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“What about fresh water? Is it still a problem for many countries?”
“Worse than ever, between development and pollution”
She shook her head sadly “So much,” she said in a faraway voice “I’ve missed so much I don’t know if my parents are still alive I leamed in her eye, and she wiped it aith her napkin “I , but you have no idea hoful it is to be isolated here in the forest, with no communication to the outside world You have been very kind and patient Now it is time for you to hear my story” She called for tea to be served, then dismissed the Indian women so that there were only the three of them
“My naan For an hour the Trouts listened raptly to the goddess’s story, starting with her fah her education in Brazil and America, up to the time of the plane crash
“I was the only survivor of the crash,” she said “The copilot was a scoundrel, but he kne to fly The jet skidded intoand prevented fire When I woke up I found myself in a hut where the Indians carried me I was in terrible pain fro was broken A compound fracture, the worst kind As you’ve heard, the rain forestand treatedI learned later that the plane had landed on top of their chief’s house and killed him They held me no ill In fact, it was just the opposite”
“They oddess,” Gamay said
“You can see why The Chulo retreated froo They’ve been completely cut off fro from the sky Gods are supposed to behave that way to keep people in line They figured the chief had angered the gods I becaion”
“A cargo cult?” Gamay offered
Paul said, “Back during World War II, natives who saw planes overhead for the first tiround to worship”
“Yes,” Gamay said “Remember that movie The Gods Must Be Crazy? A Coke bottle dropped froious veneration and started all sorts of trouble”
“Precisely,” Francesca said “Think of how those natives would react if they had an actual plane in their possession”
“That explains the shrine with the plane at its center”
She nodded “They hauled the pieces of the jet there and did a fairly good job of reasseod’ We have to sacrifice an aniods won’t wreak more destruction on the tribe”
“The plane was blue and white,” Gamay said “The natives paint themselves with the same color scheme No coincidence?”
“They believe it will give theainst their enemies”