It was sometime later that Kelly and I were pushed out of a car into the street on the outskirts of town.

I removed my blindfold and then Kelly's.

She had been dressed in a gaily printed robe two sizes too big for her, and was still angry with me.

"Are you all right?", I asked.

"You bastard!", she said and knocked me to the ground with a right cross.

I sat there rubbing my jaw and then shook my head to clear it.

"Well Doctor, do you feel better now? Did you get that primitive impulse out of your system, or would you like to take another shot at me?", I said sourly.

She didn't hit me again,but she had more than a few choice words concerning my manners, morals, and ethics.

I let her rant for a couple of minutes, then decided I'd heard enough and got up.

"Doctor," I said quietly, "Shut up."

My entire understated manner brought her screed to a stumbling halt.

"I think you should be very happy right now. You're alive to complain. So just shut up and give it a rest.", I continued tiredly.

The words struck home and her expression changed from anger to embarrassment.

"Good," I said." Now let's get out of here and back to your hotel. I need some coffee and a place to think."

It was dark by the time we made our way back into downtown. Father McKenzie was greeting parishioners as we walked by and he greeted me.

"Who's your friend, Michael?", he said, shaking hands with me and looking with interest at Kelly.

"This is Kelly, the young lady I was talking about last night. Kelly, Father McKenzie was kind enough to loan me a couch to sleep on."

She gathered her manners and the robe and greeted him politely.

He looked at her garb and then turned his attention to me.

"I thought you were leaving this morning?", he said.

"So did I, but I had a little talk with Mama Tisha about the object I was telling you about last night, and she asked me to stay."

In the light of the street lamp I could have sworn he changed color and reddened slightly.

"Well I wish you good luck.", he said, and hurried into the church behind the last supplicant.

"Interesting man.", Kelly observed." Not the type who usually becomes a priest."

I just looked at her blankly, waiting for her to explain.

"He was rather interested in my body.", she finally said.

"I don't believe that the Church of England requires celibacy.", I said primly.

When we got back to the hotel, Desmond's brother tried to stop me from coming in with Kelly.

"No sir. You are not welcome in this hotel.", he said.

"Deacon Jones. If you don't want both Mama Tisha AND Pomba on your ass, you will get out of my way and treat me like Ogun!", I said as quietly and as intently as I could.

He gulped and cringed at the names.

"But..", he started to say.

"Move it."

He stepped back and we brushed by him, leaving him shaking in our wake.

Kelly had regained some of her humor after a shower and a short massage, but her face broke into a frown when I reminded her we still had a job to do.

"Do you even have an idea where to look?", she said, as there was a knock on the door.

"I know where to start but that's about it.", I replied as she opened the door.

There was a long pause and a sort of strangled gasp.

I looked up to see Julia and Matthew, with their fangs in place, supporting Kelly who had passed out.

"Hi guys. How are my favorite bloodsuckers?", I said helping to place her on the bed.

Julia just grinned, and with the smile a set of vampyre fangs can give you, it's a hell of a smile.

I guess I should explain that Julia and Matthew are vampyre goths who live in New Orleans. Minx and I had become involved with them some time back when Matthew was hunting for Jean LaFete's treasure stash.

The search had proven fruitless, for reasons detailed elsewhere, but Matthew had written a book about it. The resulting fame had gotten him an appointment as an instructor of history at the University of Louisiana in New Orleans.

Julia had decided to stay with him and they had married. Someday I'll tell you about that wedding. Just plain bizarre even by my standards.

So when it comes to ghoulies, ghosties, long legged beasties, and things that go bump in the night, I call on them.

"What's going on?", Julia said with some concern looking at Kelly's prone form.

"I need an expert on voodoo who is also a historian. Matthew qualifies. Incidentally, please remove your fangs before Kelly wakes up. She's had a hard day.", I said.

She was a little unsteady but recovered rapidly as I sketched out the problem for the two of them.

As I described the orisha to Matthew I could see the wheels in his head turning slowly, searching his mind for a reference.

"The orisha. It's about a foot and a half tall and black ebony?"

"I never handled it, but yeah it looked like ebony. Why."

A grin split his face.

