'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.
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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,
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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.
'You see?' Dhamballa said.
'A bishop is coming,' Father Bradbury said. 'A single clergyman. I'm certain he has been sent to tend to the needs of the people I left behind. My flock. My followers. He is no threat to you.'
The priest spoke softly and with great compassion. But as he awaited Dhamballa's reply, Father Bradbury had an uneasy feeling, a sense that he had just made a terrible mistake.
'He is no threat,' the voodoo priest repeated disdainfully. His dark eyes glared at the priest. 'As I suspected, they will replace one with another.'
'As you suspected?'
'They send one mightier in rank and from another nation, daring us to defend ourselves,' Dhamballa said.
'You used me,' the priest said angrily. 'You didn't know anyone was coming-'
'They are daring me to go after him,' Dhamballa said more to himself than to Father Bradbury. 'But Leon expected this. We will postpone visiting the other churches to deal with this great man from America.' His eyes shifted to the soldier. 'Grinnell, return the priest to the hut.'
The soldier took Father Bradbury by the arm. The priest tried to wrench it free.
'Wait!' the priest said. 'What is going to happen now?'
