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e pl a c e s of night ma r e s . T h e A maz oni a n j ung l e wa s th e l a tt e r .
    “ Be li eve me, ” A r che r said, “it i s be tt e r I wea r t h i s t han show wha t h i des benea t h. ”
    Sm ith’s e xpr e ssion r ema in e d i m p a ssiv e. “ W h a t c a n I do you f o r ? ”
    A r che r r es i s t ed t he u r ge t o cu rl h i s fi nge r s ti gh t . “ I ’ ve hea r d you can f ac ilit a t e a mee ti ng w it h t he Hu i cho l . ”
    Sm ith ma d e a sound of am us eme nt as h e pour e d hi m s e lf a gl a ss of t e quil a. An em pty , us e d gl a ss s a t b e for e Arch e r , a nd Sm ith fill e d th a t , too . “ W h a t do you w a nt w ith th em ? ” Sm ith a sk e d .
    “ I h a v e h ea rd th e y poss e ss gr ea t ma gic . ” He f e lt foolish e v e n sp ea king th e w ords , but d e sp e r a tion h a d a wa y of sl a shing pride to pieces. “ G r ea t e nough to p e rfor m th e i m possibl e. ”
    Se conds tick e d by . T h e ris e a nd f a ll of song a nd th e br a ying of a p a ssing donk e y fill e d th e sil e nc e as Sm ith st a r e d at Arch e r w ith an i m p a ssiv e e xpr e ssion . Arch e r st a r e d b a ck , not flinching . F i n a ll y , Sm ith w a v e d his h a nd , th e s ma ll e st of m otions , but a cut non e th e l e ss .
    “ C a n ’ t h e l p y o u . Y o u ’ v e been m i s i n f o rm ed. G o ba c k t o E ngl a nd . ”
    “ I ’ll fi nd ano t he r gu i de. ”
    “ Who w ill get you nowhe r e. ” Sm it h t ook a hea rt y swa ll ow of h i s d ri nk. “ Even if t he Hu i cho l cou l d he l p you, t hey won ’t . No t some g ri ngo ou t s i de r . ”
    “ Pe r haps t hey m i gh t cons i de r my p li gh t a cha ll enge? ” “ Doub t it , my fri end. ” Sm it h r ubbed a pa l m ove r h i s n i gh t
    b ea rd , th e r a sp a udibl e. “ W h a t you got? L e prosy? T h e pox? ”
    I t was A r che r’ s t u r n t o l augh. “ I f on l y. ”
    Arch e r look e d at th e gr ea sy gl a ss b e for e hi m for a
     
    m o me nt , th e n gr a bb e d it a nd down e d th e cont e nts in on e gulp . V iscous fir e slid do w n his thro a t a nd spr ea d in his b e ll y . He k e pt his g aze on Sm ith but h e kn e w th e e xits , kn e w how m uch ti me wa s n ee d e d to e sc a p e shou l d Sm ith a tt a ck . He m ov e d his h a nd to th e b a nd a g e s . T h e lin e n gaped e nough th a t Sm ith could s ee A rch e r’s f a c e a nd wh a t h a d b e co me of it .
    The man ’ s b r ows r ose bu t he d i dn ’t sca r e, A r che r wou l d g i ve h i m t ha t . He wh i s tl ed l ow and l ong. “ Can ’t say as I ’ ve eve r seen t ha t pa rti cu l a r ma l ady. ”
    “ Doub tl ess. ” A r che r smoo t hed t he li nen back i n p l ace. He was t hank f u l t ha t Sm it h d i dn ’t ask h i m how he ’ d go tt en t h i s way. He adm ir ed a man who knew when t o keep h i s cu ri os it y t o h i mse lf .
    Sm it h fi n i shed h i s d ri nk, t hen s t ood. “ We ll , I ’ d bes t get pack i ng. ” Sm it h s tr e t ched i n a l azy f ash i on, t he j o i n t s at h i s neck and back popp i ng i n p r o t es t .
    Arch e r ros e a nd th e y w e r e n ea rly e y e— to -e y e. “ W h e n? ” “ We ’ll mee t h e r e, an hour b e for e d a wn . ”
    T wo d a ys l a t e r , Sm ith brought hi m b e for e th e H uichol’s holy ma n to pl ea d his c a s e.
    A rch e r’s mee ting w ith th e sh ama n , as Sm ith c a ll e d hi m, h a d been brief but e ff e ctiv e. Fa cing th e sol em n I nd i a n , h e h a d t a k e n off his lin e n e ntir e ly a nd r e v ea l e d wh a t h e ’d b e co me. T h e r e wa s no f ea r or outright shock , a nd Arch e r soon r ea li ze d th a t th e s e holy me n of th e Ame ric a s w e r e of a diff e r e nt philosophy th a n m ost me n . T h e y s eeme d to vi ew lif e not as so me thing fill e d w ith f ea r , but as fill e d w ith m yst e ry a nd a cc e pt a nc e. T h e r e w e r e f ew qu e stions — ma i n l y , wh a t did Arch e r e xp e ct to find? W