Synopsis: Differel and Baron Samedi

Copyright (C) 2012 by Kevin L. O'Brien

Sir Differel watches as a Mambo leads a group of worshipers in a Vodou ceremony that features the banda, a sexually explicit dance. They are calling upon the Guédé Lao to lift a hex off Eile and Sunny, who lie on the very brink of death. This is their last chance. If the ceremony doesn't work, they are doomed to die, unless she can find a way to stop it.

The Girls had accompanied her to Haiti, as part of a contingent of Order troops to stop an incursion of an army of zombies lead by a Houngan turned Bokor. They were true zombies: ordinary people brought under the Bokor's control using Obeah. He couldn't take control of anyone else during combat, but the contingent was hampered by not wanting to kill anyone except the Bokor. Instead the troops were armed with taser prods, devices that delivered a high-voltage shock that would incapacitate anyone they touched. Medics would then sedate the zombies and inject them with the antidote. Despite the size of the zombie army, they managed to cut a swath through it to the Bokor, with Vlad's help. As they engaged and held the zombies off, Team Girl arrived with a Mambo. She was possessed by the Loa Marinette, and she successfully contested and killed the Bokor. The zombies were released from his control and put up no resistance when the medics sedated them. However, before they could celebrate, they discovered that he had caste a death curse against the Mambo, which the Girls took themselves to save her. It was not one she was familiar with, but she could sense it was very powerful. It should have killed them instantly, but for some reason they were still alive, if just barely. The Mambo explained that that was cause for hope. They cannot die until Baron Samedi, the Death Loa, digs their graves; as long as he keeps them out of the ground, they are safe.

Yet after three days of enchantments, rituals, and ceremonies, there had been no change. The Mambo and he colleagues simply couldn't identify it, and hence they couldn't cure it. This last rite was the most powerful the Mambo could perform. It was meant to appease the Guédé and their leader the Baron with sacrifices and possessions, to convince them to lift the hex, but when the ceremony ends, the Girls do not awaken. The Mambo approaches Differel and expresses sorrow that there is nothing more she can do. Until such time as the Baron decides to allow them to die, they are condemned to a limbo of near-death. However, she admits the Guédé's behavior is puzzling: keeping them alive but not curing them. She assumes they must want something in return, something more than what she can offer. Yet they did not reveal any such demand during the ceremony, so she is at a loss to know what it could be. Differel asks if there is any way to find out. The Mambo states there are two methods. One is to allow a Guédé baron to possess someone so he may reveal the demand. Differel volunteers to be that someone, but the Mambo repeats that the ceremony had given them that chance and none took it. The only option left is one no sane person would do. Differel asks what that insane option is, and the Mambo replies: to enter the realm of the dead and confront the Guédé in person. Differel volunteers to do that. When the Mambo expresses shock, Differel states that where the Girls are concerned her thoughts are not rational. The Mambo states that she is taking a huge risk. Her Vampire servant cannot accompany her, and once in their realm she will be completely at the mercy of the Guédé. She will not be able to leave unless they permit it. Differel replies she understands. The Mambo explains that there are preparations to be made and gifts to be acquired, but all can be ready by dusk tomorrow. Differel agrees to the time table.

The next evening, Differel says good bye to Eile and Sunny, and meets the Mambo at the closed gates of a cemetery. Vlad is with her, and he intends to wait until her return. As the Mambo enchants a ritual to allow access to the Guédé realm, Vlad tells Differel that the Vodou Loa are true supernatural beings. No weapon at her disposal, not even Caliburn, can prevail against them. She must rely on her own skill, experience, and will to survive. She thanks him for his advice as the Mambo completes her enchantment. They wait for some minutes, but finally a figure approaches the gate from out of the gathering gloom from inside the cemetery. He is black, looking like a zombie, and is naked except for a loincloth, a tailed dinner jacket and bowtie, and a headscarf, all mauve. She figures he is the Brave Guédé, the gatekeeper, the Vodou equivalent of Cerberus. According to her research, he keeps dead souls in and living souls out.

The Loa reaches the gate but says nothing, he just stares blankly. She walks up to her side and states she must see Baron Samedi on a matter of life and death. She then offers the first of her three gifts: a bag of grilled peanuts. The Loa takes them, pops a few into his mouth, and opens the gate. Differel takes one last look at Vlad, who touches the brim of his hat in salute, before she walks through.

