Read Online Zombie Kong - Anthology by TW; T. A. Wardrope Simon; Brown William; McCaffery Tonia; Meikle David Niall; Brown Wilson - Free Book Online Page A
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men’, Simmons would say of the old silver-backed primate. Plato accounted for at least twenty percent of tickets sold. The wheels spun in Simmons’ brain. As he rose to face the street again, those wheels found traction.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I have just been given some very sad news.” He paused for effect. “Our beloved friend and performer, Plato the Gorilla, is DEAD.”
A few of the animal-lovers in the crowd murmured in dismay. Simmons felt the eyes of the crowd on him, waiting for an explanation.
“Smarter than most men, he was, and now he is gone! But today, ladies and gentlemen, today you may purchase your tickets for the first ever––” Simmons was going to say ‘funeral for a gorilla’, but one of the faded cloth banners hanging to his left caught his eye and inspiration struck like lightning. He felt the tingle of excitement from head to foot.
“The first ever resurrection of a dead gorilla!” Simmons raised his arms with a flourish. A few groans and jeers came from the crowd.
“I ain’t payin’ to see you wake up a sleeping monkey,” one brawny man proclaimed loudly.
Simmons felt Hobart’s incredulous stare but ignored him. “I assure you, the gorilla is dead, my friends. Everyone who attends will have the opportunity to poke and prod the corpse until you are truly satisfied of the validity of my claim.
“We shall call upon Lazarus Houngan on this day! Lazarus is the grandson of plantation workers from Haiti. He is a master of the dark arts of Haitian Vodou, created by African slaves. Lazarus serves the spirits known as the loa . He is a boker . My friends, I do not expect you to know what a boker is, so let me explain further.
“A houngan is a vodou priest who serves the loa with both hands. That is to say, he performs sacred rites of healing and protection.
“But Lazarus Houngan is NOT a houngan at all. Lazarus is a boker . He is a master of the darker arts. Lazarus is with us because he was cast out by his friends and family for performing forbidden rituals. Lazarus can use his knowledge of the taboo and his unholy power to restore life to Plato the Gorilla! You will witness this stunning miracle with your own eyes! One show only, ladies and gentlemen. One show only!”
For every one person who moved away down the street, nine others surged forward with money in hand.
* * *
“I won’ do it.” Lazarus said. He crossed his arms in a defiant gesture.
“The devil you won’t!” Simmons growled back at the swarthy black man.
“I practice some little bits of hoodoo, dat’s all. What you ask is too dangerous.”
“I’ve seen you do some crazy stuff in your act. I don’t know how you do it, and I don’t care. As long as you keep the customers interested and coming back, that’s all that matters. Now, I promised the folks buying tickets tonight that you’d bring the gorilla back to life, and by gawd, you’re gonna do it.”
“Mista Simmons, you ask me to dance wit’ de devil this time. I can’t do it.”
Simmons grabbed Lazarus by the collar and yanked him so their noses almost touched. Then he unleashed a torrent of verbal abuse that would have made the cruelest plantation owner blush with shame.
With a peculiar gleam in his eyes, Lazarus agreed to raise the gorilla from the dead.
* * *
Lazarus Houngan’s real name was long forgotten, even by him. But most everything else Simmons told the crowd that day was true. Lazarus was indeed a boker of great power, though he admitted the fact to precious few. Things were just easier that way.
But the ugly barrage of words from his boss reawakened old grudges within him. Some injustices run generations-deep.
I serve the loa with both hands , he thought. But today, one hand is tied behind my back by a white man. Today, I dare to call upon Bondye, the Supreme God. Today, I ask for vengeance.
Lazarus fell to his knees and selected a stone from the dirt. He rose and hurried
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I have just been given some very sad news.” He paused for effect. “Our beloved friend and performer, Plato the Gorilla, is DEAD.”
A few of the animal-lovers in the crowd murmured in dismay. Simmons felt the eyes of the crowd on him, waiting for an explanation.
“Smarter than most men, he was, and now he is gone! But today, ladies and gentlemen, today you may purchase your tickets for the first ever––” Simmons was going to say ‘funeral for a gorilla’, but one of the faded cloth banners hanging to his left caught his eye and inspiration struck like lightning. He felt the tingle of excitement from head to foot.
“The first ever resurrection of a dead gorilla!” Simmons raised his arms with a flourish. A few groans and jeers came from the crowd.
“I ain’t payin’ to see you wake up a sleeping monkey,” one brawny man proclaimed loudly.
Simmons felt Hobart’s incredulous stare but ignored him. “I assure you, the gorilla is dead, my friends. Everyone who attends will have the opportunity to poke and prod the corpse until you are truly satisfied of the validity of my claim.
“We shall call upon Lazarus Houngan on this day! Lazarus is the grandson of plantation workers from Haiti. He is a master of the dark arts of Haitian Vodou, created by African slaves. Lazarus serves the spirits known as the loa . He is a boker . My friends, I do not expect you to know what a boker is, so let me explain further.
“A houngan is a vodou priest who serves the loa with both hands. That is to say, he performs sacred rites of healing and protection.
“But Lazarus Houngan is NOT a houngan at all. Lazarus is a boker . He is a master of the darker arts. Lazarus is with us because he was cast out by his friends and family for performing forbidden rituals. Lazarus can use his knowledge of the taboo and his unholy power to restore life to Plato the Gorilla! You will witness this stunning miracle with your own eyes! One show only, ladies and gentlemen. One show only!”
For every one person who moved away down the street, nine others surged forward with money in hand.
* * *
“I won’ do it.” Lazarus said. He crossed his arms in a defiant gesture.
“The devil you won’t!” Simmons growled back at the swarthy black man.
“I practice some little bits of hoodoo, dat’s all. What you ask is too dangerous.”
“I’ve seen you do some crazy stuff in your act. I don’t know how you do it, and I don’t care. As long as you keep the customers interested and coming back, that’s all that matters. Now, I promised the folks buying tickets tonight that you’d bring the gorilla back to life, and by gawd, you’re gonna do it.”
“Mista Simmons, you ask me to dance wit’ de devil this time. I can’t do it.”
Simmons grabbed Lazarus by the collar and yanked him so their noses almost touched. Then he unleashed a torrent of verbal abuse that would have made the cruelest plantation owner blush with shame.
With a peculiar gleam in his eyes, Lazarus agreed to raise the gorilla from the dead.
* * *
Lazarus Houngan’s real name was long forgotten, even by him. But most everything else Simmons told the crowd that day was true. Lazarus was indeed a boker of great power, though he admitted the fact to precious few. Things were just easier that way.
But the ugly barrage of words from his boss reawakened old grudges within him. Some injustices run generations-deep.
I serve the loa with both hands , he thought. But today, one hand is tied behind my back by a white man. Today, I dare to call upon Bondye, the Supreme God. Today, I ask for vengeance.
Lazarus fell to his knees and selected a stone from the dirt. He rose and hurried
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