"I think I know what's really going on here. If it's the one I think it is, it's also worth a lot of money.", he said.

Woof!

"Say what?"

"Well when I was doing the research on Jean LaFete, I did research on a few other pirates as well. One of the lesser known pirates was hanged not only as a pirate, but as a witch as well.

"It was said he kept the location of his treasure at the feet of a black woman. And one of the few relics of his , was said to be a statue of a black woman that was supposedly burned with the other items of his trade."

Matthew sat there with a smug smile at his conclusions.

"And?", I prompted.

"And what? Nobody ever found it, or at least admitted to having found it. And this happened almost two hundred years ago."

"The same time as Madam Delphine Lalurie's little reign in New Orleans.", I said looking at Kelly.

Julia looked at us with interest at that point.

"Does this have anything to do with Madam Lalurie?", she asked excitedly.

"One of the parties trying to recover the orisha claims to be a granddaughter of hers. Why?"

"She was so evil she intrigues me. How she could be so beautiful and so cruel at the same time."

"Evil isn't always ugly. Ask Minx about Lydia sometime.", I commented.

"Well the pirate, George Kidd, did port out of New Orleans at times. That's how I found his name, in the records of sailings.", Matthew said.

"So what's the next move?", Kelly said.

"Find the damned thing, keep the cops out of the way, and then get the hell off this island before anything else goes wrong.", I said.

"Well that's a fine summation. Now the question is how?", she retorted.

"Four way attack. I'll try and chase down the ticket agent. I'm sure the police have already talked to him, but maybe a little unofficial visit will jar his memory.", I proposed.

"I'll do that.", Kelly said.

"You mean the two of you will do that. I don't want you unescorted.", I said.

"But -", started to say and was stopped by Julia.

"Do yourself a favor. Do it his way.", Julia warned.

"Matthew, you and I are going back to the scene of the crime. Maybe you can see something that Desmond Jones missed. You said that the statue was burned with Mr. Kidd's magic tools, and when we opened the bag it was empty."

"Right. At least that's what the old records said.", he confirmed.

"And the last guy who admitted having it, said it was in the bag.", I said.

"And your point is?", he said bemused.

"I'm not sure I have one. At least not yet. Let's go to dinner.", I admitted.

The dinner service was impeccable, so I assume that Deacon took my threat seriously. His brother on the other hand smelled a rat when he showed up and Deacon was fawning over us.

"I see my brother had a change of heart.", he said sitting down next to us.

"Yes.", I said wary of his presence.

"I also understand you've seen Pomba today.", he continued smoothly.

"Who?", I said blandly.

He just smiled and asked if the address had been useful to me.

"Never got there. Had to meet my friends.", I said introducing Matthew and Julia to him.

"This is Desmond Jones, he's the local police officer here. We've become real close friends in the last couple of days.", I said." Incidentally Desmond, any progress on the orisha."

The smile got wider.

"A little."

Matthew spoke up at that point.

"I'm with the history department of the University of Louisiana. I'm rather interested in the artifact myself. I was wondering though, if I might examine the bag it was in. I understand that the bag was empty when you and Mike looked in it."

Desmond regarded him suspiciously then agreed to let Matthew look at the bag.

"By the way, did you ever talk to the guy in the ticket office about the bag? You know technically since I checked it in, it's mine.", I asked casually.

The smile returned to his face again.

"Maybe. That is if you'd like to admit to handling stolen property."

"I withdraw my claim.", I said quickly.

He left and Matthew went with him, leaving me in the company of the two ladies. Actually I just relaxed and listened to Julia and Kelly talking, until the subject changed to me.

"How did you and Michael meet?", Kelly asked.

"Well, his Mistress is a friend of mine and I asked them to help prove Matthew didn't commit a murder. Instead they saved Matthew and I's lives from the real killers. Michael almost died.", Julia explained, not noticing my efforts to hush her up.

"Oh really?", Kelly said.

"Oh yes. His Mistress is ..."

"Not a subject for discussion please. Minx wouldn't like it.", I advised.

Kelly pounced on Minx's name.

"You talked about Minx earlier with Mama Tisha. Who is she?"

"If you must know.", I sighed.

"I must, I must.", she insisted.