The Loa closes the gate, and when she looks back she discovers she cannot see through it. It's as if a cloud of fog has cut off all sight within inches of the opposite side. She also sees a white cross embroidered on the back of Brave Guédé's jacket. He leads her deeper into the cemetery, and after a short distance she comes to a woman standing among a clump of headstones. She figures this must be Maman Brigitte, wife of Baron Samedi, guardian of cemeteries, and protector of headstones. She is surprised, however, to discover that she is white instead of black, with pale skin, red hair, and green eyes. She realizes she must be based on St. Brigid, who is in turn based on the Celtic goddess, Brighid, who was the patron of bonfires, high-places, wisdom and invention, and poetry, the Celtic equivalent of Athena. This incarnation, however, is crude, speaks in obscenities, and though she wears white she dresses like Madonna during her "Like a Virgin" phase, especially the sluttish style and the heavy use of religious symbols, particularly crosses.

Brave Guédé turns to leave as Differel approaches her; she states that she needs to see the Baron on a matter of life and death, and she offers the second of her three gifts: a box of premium, hand-rolled Cuban cigars that Vlad acquired for her. Brigitte accepts them, takes one out, and lights it with fire from her fingers. She puffs on it for some moments, a smile on her face, and then she examines Differel. Finally she tells her to take off her clothes. Taken aback, Differel asks why. Brigitte explains that no one can come into the presence of her husband except as they were born. She is suspicious, because that didn't come up in her research, but she can't afford to take any chances. She complies, and Brigitte's smile grows into a grin as she watches. When Differel has denuded herself, Brigitte looks her up and down, and says, "You'll do."

Brigitte then tucks the box under one arm and tells Differel to follow her. She leads her deeper into the cemetery, and much time seems to go by. Differel realizes that this is no longer a cemetery per se, but now she is truly in the realm of the dead. Finally they approach a black man sitting on a headstone above a freshly filled-in grave. He wears a black tuxedo trimmed with purple and a white shirt, a top hat, and sunglasses, and has cotton plugs in his nostrils. His face, however, is white and resembles a skull face. She just can't figure out if it's an elaborate tattoo or paint job, or real bones. A spade is struck upright in the ground beside him and he smokes as if taking a break. To his left are two more headstones. One is inscribed with Eile's name and the other with Sunny's. At first Differel fears she has arrived too late, but is relieved to see the ground below them is undisturbed.

Brigitte approaches Samedi and sits on his lap. She takes the cigar out of his mouth and tosses it away, before kissing him in a highly-charged, tongue-filled erotic manner, as he fondles one of her breasts and she massages his groin. Finally they both look at her and Samedi tells her to come closer. Differel walks up to them and tells him she must speak to him on a matter of life a death. She offers the last of her three gifts: a bottle of premium rum infused with 21 hot peppers. He accepts it, pulls the stopper, and takes a drink. He then places it at the foot of the tombstone as Brigitte stands up and tells her to state her petition. She asks him to lift the death curse on Eile and Sunny as Brigitte walks behind her. He mulls it over, then asks why he should. She states that Team Girl are good people; they deserve a chance to live their lives to the fullest. He contradicts her in a crude fashion laced with obscenities, saying that they are no better than millions of others who die before their time. He then tells her about their sexual escapades, accusing them of being sluts, and states there are those who deserve his blessings more. She retorts that their sexual activity is prejudicial and has no bearing on their worthiness of life. He accuses her of being a hypocrite, as she is far from pure herself. He recounts her own peccadilloes, with Billy the stable boy and various other men, with Margaret, even with Team Girls themselves. He tells of the way she and Victor experiment with BDSM, and describes her darker fantasies that she keeps tightly locked inside her psyche. She is shocked he can know so much about her having just met her, but realizes that as lord of the dead he would naturally know everything about any mortal who enters his realm, if not before.

He then surprises her by switching gears unexpectedly. He asks her what she will give in return. She states that, short of surrendering her immortal soul, she will sacrifice anything or do anything to see them restored to life and health. As soon as she says it, however, she realizes it was a mistake. Samedi stands up and in the same moment he becomes naked except for his glasses. He advances on her, but as she tries to back away Brigitte grabs her with a strength greater than she can resist. Brigitte forces her to the ground and Samedi covers her. As Brigitte also becomes nude, Samedi proceeds to rape her, and Brigitte joins in. For hours they perform all conceivable acts short of sadism, including oral, anal, and vaginal penetration, and force her to perform acts she never would even with Victor or Margaret, such as fellatio and cunnilingus, as both climax time and time again. She can't stop them or fight them off; all she can do is endure it; all she can do is hope for blessed oblivion, but it never comes.

