Американские боги

           SometimesWututuwouldtellAgasuthestoriestheirmotherhadtoldthem,likethoseofElegba,thetrickiestofthegods,whowasGreatMawu’seyesandearsintheworld,whotookmessagestoMawuandbroughtbackMawu’sreplies.

           Intheevenings,towhileawaythemonotonyofthevoyage,thesailorswouldmaketheslavessingforthemanddancethedancesoftheirnativelands.

           Wututuwasluckythatshehadbeenputinwiththechildren.Thechildrenwerepackedintightlyandignored;thewomenwerenotalwayssofortunate.Onsomeslaveshipsthefemaleslaveswererapedrepeatedlyandcontinuallybythecrew,simplyasanunspokenperquisiteofthevoyage.Thiswasnotoneofthoseships,whichisnottosaythattherewerenorapes.

           Ahundredmen,womenandchildrendiedonthatvoyageandweredroppedovertheside;andsomeofthecaptiveswhoweredroppedoverthesidehadnotyetdied,butthegreenchilloftheoceancooledtheirfinalfeverandtheywentdownflailing,choking,lost.

           WututuandAgasuweretravelingonaDutchship,buttheydidnotknowthis,anditmightaseasilyhavebeenBritish,orPortuguese,orSpanish,orFrench.

           Theblackcrewmenontheship,theirskinsevendarkerthanWututu’s,toldthecaptiveswheretogo,whattodo,whentodance.OnemorningWututucaughtoneoftheblackguardsstaringather.Whenshewaseating,themancameovertoherandstareddownather,withoutsayinganything.