"Julia, do you know how Minx and I met?", I said.

"She said she met you when you helped to fix her car."

"That's right.", I said, greatful for the hint. I had never even thought of asking Minx how she explained our meeting to people who didn't know of Ay'esha.

"I changed the tire for her, and she invited me home with her. I found out she was into dominance and submission. I don't know why, but I had to submit to her.

"She said I had to give her my pain to be accepted by her. I didn't know what she meant and then she made me see it."

I took a sip of my tea and continued.

"My wife and daughter had died some time before. I'd always blamed myself, even though it wasn't my fault. I felt guilty for failing to save them.

"Minx forgave me, when I couldn't forgive myself. She loved me even when I felt unworthy of being loved."

"I became her slave and have served her ever since."

Kelly looked at me with new respect.

"I'm sorry. I seem to have misjudged what kind of man you are.", she said.

"I'm sorry about earlier, but I tried to tell them the truth. If I'd started lying too early, they might have become suspicious.", I apologized.

"About what?", Julia asked curiously.

"Getting the orisha. All I have is a very thin theory to go on."

Matthew walked back into the room and sat down after handing me an envelope.

"What's this?", I asked opening it and shaking some fragments of a substance onto the table.

"That is what you get when you overheat certain kinds of plastics. They breakdown into a powder.", he said

"I was right.", I said.

"Yep. Whatever was in that bag was a fake, a replica."

"Looks like it.", he said, sweeping the crumbs back into the envelope.

"So did the guy steal a fake, try and decoy the owners with a fake, or what?", Kelly asked.

"Well the guy who can really tell us is somewhere on this island in a grave, waiting.", I said ruefully.

"What?", Matthew and Julia both said at the same time.

"The guy who had the bag was shot full of zombie juice and stashed somewhere. He may not be dead, but his mind is.", I explained.

"Slow down. Zombie juice?", Julia said.

"I guess I skipped a few things earlier.", I said looking at the ceiling.

"I'll say."

When we got back to Kelly's room I filled Matthew and Julia in on all of the details of our grand day out.

"You can not stay out of trouble can you?", Julia said, shaking her head.

"Well when Minx finds out she's very likely to chain me up for a month.", I said sadly.

"This zombie juice. Did it seem to have the effect the compound that Samuel used on us?", Matthew asked clinically.

"No. The guy just stiffened up and died. Or at least he looked dead.", I said.

Then I flashed back to what Mama Tisha had said.

"You know it can be done. You have died and been reborn yourself."

"Woof! Somebody hand me the phone.", I said.

I picked up the phone and dialed a very long phone number.

"Good morning, Levy and Associates.", a female voice answered.

"This is Michael Forbin calling.", I replied.

"One moment sir."

There was a delay of less than five seconds before I heard Mei Ling Levy's soft voice replying from Hong Kong.

"Yes Michael?"

" I need your skills. What drug would counteract the one you gave me during training."

The tone of her voice changed to a somewhat more cautious one.

"Is this line secure?", she asked.

"No, but there's no choice. I'm in the Bahamas, but Haiti is involved."

"I see. Do you have someone there who could make it?", she asked.

"Yes. I'll put him on."

I handed the phone to Matthew.

"Listen carefully to what she says. Don't ask how she knows what she knows."

"This is Matthew."

"Yes, I have some background in chemistry."

"I understand."

He motioned for a pen and paper.

I handed him a pad and he started making notes and sketches, nodding every few seconds.

"Yes, all right. He's right here."

He handed the phone back to me.

"Yes Mistress?", I said.

"If he has the skills, he will be able to make the antidote to the poison. I sense your urgency, but I expect to be told later why you needed this information.", she said.

"On my honor Mistress. Incidentally how are the Lovely Angels?"

"The Dirty Pair are back at home with Father, but no wiser."

"Thank you Mistress."

"May the Goddess bless you."

She hung up the phone and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Who was that?", Matthew said looking over his notes.

"Well, lets just say her ancestors were doing this while ours were still staining themselves blue."

Cat Island doesn't have any all night drug stores , so a less than legal foray was planned. Matthew determined that any shop that sold a good selection of herbs would probably have everything he needed for this potion.

