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The Quarter teemed with activity, a vibrant place with doors thrown open to bars, antique shops, restaurants, clubs, and bed-and-breakfasts Mules plodded by pulling carriages Musicians played on busy corners And the only traffic was the occasional delivery truck--no personal vehicles allowed in the Quarter "To preserve the ambiance and history," Sebastian explained

"Voodoo Alley," he said as we turned onto Dumaine Street

The street was a colorful mix of homes and businesses, mostly voodoo related "The ones like those"--he pointed to a ground-floor shop filled with small pouches, spell packs, relics, statues, scarves, and handmade dolls--"those are tourist traps"

As ent by, a suide dressed like the old Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau

"Where are the real shops?" I stepped off the sidewalk and onto the street to go around the tour

Sebastian shoved his hands into his pockets "Back rooled back onto the sidewalk, passing a long strip of houses on both sides of the street The area became quieter, but no less colorful--the houses painted in the bright colors of the Caribbean Long wooden shutters framed open hich allowed the breeze in from the river

But even here in the residential space, voodoo was everywhere Adorning every door, railing, and gate were beads, flowers, votive candles, gris-gris pouches, handies of saints

Sebastian stopped in front of one such gate The wrought iron whined as he pushed it open We entered a tunnel, a dark space where the sound of our footsteps bounced off the vaulted brick ceiling of the courtyard passageway running between the West Indies–style homes on either side

My eyes watered as we ventured froht of a large walled courtyard Water splashed from a fountain in the center and everywhere there were birds--chirping, fluttering, e banana tree in the back left-hand corner

"This way," Sebastian said quietly

I followed hi the brick path to a stone patio that butted up to the first floor of the house Three sets of French doors ran the length of the ground floor The middle set was open, held ajar by potted plants and a crude, life-size wood carving of the Virgin Mary, her neck draped with beads

Incense clouded the room inside Fine particles of dust and wisps of sht The roos Gaudy things So s that I found it hard to concentrate

"Sebastian Lamarliere," said a deep, heavily accented Cajun voice with a slight singsong quality A figure came around the corner in a thin, wide-sleeved robe that brushed the tops of long bare feet Dark skin and eyes Closely cropped gray, frizzy hair Two large hoops in the ears There were rings on the fingers of one hand and a bouquet of daisies in the other

I was stumped

It was the first tiender My eyes fell to the neck, looking for an Adam’s apple, but it athed in a colorful scarf, the ends trailing down the back of the gown

"Jean Solomon," Sebastian said with respect

He said it in the French way The French "Jean" wascounter and retrieved a vase for the flowers "These are for Legba," he said, s it into the vase

Jean beckoned for us to step closer; the ise eyes and gentle tone of voice ave him a small smile, not sure what to say, and it took several uncomfortable minutes before he slid the vase aside and propped his arht into ht with a and ht me here to see if you can lift my cursean old one"

An eyebrow rose at my words, or the fact that I’d answered for Sebastian; I couldn’t tell "An old one, indeed" He rested his chin on one hand "Love the rave;re?"

"Ari"

"And, what, Miss Ar-eee, will you offer the loa in return for reh to know that loa were the spirits a voodoo priest called upon to aid hiuide between the priest and the spirit world Or at least, that was how I thought it went What I hadn’t considered was pay low on funds

"I tell you what," Jean said, "ill see about this curse and the loa will tell you what they want for it, c’est bon?"

I released ht a smile to etting so ed with items and chairs but empty in the center On the far as a wide altar, caked with candle wax, sion, food, trinkets, and dried blood There was a photograph of a woe statue of Christ on the cross Curled around the base of the statue was a yellow python A small python, but size never really mattered when it came to snakes