Finally they finish with her and leave her lying on the ground. At first she doesn't move, but she realizes she must, otherwise she may never escape. As she pushes herself up, however, Baron Samedi appears over her and picks her up by the shoulders. She thinks he will start raping her again, but instead he tells her his price for saving her friends is her agreement to stay forever and be slave of the Guédé, to be raped and abused by them every day for all eternity. She doesn't want that, but she realizes that if she refuses Eile and Sunny are doomed. She tries to negotiate a better deal, but Samedi shakes her and replies that there is no room for discussion. She either agrees to his offer or she does not; all he wants to hear is a yes or a no. She realizes she has no choice, so she says yes.

Samedi stares at her for a minute, but then lets her go. He walks away, and his clothes reappear. He tells her to get dressed, and her clothes appear neatly folded on a headstone. As she redresses he retrieves the bottle of rum and guzzles it like bottled water. Maman Brigitte reappears, also dressed, and hands him one of the Cuban cigars. She lights him up and they face Differel. He explains that he kept Eile and Sunny alive for two reasons. First, they are fated to save the world decades from now, but for his purposes, second, they sacrificed their lives to save one of his priestesses, even though they do not believe. Such selflessness cannot be ignored, but he wanted to see if Differel felt the same selflessness for them. So he withheld his blessing to see if she would come to him herself; he raped her to see what she would be willing to endure for their sakes (she could have stopped him anytime by rescinding her claim to make any sacrifice); and he threatened her with slavery to see if she would surrender her life for them. She passed each test with flying colours, and so he will lift the curse; in fact, he has already done so. Differel glances at the headstones with the Girls' names on them and sees them disappear.

However, he continues, she now owes him a favour, and he expects her to make good. Raping her was also to see if she could endure the abuse of what he needs her to do, and he is now confident she can. She asks him what he wants, and he tells her to follow him. She accompanies him deeper into the cemetery, but notices that Brigitte remains behind.

In short order they pass the limit of the cemetery and enter a bleak, barren landscape. As they walk, Samedi explains that one of his powers is to ensure that the dead rot in their graves so they cannot be turned into mindless zombies, but that power has been usurped by another Guédé, Baron Kriminel. The Vodou equivalent of the Grim Reaper, he kills everyone for whom Baron Samedi digs a grave, but he is not satisfied with that. He wants total power over life and death, and robbing him of the power to rot corpses is just the first step. It was he who gave the Bokor the power to raise corpses, because they had stopped rotting. What Kriminel really wants is the power to dig graves, then no one would be safe, but so far Baron Samedi has been able to frustrate him in that regard. Even so, it's only a matter of time. Differel asks why he and the other Guédé don't band together and destroy him, and he replies they cannot; no Guédé can kill another, not even him, since they're already dead and above all recourse. Besides, without him no one would die, and the world would fill with the dead until they outnumbered the living. In any event, all that's needed is to strip him of his ill-gotten power. She asks how he stole it in the first place, but Baron Samedi simply shrugs his shoulders and says that he mislaid it and forgot where he put it. When she asks how they can get it back, he states there is one who is strong enough to force Kriminel to surrender it, but she will not aide the Guédé. He hopes, however, that Differel will be able to "persuade" her to get involved. When she asks who it is, he says Marinette, the Loa of bloodletting and carnage, who frees her people from bondage and enslaves them again. When she asks why he cannot simply order her to cooperate, he states that she is not a Guédé Loa but a Petwo Loa, and thus he has no authority over her.

In time they arrive at a hut that closely resembles those constructed by the Kongo people of central Africa. Baron Samedi stops and does not call out, but almost immediately a tall, strongly-build African woman dressed in red, a warrior Amazon, charges out of the hut. She spies Differel, scowls, and berates Samedi for bringing her "that", but all he says is, "She'll do." Marinette grimaces, and two greatswords appear, one in each hand. She tosses one to Differel, then attacks, screaming a bloodcurdling battle cry. Differel is not caught off guard, but she discovers the Loa is incredibly strong. Rather than right her toe-to-toe, she uses all her sword skill and her gymnastics to use her opponent's strength against her. It isn't long before she disarms her and forces her to the ground, at which point she demands she yield. Marinette flashes a wry smile and states, "She will do indeed."

After she surrenders, Marinette invites Differel and Baron Samedi into her hut. They sit around the fire as she serves coffee and rum, and she explains the situation. She states that she will never help the Guédé. There is eternal enmity between them and neither will yield. However, she no more wishes to see Baron Kriminel acquire the power to dig graves than Baron Samedi does. If Samedi has selected Differel to be the instrument of his revenge, she will aid her. The sword she fought with is the twin of her own weapon. They passed judgment on her, found her worthy, and engineered Marinette's defeat. Now it will protect her against any threat not stronger than itself, but only until she has completed her task. Kriminel is not stronger than the sword, so if she can defeat him she can force him to give up the power to rot corpses. She cannot kill him, since he is already dead and thus above all recourse, but she can castrate him, which would not only cause him great pain, but also great embarrassment and inconvenience. He will agree to anything to avoid that. As will any Guédé, she says pointedly, glancing at Samedi with a wicked grin.