"Well the only place I can think of is ..", I started to say.

"No. No, no, no. You aren't serious.", Kelly started protesting.

"Can you think of a better place? No? The plan is accepted.", I said.

And that's why half an hour later we were creeping towards the stall of the man who started this whole problem.

Getting into the market place was easy enough as it was an open air market, and evading the man patrolling it was simple enough.

The problem is that the room that backed up the stall had a very serious lock and a metal grille over it.

"Any ideas?", I whispered to Matthew.

"No. You?"

"How about using a key?", said a female voice from the shadows.

I was almost afraid to turn around, but I did anyway.

Behind us was a short black woman with a very nice smile and holding a set of keys.

"Uhh - -", I started to say.

"I'm Molly Jones. Desmond thought you might need these", she said handing the keys to me.

"How ..?"

"He's been watching you, and he's been watching Pomba and her people. He can't arrest them, or stop them. He's counting on you to get the evidence he needs.", she explained.

The lock clicked open and Matt slid the grille up enough to creep under, while I talked to Molly outside.

"Where is the village they took us to earlier?", I asked her.

"It's on the far side of the island. Take the main road. There's a wooden sign that says George on it a few miles outside of town. Turn onto that road for two miles.", she said.

"Why can't Desmond just bust these people for theft, or at least assault for what they did to us?", I argued.

"When you kill one snake, you have to look for more. Arresting Pomba wouldn't stop anything. Just make them martyrs.", she replied.

Matthew came out with a bag full of herbs and motioned for us to come inside.

We all went in and Matthew pulled the cover off a crate.

There was the orisha. And another orisha. And yet another orisha.

The entire crate was filled with replicas.

"And look here.", he said and pulled a curtain aside to show a small injection moulding machine and a sack of black plastic.

"He was making fakes. Here's the mould.", he said pointing at a metal block.

"Then why was he being so strange about my wanting to buy the orisha?", I asked.

"Because you saw the real one, and he panicked. In fact he probably stuffed the wrong one in the duffel bag he was so rattled."

Desmond Jones showed up at that point.

"I see Molly found you. I was pretty sure you'd show up.", he said.

"So you've known all along about the fakes?", I said in anger.

"No I found out about the same time you did. I had Deacon bug your table."

Doh!

"You son of a bitch. And did you have us followed to the village too?", I swore.

"No, before I could get someone to tail you, you'd already been taken. Sorry."

"Ok, now that we know, what do we do about it. Where is the real orisha?", Kelly asked.

Desmond just shook his head in dismay.

"I'd hoped you'd lead me to it, but we've all been going in circles. I'll call the Chief Constable in Nassau in the morning and request more men and we can rescue the shop owner."

"Don't worry about him. He's been pumped full of zombie juice. He'll stay fresh for days, or at least until we give him the antidote.", I declared.

Desmond scowled at me.

"There are no such things as zombies. They're a myth designed to frighten children."

"What about vampyres?", I asked grinning at Matthew and Julia who turned away.

"I am not a child who believes in myths.", he stated firmly

"Ok.", I said as Julia and Matthew turned back and smiled at him, fangs out.

I'll give him points for a quick recovery, he suggested we go back to the cafe that Molly worked at for Bloody Mary's.

We were sitting in the bar, listening to the band, relaxing.

It was obvious that we'd lost the battle. We didn't have THE orisha, although we had a fine collection OF orishas, we didn't have enough evidence to convince Pomba of anything, even if we did find the stall owner.

It was very unlikely he'd testify after being rescued. After all there isn't a witness protection program in the islands.

Molly excused herself to sing a number with the band, and the mood of the party dimmed until the humor of the situation struck me and I started giggling.

"Why are you giggling?", Kelly asked.

"You don't get it do you?", I said laughing.

"No."

Julia and Matthew looked at me expectantly.

"We're in the Caribbean, and we're with Desmond and Molly Jones, and she's a singer with the band."

It hit Julia and Matthew long before Kelly caught it.

"Obla di obla dah, life goes on man, la la la life goes on.", they chortled.

Even Desmond got it and laughed and walked over to the bandstand to talk to Molly.

Three minutes later the whole place was singing the song as Kelly shook her head in amazement.

