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h e n Arch e r s a id a cur e, th e sh ama n si m ply nodd e d a nd continu e d to g aze at h i m t hough tf u ll y.
    N o w Arch e r wa s a wee k out on a pilgri ma g e to th e
     
    H uichol’s holy l a nd of W iricut a. F ro m wh a t Arch e r could get out of Sm ith , it wou l d be th e r e th a t th e y wou l d g a in a cc e ss to a po r t al t o a n o t h er r ea l i t y . T h e r e, h i s q u e s t i o n s w o u l d be a ns we r e d . Any prop e r E nglish ma n wou l d b e li e v e th e who l e e x e rcis e to be both folly a nd ma dn e ss , but Arch e r h a d t a k e n a pe r s o n al peek be h i n d t h e v e l v et c u r t a i n of r ea l i t y . H e k n ew now th a t th e r e w e r e things th a t w e nt f a r b e yond th e r ea l m of tr a dition a l hu ma n und e rst a nding .
    Forbidden t o ba t he, eat p r ope r mea l s, or have a p r ope r n i gh t’ s s l eep wh il e on t he p il g ri mage, h i s tr ave li ng pa rt y was now a f ou l -sme lli ng, hazy-eyed g r oup. The ho t , b ri gh t sun beat down on t he ir backs, and heads hung l ow. Even so, a sense of peace and pu r pose fill ed t hese tr ave l e r s. L ik e a ba l m, it smoo t hed ou t ove r t he en tir e g r oup.
    As for Arch e r , aside fro m his s me lling lik e a We st E nd gutt e rsnip e, th e l a ck of sl ee p or food h a rdly a ff e ct e d hi m. H is body wa s si m ply too strong now , a nd a ny s e ns e of p ea c e r e coil e d wh e n f a c e d w ith his d e sp e r a tion .
    “ Ce r emony ’ s t on i gh t , ” Sm it h said, b r eak i ng i n t o A r che r’ s t hough t s. The ri ve r s of w ri nk l es sp r ead i ng ou t fr om t he co r ne r s of Sm it h ’ s eyes deepened as he squ i n t ed i n t o t he s i nk i ng sun. “ You su r e you wan t t o do t h i s? ”
    W h e n Arch e r si m ply look e d at hi m, Sm ith e l a bor a t e d . “ S o me whit e me n who do this don’t co me b a ck , you know . I think it’s b e c a us e th e ir ord e rly m inds c a n’t co m pr e h e nd wh a t c a nnot be e xpl a in e d . S o th e y go ma d . T h e ir body is fin e, sur e, but th e y’r e n e v e r right in th e h ea d a g a in . ” He scr a tch e d th e thick , gri zz l e d stubbl e a long his j a w . “ W ors e th a n dying if you a sk me. ”
    And if a ma n couldn’t di e ? Ha d Sm ith a ny id ea wh a t h e ll th a t wa s? Arch e r r e fr a in e d fro m a sking .
    “ I ’ll r e t u r n, ” he said. He ’ d do any t h i ng now.
    S m i t h m ade a s o un d of b l a c k hu m o r . “ Y ou h ad be tt e r . O r
     
    I ’ m l ea ving your a ss h e r e. I a in’t dr a gging no drooling E nglish ma n a ll th e wa y b a ck fro m h e ll . ”
London , April 18, 1879
    T h e r e wa s a blist e r on M ir a nd a ’s foot th a t wa s lik e ly th e si ze of th e E nglish C h a nn e l at this point . Dee p tr em ors h a d pl a gu e d th e m uscl e s a long h e r b a ck sinc e sh e st a rt e d out this m orning . T h e y wou l d not e nd until sh e wa s s a f e ly shut w ithin th e w a lls of h e r o w n b e droo m. Ma yb e not e v e n th e n . I t wa s g e tting h a rd e r a nd h a rd e r to ignor e th e f ea r a nd th e guilt th a t c ame w ith st ea ling . He r pock e ts , how e v e r? T hos e w e r e we ighty a nd lin e d w ith gold w a tch e s , thick billfolds , a nd th e odd br a c e l e t or brooch . A fortun e in a d a y . A good d a y . And m or e th a n e nough to s e nd h e r to Ne wg a t e for y ea rs .
    I gnor i ng th e n ee d to look ov e r h e r shou l d e r , M ir a nd a incr ea s e d h e r p a c e as sh e strod e do w n th e fog - shroud e d l a n e th a t l e d to h e r ho me. I t wa s a right London p a rticul a r tod a y , th e fog a thick , p ea— gr ee n bunt i ng th a t c a r e ss e d on e ’s f a c e w ith i cy , foul h a nds . Fog th a t clogg e d th e thro a t a nd nos e a nd burn e d th e l ungs w ith ea ch h ea vy br ea th . O n e could get lost in such a fog . I nd ee d , ma ny a tourist did a nd wa s r e duc e d to w a