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"I’er"

Marie shook her head "You are an old soul, Lieutenant, a very old soul"

"Now, Marie--"

"Heara bony hand "We see that there is black, and there is white There is night, and there is day There is evil, and there is good, just the same, even if ‘evil’ is not always seen, nor can ays touch ‘good’ There are forces in the city now; good and evil There is a fight"

He hesitated, not quite believing what he was about to ask "Is Maggie Montgouard yourself! Guard yourself well She is not what she seehed inwardly She shook her head "Pay heed to the nights, Lieutenant"

"Now, Marie--"

"There is nothing ris in this place Magic Good and evil Guard yourself, take care Look to the beast, and think of eapons you will need Open your ends are usually based on fact You believe in God, Lieutenant, right?"

"Yes, I’m from an old Catholic family myself--"

"You don’t see Him, you don’t know Hi in what you cannot see We think that faith is soent men Then know that there is more in this world than we can see with the naked eyes, that we can find in what is known and accepted The world is not flat; s are possible Look to the earth, the sky, the night The black and the white Rehout veins is our life’s blood And take this ive you"

She reached for his hand, her bony one clenched around so his fingers around it

"I can’t just take soan to protest She was old Maybe she was a voodoo quack--she still needed an income

"You take this"

"Come on, nohat do I owe you?"

After all, this could even be a con between Mamie Johnson and Marie Mamie procured "escorts" for those who needed theic as well for a cut of the proceeds

"You owe ift Because there is darkness and light Good and evil You are good I aood And we are all one That is what matters" She studied his eyes intently, then she turned quickly away froh her vials of scented love oils and lotions

He shook his head He already felt foolish Listening to a voodoo! What the hell had she given him?

Some kind of a talisman, a rabbit’s foot, a chicken claw?

There was a cross in his hand Nothing th, and strung fro chain

He smiled Well, she had mentioned that those of French, Catholic, or Island descent bore her nah the scattered tourists

"Lieutenant!"

He turned Old Marie Lescarre had called hied him

She was so sincere He had to smile back at her, nod

And slip the chain around his neck She hadn’t given him some silly amulet It was a cross He could live with that If it had been some kind of an ao-

But a cross

Actually--and quite oddly--he had to ad What the hell Couldn’t hurt

Leaving Jackson Square, he was surprised to find hi toward Mamie’s place

He ordered a Coke and a sandwich, and when Mamie came to sit at the bar next to hiain

"I don’t think he’ll coed "He may"

"He’s surely seen his face in the newspapers"

"But he ht want to show you his face again

Challenge you See if we can get to hih You’re not scared, are you?"

"Maybe Just a little Can you help h if he comes for me?" He chewed roast beef on wheat and sot cops here all the tiyou for your trade, you know" Maood"

"I saw your friend in Jackson Square"

"You went to see Marie?"

He nodded "You told her I was co?"

Mamie shook her head "No"

He half smiled "She knew ood, there’s evil There’s religion, there’s hocus-hocus All the sa the cross she gaveto need it," Mamie assured him

"A cross?"

Mamie nodded

"Crosses scare away bad voodoo?"