Beyond that, all she will do is set her on the right track. Once she leaves the hut, she will find a trail. If she follows it, it will take her to Kriminel. The rest is up to her.

Differel and Samedi take their leave, and as promised a trail begins just outside the hut. Differel realizes that once she starts down that path there can be no turning back, but aside from having given her word, she now realizes that Baron Kriminel poses a very real threat. She steps off the threshold onto the trail and feels herself pulled forward. Once she is sure she and Samedi have progressed far enough down the trail, she summons Marinette's greatsword, spins around, and brings it up between Samedi's legs against his genitals. He accuses her of seeking revenge for the way he abused her, and she replies that she is sorely tempted. He in turn threatens her loved ones and associates with death, but she applies pressure and asks if that would be suitable compensation for the embarrassment and inconvenience of being castrated for the rest of eternity. As he mulls it over, she adds that actually all she wants is his word that, once she has defeated Kriminel and taken back the power he stole, Samedi will release her back to the world of the living, and that he will not retaliate against her or anyone associated with her. He suggests that once she got used to it, she might find the Guédé realm much more enjoyable, but she replies that she prefers her own, miserable as it may be. He grins, saying that he expected as much, and agrees, but on one condition. She asks what, and he replies that she must permit him to possess her whenever he needs to cross over into the world of the living. Otherwise he dares her to do her worst and damn the consequences. She realizes he isn't bluffing, but she increase the pressure more and demands that he must have her permission. As he is about to object, she reminds him that he knows her well enough to understand that if the need is critical, she will give her permission. He grins, nods, and tells her it's a deal. She removes the sword and it vanishes. He walks up to her, takes her in his arms, pulls her head back, and kisses her. She resists but he is too strong, and yet she finds his direct, aggressive manner strangely appealing. When he releases her she finds it prudent to just ignore what happened and continue with the mission.

After some time, they arrive at a cemetery, but Differel recognizes this one isn't like the one she first entered. In fact, it looks fake, like something set up for Halloween. Samedi explains that Kriminel had been a human serial killer who had used his ability to communicate with the Guédé to discover the identity of those for whom Samedi had dug graves, so he would only kill those fated to die already. When he finally died, he was rewarded for his devotion to death by being made Baron Kriminel, the executioner. Yet he will not abide with the other Guédé but prefers his own private domain. As they travel through the faux graveyard they are confronted by zombies, in all stages of decomposition from seconds after death to near total decay. Yet while they threaten they do not attack, being as they are afraid of Samedi. Even so they collect around and behind them into such a huge mass that Differel wonders if all the dead in all the world have been turned into zombies.

They finally reach a large circular area devoid of fake headstones. In the center is a huge bonfire. Zombies dance the banda around it, in a perverse version of a Vodou ceremony. To one side stands a black man dressed like Samedi, except his suit is trimmed in red. He appears to be in a trance. Presiding over the ceremony is a Houngan, but when he realizes he has visitors and turns around, Differel is shocked to see it is the Bokor her forces defeated. She was certain he was killed, but then she realizes he actually is dead and Kriminel is keeping him from decaying. Still, something about the setup bothers her. Who is the other Baron? It it's Kriminel, why isn't he in charge? Then the nickel drops: Kriminel is somehow under the Bokor's control, not the other way around.

When she confronts him about it, he confirms she's right. In fact, it was he who found the power to rot corpses on one of his sojourns into the realm of the dead. He could not exercise it himself, but he knew Baron Kriminel craved it and more. He offered it to him in exchange for a special favor, and the fool Guédé was so besotted he agreed without bargaining. As soon as he had it, the Bokor invoked the special favor and took control over him. Through him he can exercise the power to kill and prevent the dead from rotting. Differel realizes that must have been the death curse he directed against the Girls: the actual killing power of Death itself. No wonder the Mambo and her colleagues couldn't identify it. But she asks what good is it, if no one can actually die until their graves are dug. The Bokor responds that the near-death trauma makes it easier for him to create living zombies, but what he really wants is the power to dig graves. Then he can create truly supernaturally reanimated corpses, and thereby turn everyone in the world into a zombie under his control. And she has delivered that power into his hands!