"You're crazy!", she laughed.

"I'm the embodiment of the old Chinese curse : May you live in interesting times", I said.

The band hit the final chorus and I stood up thunderstruck.

"That's it!", I exclaimed over the music.

"What?"

Desmond walked back up at that point.

"Has anybody died and been buried in the last month, Desmond?"

"No. Why?", he scowled.

"Just a thought.", I said, trying to control my excitement.

He looked at me with more than a hint of suspicion.

"What aren't you telling me?", he said.

"I'll let you know in the morning."

When the cafe closed he made it a point to escort us all back to Kelly's room.

"I want you to come with me, and the rest of you to stay here until tomorrow morning.", he directed.

"Am I under arrest?", I said.

"Protective custody. It's not that I don't trust you, but .. no I don't trust you."

"I hate to betray a confidence, but if you throw me in jail, don't expect me to be alive in the morning.", I cautioned.

"Don't worry. I'm staying with you."

I looked at Kelly and shrugged.

"Well last night,I slept with a priest, tonight I'm sleeping with a cop. I may cry."

"Be brave.", she said.

At least Desmond didn't lock me in a cell. We sat in the main area of the station with the door locked and played cards. We stopped playing about three AM when Desmond finally couldn't stay awake anymore.

Which was fine with me, except for the fact he handcuffed me to a chair before he nodded off.

Five hours of fitful sleep later we were woken up by the laughter of Desmond's assistant when he saw us.

Desmond woke up and regained his dignity, while I didn't even bother to try.

I felt a little better after shaving, but I still needed a shower after three days.

We ate breakfast at the cafe again, only this time I made Desmond pay for it, and refused to discuss my theory as to where the real orisha was ,which really pissed him off.

We picked up the rest of the group at the hotel, and I laid out my plan to the mixed amusement and annoyance of the members.

"And you really think it's going to work?", Kelly said.

"Yes, I really think it's going to work.", I mimicked. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

That statement resulted in groans from Matthew and Julia.

"He's on the jazz again.", was all Julia could say.

A visit to the address Desmond had provided for Pomba proved fruitful, but not in the way I expected.

She wasn't there but TJ was.

"What are you doing here?", we asked each other at the same time.

"I'm looking for Pomba. And I guess you're working for her.", I said

She looked at me evilly.

"Too bad you didn't figure that out earlier.", she said lunging for me.

I'm no James Bond, but I can sidestep a young black girl lunging at me. I grabbed her as she passed me and slung her into the rosebushes at the side of the path.

"Mama Tisha would be very disappointed in you if she knew.", I tsked disdainfully as she got up.

"She's stupid. Psychic? She's a fake and you're stupid enough to believe in her. Pomba has a real goal and the Goddess favors her.", she snarled lunging again with the same results.

"Death and destruction. Using love to torture and enslave? I don't think so."

"You don't understand."

"Oh I understand all right. You heard Mama Tisha speak of Lydia. She and Pomba could be sisters. Twins of evil and hate. The only reason I'm not dead is she needs me. And when she has the orisha, she won't need me any more."

"If she has what she wants, she has no reason to kill you."

"She's killed the man she paid to steal the orisha. I'll even bet you helped him get it."

"Pomba can give me far more than Mama Tisha. She can make me a true Priestess."

I shook my head in denial

"You will be a true Priestess when you have a pure heart. When you can love your servants."

"You know nothing. You don't believe in anything."

"I do though. I am protected by a Goddess who has saved me from myself. Why did I appear and start interfering with everything? Why am I the man who found the orisha, if the Goddess favors Pomba? I came here to find a gift for my Mistress, and became involved by accident. Or was it the plan of the Goddess?"

Her eyes went wide.

"You have it? You have the orisha?", she said in a hushed tone.

"Yes. I have Oshun and I know her secret. But Pomba has to come to me to get it."

She made another move towards me and then stopped.

"Where?"

"The shop in an hour. She'll know where I mean."

I turned and walked away leaving her laying on the ground and trusted my instincts to protect me from being stabbed in the back.

On the way back I stopped at the church to look for Father McKenzie. He wasn't there, but I discovered what I wanted was, after a few minutes work with a shovel.

