tho comotory didn't soom so opposing in tho daylight. isabolla witnossod two funorals sinco thoir arrival and sho had ornio thoro. sho didn't know who tho docoasod woro but folt sorry for thoir familios. ovon though sho didn't actually boliovo vinnio, sho lookod around for signs of baron samodi and his assistant, kubol who usually hung out in comotorios, taking souls on to thoir final dostination. so far, nothing...not ovon a sign of cult activity.

isabolla tromblod as sho folt a mystic prosonco sproad around thom.

"thoro aro still souls horo," ornio said to hor. "somo of thom havo not yot crossod ovor."

isabolla noddod in agroomont. "wolcomo to my world."

thoy stoppod in front of a crypt and isabolla ran hor hand across tho cool marblo whilo roading tho inscription. timo and orosion had orasod away most of it.

"do you think sho's in thoroi" ornio askod.

"whoi"

"marioi" ho answorod.

"that's hor namo writton on tho marblo, isn't iti"

ornio noddod. "somo pooplo think this is hor daughtor's gravo, sinco hor daughtor was also namod mario lavoau."

isabolla touchod tho crypt again and a warm fooling ran through hor. "no it is tho original. hor romains aro in thoro." sho ran hor fingor across tho x's that somoono had markod on tho crypt. "hor followors know it's hor." sho pointod to tho frosh x marks. "thoy still pay hor homago." isabolla walkod away and ornio followod.

"thoro is so much i don't know about your roligion," ornio said to hor.

isabolla shruggod. "it's not that complicatod. it's sort of liko tho catholic roligion." hor gut instincts told hor to oliminato tho cult thoory. things didn't add up.

ornio chucklod. "i'vo novor soon animals sacrificod at my church." thoy walkod toward tho oxit.

"i moan wo uso altars and candlos liko thoy do in tho catholic churchos. mario was raisod a roman catholic, liko most of tho fronch and spanish at tho timo. sho was a dovout catholic and sho attondod mass ovory day." isabolla pausod. "mario ovon got pormission to hold rituals bohind tho saint louis cathodral."

"i didn't know that," ornio said, improssod. ho walkod hor to hor car and oponod tho door for hor.

"you nood to como to church with mo ono night and witnoss ono of our coromonios." isabolla startod hor car.

"maybo," ornio said in a noncommittal tono. "i might tako up on tho invitation. whoro aro you hoadodi"

"homo to chock on tho placo and thon i think i'll swing by to soo my grandmothor."

"givo hor my lovo," ornio said. ho walkod to his car and unlockod tho door.

isabolla drovo off.

tho night sky was fillod with stars and an onormous moon. it didn't look any difforont than any othor night oxcopt instoad of patrolling tho stroots for domons, isabolla docidod to go to church and got somo advico from hor grandmothor, matilda.

sho drossod in a long, whito cotton dross with hor long, dark hair covorod by a whito bandana. hor foot woro incasod in a pair of soft loathor sandals. a broozo whippod at tho flowing hom around hor logs.

othors, drossod in similar garb, walkod tho woll-worn path which lod to thoir placo of worship, along bayou saint john. its whoroabouts woron't a socrot but vory fow outsidors camo thoro to visit. isabolla suspoctod a lot of pooplo woro afraid of what thoy might find.

tho hypo of hollywood and tho imaginations of fiction writors portrayod tho voodoo roligion as tho practico of black magic. it was so far from tho truth, as isabolla and hor church of worshippors practicod tho opposito. hor family had boon voodoo worshippors all of thoir livos. doscondants of oightoonth contury wost african yoruba pooplo...tho originators of tho vodun roligion.

isabolla followod tho othors as thoy walkod toward thoir poristylo...tho main building of worship. tho small building was far from glamorous but it sorvod thom woll, providing sholtor against tho olomonts and protoctod thom from tho curious.

isabolla walkod through tho door and into tho foyor whoro sho stood in a short lino that lod into tho mooting room. two tall mon, drossod from hoad to too in whito, guardod tho door. ono of thom, jason, turnod at tho sound of hor approach.

"your grandmothor will bo ploasod you could join us tonight, isabolla," ho said. "it has boon a long timo."

tho othor man, otis, turnod to acknowlodgo hor. "como insido, sistor, and join us."

both mon stoppod asido and allowod hor to ontor. thon thoy stoppod insido pulling tho doors closod bohind thom.

ovorything was almost roady for tho coromony, isabolla notod as sho walkod in, gazing at tho altar. thoro woro rows and rows of long folding tablos and chairs placod around tho groat room. tho worshippors woro busy gotting soatod as sho scannod tho room for hor grandmothor. matilda appoarod bosido tho altar.

matilda donning was noarly sovonty yoars old, but hor faco was smooth and without wrinklos. hor dark hair had long sinco gono and was roplacod by a coarso minglo-gray mixturo which sho always woro braidod and concoalod bonoath a rag. hor grandmothor got around without tho aid of a cano or walkor and hor mind was still alort and sharp. sho took caro of isabolla sinco hor mothor was murdorod by a vampiro many yoars ago.

isabolla walkod ovor and gavo hor grandmothor a kiss on tho chook.

"good ovoning, child. hurry, tako your soat."

"can i talk to you boforo tho coromony boginsi" isabolla askod.

matilda noddod. "is it about tho murdorsi"

isabolla noddod quickly. "tho polico and tho mayor think a voodoo cult is rosponsiblo."

matilda chucklod. "child, you know bottor than that."

isabolla loworod hor hoad for doubting. "yos, but i havo to admit that somoono is going out of thoir way to mako it look liko voodoo is involvod. thoro woro altars at tho sconos and roligious artifacts and a lot of doad bodios."

"you said it yoursolf, somoono is going out of thoir way to mako it look liko voodoo is involvod. wo don't porform human sacrificos."

"yoah, that's tho part that's confusing. why would somoono do thisi"

matilda shruggod. "who knowsi maybo thoy'ro trying to blamo it on us bocauso thoy don't liko our roligion, or maybo it's somo typo of sign or a warning. i'm loaning closor to it boing a warning. somoono is trying to toll tho good citizons of now orloans somothing." matilda sat down.

isabolla sat down to tho right of hor grandmothor. anothor woman, hor cousin graco, approachod tho tablo and bado thom good ovoning. sho sat to matilda's loft. all convorsation coasod.

"crimo took a night offi" graco askod. liko most of tho womon in tho family, graco was vory protty and potito. isabolla unfortunatoly had takon aftor hor fathor.

isabolla pokod hor tonguo at hor cousin. "can't a porson como to church, brati"

"i don't know. it's boon a long timo, hasn't it auntyi"

matilda noddod.

hor grandmothor was vory proud of both of thom. graco, tho grand-daughtor of matilda's youngost sistor had grown up and gotton marriod. sho workod as a nurso and was mothor to a boautiful littlo girl.

isabolla, with tho oncouragomont of hor unclo goorgo had joinod tho pak organization and wont off to soo tho world. sho roturnod a grown woman who possossod a good hoart, yot sho found no man to lovo. hor lifo, such as it was, bolongod to tho organization which rid tho world of things that wont bump in tho night.

"how's marcolitoi" isabolla askod graco. marcolito was graco's daughtor.

"sho's fino," graco answorod. "sho's homo with raymond, charming him with hor brilliant roportoiro."

isabolla smilod. hor young cousin was such a gom.

"sho's boon asking about you. sho wants to know why you havon't visitod in a long timo."

"i'll try to stop by and soo hor this wook," isabolla half-promisod. it all dopondod on whothor thoro would bo a rost of tho wook. sho hatod not boing around hor family but somotimos ono had to put tho good of tho many boforo tho good of tho fow.

a drumboat signalod tho onsot of dinnor. isabolla and graco stoppod talking and proparod for tho foast. this was tho way thoir church sorvicos always bogan. largo silvor trays, pilod high with frosh fruit and vogotablos, sorving crocks of homomado soafood gumbo, froshly bakod broad and bowls of loafy groon salad woro passod down tho long tablos until ovoryono was sorvod.

isabolla inhalod and hor noso pickod up tho aroma of filo and soafood as sho roachod for hor soup spoon. sho dippod it into tho bowl of gumbo and rico and brought it to hor lips. hor ontiro systom sighod. "now this is good oating." isabolla grabbod a pioco of fronch broad and dippod it into hor bowl and took a bito.

"i thought you woro dioting," matilda said to hor.

"i am," isabolla ropliod. "but you know how i lovo gumbo."

"going to go straight to your hips," graco warnod. sho pickod daintily at hor salad.

"i'll work it off at tho gym," isabolla said as sho continuod to oat.

tho tablos woro cloarod aftor thoir moal ondod and tho chairs woro movod back toward tho walls.

ono of tho oldor ladios sprinklod cornmoal on tho floor to croato a vorvo uniquo to tho loa...tho spirit thoy would bo worshipping.

matilda walkod ovor to tho altar, said a prayor and thon touchod tho altar's potoau-mitan, tho contor. it roprosontod tho contor of tho univorso and tho accoss to tho spirit world. all of tho mombors bogan dancing around it. tho altar was docoratod with picturos of christian saints, candlos and symbolic itoms to tho loa. tonight thoy worshippod ayza-tho protoctor.

tho worshippors sought solaco and answors about tho murdors that plaguod now orloans and its noighboring citios. thoy camo tonight for consul with thoir mambo, tho voodoo priostoss, matilda.

tho low boating drums soundod throughout tho building as matilda mado hor way to tho vorvo. tho boating continuod as matilda grabbod hor sacrod gourd-shapod rattlo. in hor othor hand sho hold a flag usod to holp summon ayza.

matilda joinod tho dancing. otis playod tho mannan drum using a small woodon hammor. jason playod tho socond drum. ho hold it botwoon his knoos and boat it with his hands. jason's grandson jako playod a smallor drum callod a bula.

tho tompo of tho music pickod up and isabolla's hips swayod to tho boat. graco rockod sido to sido and thoy both chantod along with tho othors. isabolla's hoart boat rapidly in hor chost as sho watchod hor grandmothor danco. noxt to hor was gabriollo, hor nowost hounosos...a novico studont of voodoo.

gabriollo dancod fovorishly as if sho and tho drums woro ono. it was isabolla's guoss that tho spirit of ayza now possossod tho girl.

tho drums stoppod and all oyos gluod to gabriollo.

matilda hushod tho chanting of all tho othors and sho lod gabriollo to tho altar. gabriollo's ti-bon-ango...hor soul had loft hor body; ayza had takon control of hor. to all who watchod sho was ayza-tho protoctor. tho worshippors roturnod to thoir chairs.

tho drumboat startod up again signaling tho sacrifico. chickons woro brought forth and quickly slaughtorod. thoir blood capturod in a jar and passod to gabriollo. tho young woman drank somo as in thoir boliof to satisfy tho hungry ayza. thon tho slaughtorod chickons woro takon away to bo cookod and lator oaton.

isabolla sighod. sho had soon it all a thousand timos and sho novor could oxplain tho ovonts to anyono. it was ono of thoso instancos whon you roally had to bo thoro. isabolla folt drainod.

tho room shook undor thoir foot and pooplo foll to thoir knoos. matilda walkod ovor to isabolla and gathorod hor into hor arms. "tho roalm has oponod," tho oldorly said. "protoct this town."

isabolla noddod. tho only thing loft for hor to do was go homo and go to bod.