Mardi Gras Masquerade (19 page)

As she looked over the side, Steve suddenly said, “Don’t think about
jumpin
’ overboard.
 
If the current doesn’t drag you under, the snakes and alligators will get you.”

Maria stared at him in wide-eyed terror.
 
What could he mean by frightening her like this, by taking her on this strange, perilous boat ride?

“Why won’t you tell me where we’re going?” she asked.

“Do you remember I told you I was going to punish you for what you did?” Steve said with an expressionless face.
 
“Well, this is it.”

Maria could not believe the cold dispassion in his words.
 
She had never seen him as forbidding as this.
 
A quick glance behind her showed her that the strange man took no interest in their conversation.
 
His attention appeared to be focused on piloting the boat.
 
It was easy to see that she would receive no help from him.

Maria wondered about the curious necklace the man was wearing over another chain that held a cross.
 
It was a grisly-looking affair that seemed to be made up of some kind of bones.
 
Human finger bones, perhaps?
 
She shuddered and looked away.

“Put on your jacket,” Steve said, as he pulled on a leather one.

“I’m not cold.”

“Don’t be stubborn.
 
I felt you shiver.
 
It’s colder on the water.”

Maria fumbled with the garment, trying to maintain perfect balance, until Steve leaned over and helped her.
 
There seemed to be little gentleness in his gesture.
 
Maria nodded, but did not speak her thanks.

They moved on into the dusk.
 
When the boat slowly turned off into a barely perceptible waterway on their right, Maria’s tension grew.
 
The narrow, sluggish stream was overhung by large, ancient trees and vines.

The way was dark and forbidding.
 
Jungle-like bird calls arid rustlings sounded all around them.
 
After some soft words from the man that propelled the boat, Steve got up and stepped forward to light the lantern that was suspended in the bow.
 
Its light did little to push back the ever-narrowing darkness.

As Steve sat back beside Maria, she could derive no comfort from his expression.
 
Her fingernails slowly dug into the palms of her hands as she speculated on what he planned to do with her.
 
Why all this mystery and secrecy?
 
What could he have in mind by taking her on this gloomy journey?

Maria’s ruminations grew more ghastly as she wondered if her behavior had driven Steve into wanting to do away with her.
 
If that was his plan, he could not have chosen a more desolate place or a more reticent accomplice to execute his intention.
 
Had she proved herself to he such an unworthy wife for his brother that he might resort to murder to rid the DuPont family of an undesirable addition?

Maria kept these terrifying thoughts to herself, but she could feel her skin crawling.
 
She knew it would be useless to ask either of the men any questions.
 
It was plain that
they would not answer her.

The boat wove its way along the winding bayou.
 
Its pace was slowed only to circumvent obstacles.
 
The darkness of the swamp became complete.

The woman waited in tense expectation of the time when they would pull in next to the shore to finish their grisly deed.
 
This did not happen.
 
Neither of her companions made a move in her direction to grab her or throw her’ overboard.

At first, Maria thought it was only her imagination when she heard the sound of distant drumbeats.
 
They seemed to weave in and out of the drone of the boat’s engine.
 
When they began to grow stronger, she felt her heart accelerate to match their tempo.

The boat rounded a corner of the swamp and the drums became louder yet.
 
Through the silhouetted mesh of the trees, Maria could see a number of torches burning off to the side ahead of them.

Who was waiting there?

Steve’s face revealed nothing, so Maria turned to look back at the other man.
 
He returned her fearful stare with a wide, toothy grin.
 
This made everything seem worse than ever for Maria.
 
That man was so cold-hearted that he could actually smile at a time like this.
 
Her imagination had run away with horrifying thoughts.

As the boat moved closer to the fire, Maria could hear a weird chanting sound that accompanied the drums.
 
There was a
rumble of low-pitched men’s voices and a high wailing cry of a woman.
 
Unconsciously, she moved closer to Steve.

The trees began to thin as they approached a clearing in the undergrowth.
 
Revealed before Maria’s disbelieving eyes was the strangest scene she had ever beheld.
 
Several crude huts provided a backdrop to a primitive spectacle, the likes of which she had seen only in movies.

A number of dark-skinned men sat in a circle while two women danced in undulating patterns in the opening before them.
 
They were painted in eerie white designs, while barbaric-looking necklaces and bracelets adorned their bodies.
 
Two of the men beat on hand-carved wooden drums with sticks.

Maria stared on in awe.
 
When the boat pulled in to brush against the shore, she let out a small gasp.
 
She turned to Steve, who was closely watching her reaction.

“What are you going to do with me?” Maria asked in a dread-filled voice.

A hint of a smile crept into the man’s eyes as he replied, “Introduce you to a little voodoo magic.”

“To kill me?” the woman blurted out.

The smile now touched Steve’s lips.

