Free The Freedman and the Pharaoh's Staff by Lane Heymont Page A

Jars of dried animals and roots crowded more shelves. One in particular held jars full of moths. Burning candles sat on the windowsills, and a collection of leather-bound books were stacked under the table where Jeb and Crispus sat. Rayford had stepped outside to escape the putrid stench in La’Rita’s hut, leaving the brothers-in-law with the mambo . Jeb had made Crispus swear not to tell her about Lafayette’s death. If anyone had seen them leave town, Verdiss and his Klansmen would come here for them. La’Rita too. Good chance we’ll all be dead by sunup. No point in laying that pain on the old woman.  
    â€œ Youn moman ,” she muttered, flipping through an timeworn book, its binding cracked and pages yellowed with age. A subtle beauty danced behind the boils covering her skin. Jeb couldn’t place it—those white eyes pierced through her thick dreads. She resembled a lioness about to pounce on its prey.  
    Jeb shifted his weight in his seat. It was absurd to think magic, voodoo or any other thing the Creoles whispered about was real. Still, the old woman turned his stomach—Momma Shug said she’d seen magic—Crispus’s chair creaked as he leaned forward, arms on the table  
    â€œAh.” La’Rita looked up, and closed the book. “We must open dee gate beetwin dee spirit world and our own.” She pulled a cloth pouch out from her dress. She emptied it onto the table; tiny animal bones clattered on the wood. With willowy fingers, the mambo pushed the bones around, examining each one. “I see dee most evil king seventy years from now brewin dee most evil war .” She looked up and nodded to Crispus. “Dee evil king’s war will end millions of lives. No one be safe from this most evil king.  
    "This war beetwin all dee world will kill us all out. We people of color, Jews, Hispanics, and all those not like he.” La’Rita mulled through the bones. “Dee staff holds sway over who win dee war. Dee evil king that Verdiss serve or . . .” She hesitated. Jeb watched uncertainty glaze over her empty eyes. “Many a lands drawn into dee bad war. But our land be valuable in winning dee war.”  
    â€œWhat war?” Crispus marveled. “Tell us about the staff.”
    Jeb grunted and looked away. Now she’s a fortune teller...  
    â€œAh. Me think I seen you before. You dee man in me vision.” La’Rita pointed at Jeb. “I see you pain over a child. No matter.  Is not your fault.”  
    Jeb grumbled, then grabbed the wooden case from Crispus. “We don’t need the past, we need this.” He slammed it on the table. The nightmares are enough . Talking about Moses Noitavlas meant facing him. Not in some dream, but what Jeb had done. Then the thought he’d just snapped at a voodoo worker turned his stomach again. He muttered, “My apologies.”  
    â€œIndeed, mambo .” Crispus laid a hand on Jeb’s shoulder.  
    â€œ Se byen .” La’Rita dismissed it with a wave of her hand. Then she opened the case. Stared, and withdrew the paper. Its fine red string fell away like mist. La’Rita unrolled the scroll, her blank eyes scrutinizing it. “Ah, mes amis! This leads to dee Narmer’s staff. A relic from dee first king of Egypt.” La’Rita continued, “Narmer brought hees lands together, dee South and dee North. Hees staff lived after him death. They say it give a man power. Great powers.” She set the map on the table.  
    â€œWise mambo , what about this war?” Crispus asked.  
    â€œForget about the war! Nothing like that is gonna happen. Just tell us where the map leads to,” said Jeb.
    â€œThat is all I know about dee war.” La’Rita waved it off. “But I do know wat dee map says. It says dee staff was found here in Louisiana ‘round 1791. It sold to a collector in New Orleans. A slave stole it