"Does that include me?" Father Bradbury asked.
Dhamballa now turned around fully. He stood. Dhamballa was a tall man, well over six feet. He was barefoot and dressed in a brown, sleeveless robe that reached to his ankles. "What do you know of Vodunism?"
The word itself made Father Bradbury feel unclean. He looked down at the cup of water. It reminded him of the Baptist. What is elemental to one is holy to another. That made him feel a little better. Besides, the Vatican had established guidelines that enabled missions to exist harmoniously with indigenous faiths. The most important was to open a dialogue with the leaders of those faiths. Not to remain a mysterious, threatening secret.
"I know nothing about Vodunism," Father Bradbury replied. He did not want to tell what little he knew about voodoo or the black arts. He could not risk misspeaking and insulting his host. As long as they kept talking, as long as they opened up to one another, the priest had hope.
"But you are acquainted with the term," Dhamballa continued.
"Yes," the priest admitted.
"What is your perception of Vodunism?" Dhamballa asked.
The priest considered his words carefully. "It is an ancient set of practices. I have read that your beliefs are rooted in nature. In the elementals, if you will. Your rites are said to employ herbal mixtures that can control the will, raise the dead, and perform other acts of the supernatural."
"That is part of it. Some of our 'practices,' as you describe them, are at least eight thousand years old," Dhamballa said.
"Your history is great," Father Bradbury agreed.
"Our history?" Dhamballa said. "We are more than an accumulation of years and events."
"Forgive me," Father Bradbury said immediately. "I did not mean any disrespect."
"In truth, priest, you know nothing about the heart of my faith," Dhamballa went on.
"No," Father Bradbury admitted.
"How can you know anything?" Dhamballa asked. "In the fifteenth century, your priests came to Africa, and later to the West Indies. They baptized my people to save us from a 'profound evil.' Growing up in Machaneng, I knew priests. I watched them. I saw how they promised the poor riches in the next life."
"They are there," Father Bradbury assured him.
"No," Dhamballa replied. "The riches are here. I saw them when I worked in the diamond mines. I watched as good Christians took our wealth from us, and the priests did nothing to stop them."
"It is not our job to restrict the actions of others," Father Bradbury said.
"You did not speak against it."
"Why would we? They broke no laws," the priest observed.
"They did not break your laws," Dhamballa said. "The laws that the British brought here and that subsequent governments retained. I do not recognize those laws."
Father Bradbury wanted to say, Clearly you do not. But that would not have helped him.
"I judge all men by one measure, and that is truth," Dhamballa said. "When I worked in the mines, I also saw the living faith of Vodunism. I saw men who could cure the hurt, the weary, the despairing with a touch, a prayer, a potion." He pointed a finger at Father Bradbury. "They explained to me that they practiced in secret because those whom you have converted also regard them as evil. And yet these are arts my ancestors took with them when they migrated to the Middle East. They are skills that could very well have been used by your own Savior, Jesus Christ. White arts to heal, not black arts that hurt."
"The powers of our Savior belonged to Him because He is the Son of God," Father Bradbury said.
"We are all sons of God," Dhamballa replied. "The question is, which god? Jehovah or Olorun?"
The cult leader moved forward slowly. Father Bradbury noticed there were snakes tattooed on the backs of his wrists.
"My faith is as old as civilization itself," Dhamballa said. "It was ancient when your religion was not yet conceived. Our rites and our prayers have passed unchanged since the earliest days of man. Not just the black magic but the white magic, the arts your priests ignored as they had us flogged and hanged. We used mandrake to kill pain, rattles and drums to stimulate blood flow and cure illness, stimulated human glands by the consumption of animal meat and blood. Our priests do net just talk about miracles. They work miracles, every day, guided by Agwe, the essence of the sea; by Aida Wedo, the rainbow spirit; by Baron Samedi, the guardian of the grave; by Erinle, the heart of the forest; and by hundreds of others. The fortunate ones are taught in dreams and visions. These spirits give us the power and the wisdom to generate, to regenerate, or to destroy."
"Are you one of the fortunate ones?" Father Bradbury asked.
"I am among the blessed," the leader said with humility. "I am the priest of the serpent spirit Damballah. I have adopted a form of his name in tribute. My sacred task is to clean the nation of disbelievers. I must do that or else I must prepare the way for Ogu Bodagris, the great spirit of war. He wishes to reclaim the home that was once his."
Just a few minutes before, the idea of John the Baptist had brought Father Bradbury a feeling of peace. It was frightening to think that Dhamballa saw himself in that same way. John was a bringer of light and eternal salvation. Dhamballa was a harbinger of darkness and damnation. Even if it cost Father Bradbury his life, the priest could not allow this war to happen.
Words, he reminded himself. Use them as you have in the past. Get him to open up.
"There must be a way to resolve our differences without bloodshed," Father Bradbury said.
"There is, most definitely," Dhamballa replied. "Withdraw your people. Return our nation to us."
"But Botswana is home to many of us," Father Bradbury replied. "I am a citizen. So is Deacon Jones and many others. We have spent much of our lives in Maun."
"It cannot be your home because you came uninvited," Dhamballa replied. "You came here for one reason. To try to conquer the native faith of Botswana. Your people are the ones who have made war on us." Dhamballa pointed to Father Bradbury's forehead. "A war of ideas. They will be crushed."
"You speak of a different time, a different church," Father Bradbury assured him. "We respect other religions, other religious leaders. We wish to coexist with you."
"That is not true," Dhamballa replied.
"I tell you it is," Father Bradbury replied.
"Pick up the telephone," Dhamballa told him.
Father Bradbury was caught off guard. He walked to the table and lifted the cordless receiver. It was larger than any telephone he had ever seen. It looked more like a walkie-talkie.
"Call your parish," Dhamballa said. "Speak with your deacon. Ask who is coming to the church."
The priest did so. Deacon Jones answered. The missionary was surprised and excited to hear from Father Bradbury.
"God is merciful! How are you, Father?" Jones asked.
The deacon's voice was coming from the back of the receiver as well as the front. This was a portable speakerphone.
"I'm well," the priest replied. "Deacon, tell me. Is someone coming to Holy Cross?"
"Yes," the deacon replied. "A bishop is arriving tomorrow from Washington, D. C., to minister in your absence."
"A bishop?" Bradbury said.
"Yes, Bishop Victor Max," Jones said. "Deacon Canon and I are going to Maun to meet his plane when it arrives. Father, talk to me-where are you? Are they treating you well?"
"I am fine," the priest said. "Is anyone else coming to the church?" Father Bradbury asked.
"No," the deacon replied.
"Are you certain?" the priest asked.
"This is what I've been told," Deacon Jones informed him.
Dhamballa held out his hand. Father Bradbury handed him the telephone. The Vodun leader punched it off.