She expresses skepticism that he could fool Samedi as easily as Kriminel, but he retorts he doesn't have to. She sees movement out of the corner of her eye, and when she turns she sees a half-woman, half-snake embrace Samedi. At first he resists, but as soon as she wraps her coils around him, caresses his face, and kisses him he falls into the same trance as Kriminel. The Bokor states that though the lesser Simbi are weaker than the Barons, if caught by surprise they can be subdued by them. She summons the Marinette's greatsword, but the Bokor shouts that there a Simbi is stronger even than her sword. A fiery shape emerges from the bonfire, a gigantic worm, half-dragon, half-serpent. It charges her, and she feels uncontrollable panic flood her nerves, paralyzing her.

Flames leap up from the sword blade, coalesce into a female form, and acquire the features of Marinette. She screams, "Simbi Makaya! You are not stronger than I!" The flaming woman throws herself at the fiery serpent and grapples it as it bites at her and throws coils around her body. The panic disappears and Differel turns on Samedi. The Simbi embracing him hisses at her, but leans away from him, giving her an opening. She lops off its head and it falls from the Baron's body. He opens his eyes, gasps, and shudders, then rushes past her. As she turns, she sees him take a magical energy stroke meant for her. He tells her the Bokor is his and leaps at him. She charges towards Kriminel and decapitates the Simbi embracing him. However, he doesn't respond. She realizes he may have been too long under the Simbis' control. In the heat of the moment she can think of only one thing to do: she embraces and kisses him as she grabs his groin. She feels him jump and shudder, then he returns her embrace and kiss as he gropes her bosom.

She pushes away and sees him leering at her, like an evil Vlad. She slaps his face. Startled, he lets her go. She turns and sprints away, and surveys the battle. Lesser Simbi are all over Samedi, grappling him. He tears them apart, but new ones just rise out of the ground to replace the others. Inside the bonfire a naked Marinette battles toe-to-toe with a dragon-serpent. The Bokor calls out, and the surrounding zombies flood into the arena, straight for her. As the first one reaches her, Kriminel touches it and it dissolves into dust in moments. He tells her he will take care of them, and then becomes a martial arts dervish, whirling, striking, and kicking, reducing every corpse he touches into dust.

She summons the greatsword and throws herself at the Bokor, screaming a battle cry. He shouts out an incantation and morphs into an armoured demonic creature. They battle with one another for what seems like a long time, but Differel cannot get the better of him. At one point he grabs the sword, forces it against her neck, and grins as he pushes her into the blade. Kriminel appears behind him. He grabs him by the head. The Bokor begins screaming and lets Differel go. He struggles, but Kriminel does not let go. As Differel watches the Bokor rots and disintegrates.

She and the Baron turn towards the bonfire. Simbi Makaya is constricting Marinette even as the Loa is strangling the serpent. But it realizes the Bokor is lost. It vanishes, and the Simbi attacking Samedi vanish as well. Marinette absorbs the bonfire and acquires a normal form. Samedi gestures, and the zombies freeze in position. The crisis has passed.

Marinette approaches Differel and the two Barons, smiling in triumph, but when she reaches them she grabs and holds Kriminel as Differel plants the sword point in his crotch. Differel demands that he surrender the power to rot corpses, or else. He threatens to kill her, but she states that technically she is already dead if Samedi won't release her, so his threats are useless. But hers are not. He begs her to be merciful, but she pushes the point in farther. He screams for her to stop, and a ball of energy shoots out of his mouth. Samedi catches it and for a moment he glows. Then he gestures and the zombies all collapse into the dust. He laughs uproariously as Marinette releases Kriminel and the greatsword disappears.

They all return to the gate where she first entered, along with Maman Brigitte. Marinette embraces her and states she will watch over her from now on. Baron Kriminel states that he will enjoy killing her when her time comes, but she just smiles and tells him to get in line. He scowls and walks back into the cemetery. She shakes hands with Maman Brigitte and Baron Samedi. She notes they neither apologize nor thank her, but she realizes that to their way of thinking neither is called for. Still, she figures they at least feel vindicated in selecting her, if not impressed. The Samedi hands her a candle. It is caste as an effigy of himself, in black, purple, and white wax. He tells her she may call on him whenever she likes by lighting the candle, but only as many times as it will allow. She didn't expect that, and after a moment's consideration she embraces him and kisses his cheek, and he grabs her arse. Brigitte tells them to break it up, and Brave Guédé opens the gate. Differel pauses before going through and looks back; Samedi and Brigitte are both smoking cigars and he raises the bottle she gave him as they laugh.

Differel walks through the open gate into the mist, and in moments finds herself outside the cemetery. