Американские боги

           Theywerebothnakedtothewaist,sweatinginthehumidnight,theirskinsgivenaccentsbythewhitemoonlight.

           TheWidowParis’shusbandJacques(whoseowndeath,threeyearslater,wouldhaveseveralremarkablefeatures)hadtoldMariealittleaboutthegodsofSt.Domingo,butshedidnotcare.Powercamefromtherituals,notfromthegods.

           TogetherMamaZouzouandtheWidowPariscroonedandstampedandkeenedintheswamp.Theyweresingingintheblacksnakes,thefreewomanofcolorandtheslavewomanwiththewitheredarm.

           "Thereismoretoitthanjust,youprosper,yourenemiesfail,"saidMamaZouzou.

           Manyofthewordsoftheceremonies,wordssheknewonce,wordsherbrotherhadalsoknown,thesewordshadfledfromhermemory.ShetoldprettyMarieLaveauthatthewordsdidnotmatter,onlythetunesandthebeats,andthere,singingandtappingintheblacksnakes,intheswamp,shehasanoddvision.Sheseesthebeatsofthesongs,theCalindabeat,theBamboulabeat,alltherhythmsofequatorialAfricaspreadingslowlyacrossthismidnightlanduntilthewholecountryshiversandswingstothebeatsoftheoldgodswhoserealmsshehadleft.Andeventhat,sheunderstandssomehow,intheswamp,eventhatwillnotbeenough