“What an imagination,” he commented.
 
“Okay, butterfly, I think you’ve suffered enough.
 
This is one of those unpublicized voodoo encounters that are designed to appeal to tourists.
 
Normally, you would be
sharin
’ the excitement with several other thrill seekers, but just to amuse you, I gave the folks here a little something extra to get a private performance.”

Maria’s mouth hung open.
 
She could scarcely believe what he had told her.
 
It had all been a monstrous joke to scare her.

“You’re the most contemptible man I’ve ever met!” she exclaimed.

“Come on,” Steve said with a short laugh, as he took her arm and maneuvered her out of the boat.
 
“The show hasn’t even begun yet.”

He stepped out behind Maria and directed her to a straw mat by an opening in a circle.
 
The woman’s sense of relief was almost overcome by her mounting annoyance over the trick.
 
She wrenched her arm out of Steve’s grasp to throw herself down on the mat in an unceremonious fashion.
 
He laughed again, and then took his place beside her.

The drummers and dancers carried on as though they were not there.
 
Everyone seemed to be intent on the primal rhythm as they swayed with the beat.
 
Maria looked on, drawn to the intensity of the spectacle.

The dancing woman’s voice grew shriller and shriller until it finally pierced the night with an agonizing cry as the drumming unexpectedly stopped.
 
The sudden cessation of the sound was startling in itself.

Maria wondered if she was supposed to clap or remain silent.
 
She waited to see what Steve would do.
 
Since he remained motionless, she followed his example.
 
After a short interval, the drums started up again, only this time, the tempo was slower.
 
One of the dancers sat down and insinuated herself into a sensuous dance pattern, moving only her body and arms.
 
The woman appeared to sway to the strains of some unheard melody.

It was captivating.
 
Maria looked on, too rapt to think of anything else.
 
When someone tapped her shoulder, she started, bumping against Steve as she swung her head to see who was there.
 

It was only a pretty, cinnamon-colored girl, offering her a drink in a hollow coconut shell.
 
Maria thanked her and took the cup.
 
It had a fruity aroma and the liquid was an opaque, indistinguishable color.
 
Turning to Steve, she asked, “What is this?”

The girl only giggled as she handed Steve a similar vessel.

“It’s a passion potion,” Steve said with an amused look.
 
“Drink it.”

Maria smirked and looked back at the beverage.

“Drink it!” the man repeated more forcefully.

Steve watched as Maria held her breath and took a small sip.
 
It was delicious.
 
She had not realized how dry her throat had become.
 
The drink quenched her thirst and titillated her taste buds.
 
Steve watched her as he lifted his own cup to his lips.

As the entertainment continued, the girl served them a variety of
Caribbean
foods.
 
Most of them were strange to Maria.
 
As she tried some, she gave Steve a glance, and then returned her attention to the dancer.

The woman was now leaning over a basket.
 
She opened the cover and, with the waves of the music, slowly lowered her hands to reach inside.
 
She slowly withdrew a long, sinuous snake.

Maria gasped aloud, although the dancer did not appear to be frightened.
 
She caressed the reptile languorously, and then wove it across her shoulders and around her neck.
 
It appeared to be as mesmerized by the rhythm of the drums as its mistress.
 
The small head pulled back and its forked tongue darted out to quiver in the air.

Continuing to dance, undulating her body to slowly rise to her feet.
 
She wrapped the snake around various parts of her body, allowing it to caress all of her.
 
Maria could not look away.
 
She took another sip of her drink, mesmerized by the performance.

When the dancer put the reptile’s head in her mouth, she cringed and finally looked away.
 
Steve wrapped his arm around her and gave her shoulder a small squeeze.
 
As angry as Maria was with him, she appreciated the sense of security his gesture had given her.

When the dance was over, the drumming continued, taking up a livelier beat.
 
The women left the circle to be replaced by a couple of similarly painted men that performed some amazing feats of contortion, winding themselves into strange, impossible patterns.
 
In the torchlight, they almost looked like dancing skeletons.

The alcohol in the drink began to soothe and relax Maria.
 
She “oohed” and “wowed” with each new fantastic configuration of a man’s body.
 
When that performance was over, she applauded vigorously, missing the grin on Steve’s face.

The musical portion of the entertainment went on to culminate in an appearance of “the Baron Samedi,” the mythical ruler of
Voodooland
.
 
He appeared out of a puff of smoke to dance in exaggerated, suggestive movements around the fire.

Maria’s eyes opened wide.
 
When he approached her with come-hither gestures to entreat her to join him in his dance, she quickly shook her head and refused him.
 
The Baron threw back his head and laughed loudly, as his eyes picked up a demonic gleam from the torches.
 
After making a number of mysterious incantations and gestures into the jungle darkness, he suddenly stopped to point at Maria.
 
At that instant, the drums went silent.