The average life expectancy of a slave brought to America from

Africa was thirty years, but those who had the misfortune to be in
Haiti, held out here only a couple of years. Voodoo arose on the
basis of the form of healing that developed in the vicinity of the
Sahara, but in Haiti it began to turn and to the detriment of
enemies - above all, ruthless slaveholders. He explained that local
healers were being treated and harmed with the help of identical
in their nature techniques. The same techniques could strengthen
the immune system, make it fight a malignant tumor or,
conversely, weaken it, after which the victim died in a few weeks
from pneumonia.

I was young and firmly believed that I understand such

things. According to my ideas, only those who believed in it were
exposed to black magic. If you do not agree with the
corresponding system of views, it will not do you any harm. I told
all this to the leading anthropologist when we were sitting in a
small cafe by the sea shore. He stared at me and grinned.

"I'm ready to argue about anything," I said.

"Come on," he responded.

We argued for a hundred dollars that voodoo would not affect me

at all, and then went to the house of a sorcerer with whom my
companion was acquainted.

The old man lived in a shabby shack, made of boards at the top
of a hill rising above the city. Representing me in the language of
local Creoles, whom he was fluent in, my colleague explained to
the sorcerer that I do not believe in magic, I consider it fiction
and I need to teach a lesson. My French was enough to make out
just a few words.

"Try not to hurt him," my companion asked.

The old man turned to me and smiled.

- Want to check? He asked in broken English and laughed.

We agreed that he would take on his "black business" next week,

Monday, when I will be back in California.