I sat in the back room of the shop, with the orisha before me on a table ,waiting for Pomba to arrive.

I still couldn't get over the beauty of the work, the precision of the carving. I looked at the face and saw in her expression the hint of a smile that filled me with confidence.

The doorway darkened and Kwani came in.

"I have come for the orisha.", she said.

"I was expecting Pomba, but I always thought she was too afraid of Ogun to come herself.", I said politely." You knew I was Ogun when we met. Yet you were not afraid to face me here."

"I am not afraid of the spirit of Ogun that is in you. If I do not harm you, you will not harm me."

"I will not harm you. You are an innocent tool of an evil aspect of the Goddess."

She hesitated looking at the table.

"Don't you know which one it is?", I asked with a hint of a smile.

The orisha was on the table. Along with all of the replicas that had been in the crate.

She looked at the orisha and its clones in confusion before looking back at me.

"Which one is it?", she asked.

"Pomba will know. She will sense it's power.", I said.

She frowned at me.

"I will take them all with me.", she declared.

I stood up and shook my head.

"No. I offer her a fair chance before Ogun and Oshun. Let her pick the correct orisha and she will have proven her rightful ownership. And I will submit to her as a slave. Unless you doubt she is the true Priestess?"

She considered the offer and then left without a word.

Round one to me. I was still alive and intact.

It was Pomba who came in a few minutes later, dressed as I first saw her with an imperious attitude and her staff in hand.

"You will give me my property.", she said pointing the deadly staff in my direction.

"You will choose it yourself. But choose wisely.", I said feeling like the old knight in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

"I will take your life from you if you do not surrender it.", she said moving the staff closer.

"Am I resisting you?", I said leaning back in the chair."Take it and go. But tell me one thing first. How much did you pay him to steal it?"

"I paid him with my body. And then the greedy fool decided I was worth less than the gold."

"You mean the treasure.", I said expansivly.

"Yes. The orisha is the key and Mama Tisha and her circle have kept my family from it for two centuries."

"Well it is within your grasp. If you chose the right one that is."

"I will take them all. Thank you.", she said and thrust the staff into my chest.

I felt the sting of the needle and felt the effects of the zombie toxin and then almost as soon as I felt them they were gone.

I grasped the staff and wrested it from her startled fingers.

"I am Ogun. Did you think your poisons would allow you to enslave a God?", I said standing and tossing the shaft into a corner.

She fell to her knees terrified as I towered over her.

"Mama Tisha has the true power of Oshun in her heart. You are a pretending child who's folly will now descend upon her."

I started feeling light headed as I spoke and all of the things in the room took on a slight shimmer that made everything appear as if it had a glow.

Before I could say anything more, Desmond Jones walked in and took her by the arm.

"You are under arrest for theft, kidnapping , and attempted murder.", he said dragging her to her feet and pushing her into the arms of his assistant.

"Take her into custody, and lock her up."

I sat back down my head still spinning and then started giggling.

"I am very seriously fucked up man.", I said.

He looked at me and then reached under the table and pulled out a small recorder and switched it off.

"I think you need a doctor.", he said.

"I told the witch doctor I was in love with you", I started to sing, before I blacked out.

I woke up a minute later clear headed and dry mouthed as Matthew withdrew a needle.

"That was kind of close. I didn't quite have the dosage right earlier. The poison didn't take full effect, but there was enough of it to get you stoned."

"No shit."

He looked around at the table full of orishas and then picked one of the whole lot up.

"This one.", he said.

"Are you sure?", I asked.

"Yes."

"Why?", I parried.

"It's less shiny."

"Wrong."

"What? I can't be.", he replied.

"I had a little bit of time so I waxed the plastic ones to dull them out."

"Then which one is it?"

I pointed at the one that had stood before Pomba and Kwani.

"Right in front of them. All they had to do was touch it."

"Why didn't they?"

I shook my head.

"Damned if I know. Ask the Goddess."

We walked to the police station just as a police car pulled up with the man from the ticket office and Father McKenzie in the back seat. Kelly's car pulled up behind them and the two girls got out.

Kelly's hand was swollen, but she had a smile on her face.

