Wish You Well(69)

excursion in Dickens.

Their path took them near a good-sized tributary of the McCloud River, and Lou was

surprised to see a number of automobiles and schooner wagons pulled up near the flat,

grassy bank. Folks were hanging about by the river's edge, and some were actually in the

brown water, its surface choppy from an earlier rain and good wind. A man with rolledup sleeves was just then submerging a young woman in the water.

"Dunking," Diamond exclaimed. "Let's have a look." Eugene pulled the mules to a stop

and the three children jumped off. Lou looked back at Eugene, who was making no move

to join them. "Aren't you coming?"

"You g'on, Miss Lou, I gonna rest my bones here." Lou frowned at this, but joined the

others.

Diamond had made his way through a crowd of onlookers and was peering anxiously at

something. As Oz and Lou drew next to him and saw what it was, they both jumped back.

An elderly woman, dressed in what looked to be a turban made from pinned-together

homespun sheets and a long piece of hemp with a tie at the waist, was moving in small,

deliberate circles, unintelligible chants drifting from her, her speech that of the drunk,

insane, or fanatically religious in full, flowering tongues. Next to her a man was in a Tshirt and dress slacks, a cigarette dangling like a fall leaf from his mouth. A serpent was

in either of the man's hands, the reptiles rigid, unmov-ing, like bent pieces of metal.

"Are they poisonous?" whispered Lou to Diamond.

"Course! Don't work lessen use viper."

A cowering Oz had his gaze fixed on the motionless creatures and seemed prepared to

leap for the trees once they started swaying. Lou sensed this, and when the snakes did

start to move, she gripped Oz's hand and pulled him away. Diamond grudgingly

followed, till they were off by themselves.

"What stuff are they doing with those snakes, Diamond?" asked Lou.

"Scaring off bad spirits, making it good for dunking." He looked at them. "You two been

dunked?"

"Christened, Diamond," Lou answered. "We were christened in a Catholic Church. And

the priest just sprinkles water on your head." She looked to the river where the woman

was emerging and spitting up mouthfuls of the tributary. "He doesn't try to drown you."

"Catolick? Ain't never heard'a that one. It new?"

Lou almost laughed. "Not quite. Our mom is Catholic. Dad never really cared for church

all that much. They even have their own schools. Oz and I went to one in New York. It's

really structured and you learn things like the Sacraments, the Creed, the Rosary, the

Lord's Prayer. And you learn the Mortal Sins. And the Venial Sins. And you have First

Confession and First Communion  . And then Confirmation."

"Yeah," said Oz, "and when you're dying you get the --what that's thing, Lou?"

"The Sacrament of Extreme Unction. The Last Rites."

"So you won't rot in hell," Oz informed Diamond.

Diamond pulled at three or four of his cowlicks and looked truly bewildered. "Huh.

Who'd thunk believing in God be such hard work? Prob'ly why ain't no Catolicks up this

way. Tax the head too much."

Diamond nodded at the group near the river. "Now, them folk Primitive Baptists. They

got some right funny beliefs. Like you ain't go and cut your hair, and women ain't be

putting on no face paint. And they got some 'ticular ideas on going to hell and such.

People break the rules, they ain't too happy. Live and die by the Scriptures. Prob'ly ain't

as 'ticular as you Catolicks, but they still be a pain where the sun don't shine." Diamond

yawned and stretched his arms. "See, that why I ain't go to church. Figger I got me a

church wherever I be. Want'a talk to God, well I say, 'Howdy-howdy, God,' and we jaw

fer a bit."

Lou just stared at him, absolutely dumbstruck in the face of this outpouring of

ecclesiastical wisdom from Professor of Religion Diamond Skinner.

Diamond suddenly stared off in wonder. "Well, will you look at that."

They all watched as Eugene walked down to the water's edge and spoke with someone,

who in turn called to the preacher out in the river, as he was pulling up a fresh victim.

The preacher came ashore, spoke with Eugene for a minute or two, and then led him out

into the water, dunked him so that nothing was showing of his person, and then preached

over him. The man kept Eugene down so long, Lou and Oz started to worry. But when

Eugene came up, he smiled, thanked the man, and then went back to the wagon. Diamond

set off on a dead run toward the preacher, who was looking around for other takers of

divine immersion.

Lou and Oz crept closer as Diamond went out in the water with the holy man and was