James Axler – Demons of Eden

A crowd was assembled at the far edge of the clearing, and several men were beating big, hide-covered drums with wooden mallets. The throbbing vibrations were like the steady beat of the invisible wings of a giant bird.

A man strode from the crowd, wearing a headdress made of bird feathers and buffalo horns, and began a high-pitched nasal chant. The chant didn’t end but trailed off, as if the man had forgotten the words. The drum thumping continued for several more beats, then it, too, ceased. Wordlessly the man in the headdress stepped back into the crowd.

In the distance came the sound of small, tinkling bells. The onlookers on the edge of the clearing parted, and a man leaped nearly into the fire. Around his hips was a loincloth bearing a green disk design, and on his feet were boot moccasins. A white cloth mask covered his head and face. It, too, bore the green disk. His otherwise naked body was painted bright yellow with bands of green on the chest, back and arms. Bells were strapped to his wrists. In his right hand he held what seemed to be a long piece of cord with a gourd attached to its end.

The man danced around the fire, then around the perimeter. He whirled the gourd over his head, and it gave off a low, ominous humming sound.

Four girls in white doeskin detached themselves from the spectators and arranged themselves into a circle around the fire. The drumming began again, and the girls began to move their feet in time to the drumbeats. Ryan recognized one as the girl who had brought them their dinner.

The hooded man continued to dance vigorously, the bells jingling and tinkling. The girls danced slowly, almost as if their ankles were tied together.

The ceremony progressed, and the six friends watched it, trying to fathom as much of its meaning as they could. The man threaded his way around and between the girls, now and then taking one of them by the hand and leading her in a sort of promenade around the fire. The steady throb of the drums, the incessant jingling, the occasional humming from the man’s bull-roarer, added to the confusing quality of the performance.

To one who had grown up with such ceremonies, the meaning was probably instantly clear, but to Ryan and his friends, it could only be puzzling, or perhaps disturbing.

The dancing, the drumming, the bell-jingling, all ended with an unnerving abruptness. As the girls returned to the edge of the clearing, the male dancer pulled off his hood, revealing Joe’s sweat-pebbled face. He began to talk, and since he was speaking in Lakota, his speech was more or less incomprehensible. Only Ryan and J.B. were able to recognize one word out of every twenty.

Joe mentioned “Maza Wakan,” ” wasicun , Akicita Sunkamitu Tanka” and more than once, “Wokiconze Wakan,” which Ryan finally realized meant Sacred Land.

Joe waved his arms in an elaborate gesture, and the crowd began to disperse. He glanced over, sighted the travelers and nodded. He walked over to them.

“How did you like the ceremony?” he asked.

“Very edifying,” Doc replied. “It would have been more so had we known what it meant.”

“It was the Thanking Dance, acknowledging the help of the Four Old Men who brought us here safely.”

Sudden understanding made Mildred nod. “The Four Old Menthe ones who direct the winds, the rains, the seasons.”

“And who give my people the breath of life,” Joe said. “Which is the wisdom necessary for an existence within the circle. You are the first outlanders to see the dance. You should feel honored.”

No one said anything.

Joe looked them over warily and said, “A ceremony like this is a very emotional experience, at least for some people. It takes a lot out of me. I bid you a good night and urge you not to leave your quarters again until I send for you.”

Before they could reply, he had turned away and strode back across the clearing.

Krysty tugged at Ryan’s arm. “We should do as he says. It’s been a long day.”

They returned to their room and took bunks. Ryan intended to stand the first guard, but he had imbibed more of the cider than he should have. Its alcoholic content combined with his fatigue and pushed him onto the bed beside Krysty.