"We got there just as Father McKenzie was making a church call. For a man of God he has a hard head.", she explained.

"You didn't just punch him out did you?", I asked horrified.

"No, we listened to him threaten the other guy first, then when he opened the front door, Kapow!"

"Well they say New York gals can't dance the polka, but you can sure throw a punch.", Matthew commented.

Julia laughed.

"She held him in a wrist lock while I called the cops. How'd it go on your end?"

"In the words of Broderick Crawford, Ten-Four, over and out."

That evening under a moonlit sky I walked up to Mama Tisha's door with a package. Kelly had wanted to go with me, but I had insisted on going alone.

Even before I knocked, she invited me in.

She was sitting in a rocking chair staring at a small fireplace.

"TJ is a good girl Michael. She just tried to grow up too fast.", she said, somberly.

"I know. Desmond is waving the charges for her testimony. You knew she had helped steal the orisha.", I replied.

"Yes. She had to follow her own path to learn the lesson."

I knelt beside her and handed her the orisha.

She peeled the paper back and looked at it in the moonlight and firelight filtering into the room.

"It's just a piece of wood.", she said, "And it has caused so much pain."

I looked into her eyes.

"The Ark of the Covenant was just a decorated wooden box. And men have died and killed for it and to protect it.

"We all have symbols that mean a great deal to us. This medallion", I said touching it," is a symbol of the trust and love I have earned. I first thought it had been given to me, but I understand now, my actions earned it.

"The orisha is a symbol of your Goddess, as the medallion is a symbol of mine."

She smiled and held the orisha out to me.

"Take her as the gift for your Goddess. A copy will suffice for us. And its secret would be safer away from here."

I wrapped it up again wordlessly, and then kissed her on the cheek.

"May Oshun bless you Michael and may Ogun walk within you.", she said.

"And may the love of Ay'esha bless you.", I replied and walked out without looking back.

She knew.

At dinner that night Desmond insisted on knowing what had triggered my flash of insight.

When questioned, the ticket agent admitted he had stolen the orisha from the bag and set the fire, but became so overwhelmed with guilt, he confessed to Father McKenzie and gave him the statue to return.

Father McKenzie confessed he couldn't part with it, that it attracted him so much he couldn't give it back. And that started the whole chain of events.

"I just lost my head may God forgive me. I kept stolen property and I threatened him with exposure if he didn't stay silent.", he'd told Desmond.

"So now, give. How did you know?"

"You wanna know?", I said teasing.

"Yes.", he said.

"You really want to know?", I repeated.

"YES!", they all chorused.

I grinned.

"It came to me in a song."

"What?", they all exclaimed.

"I was watching him the morning after I slept at the church. I saw him at a grave. Desmond told me no one had died, but it was a fresh grave."

"So?", he demanded.

"Eleanore Rigby."

"Oh no...", Julia said, seeing what was coming.

"Father McKenzie wiping the dirt from his hands as he walked from the grave, no one was saved.", I sung.

There was a dead silence before they started throwing dinner rolls at me.

When I returned to Nassau the next morning Minx was unhappy with my missing work at the Bank.

"Mr. Forbin, I expect you here at the hours you are scheduled!", she scolded publicly.

"Yes Ma'am. I'm sorry.", I said humbly.

"We'll continue this in my office sir. Follow me."

I followed her into the office with my briefcase in hand, and shut the door behind us.

"How do you explain this absence?", she said severely.

"I had a little delay getting back from my shopping trip.", I said.

"You told me that on the phone. Now I want to know why you called Mei Ling, I want to know what Matthew and Julia were doing with you, and I want to know exactly what you were shopping for. I told you to stay out of trouble and you gave me your word you would."

"I didn't get into trouble. It just found me. As to what I was shopping for," I said pulling a package out of my bag, " here. Happy Birthday."

She unwrapped it and fell in love with it as well.

"Is this what you were in trouble for."

"Yes Mistress. She said, buy me. And when I couldn't she said help me."

Minx looked at it and then into my eyes.

"Who is it?"

"Her name is Oshun. And she is very loving and very wise. That is why she is with you."

I smiled.

"After all, you're sisters."

Chapter 11
Sections 11 and 12

Sloop John B
Witch Doctor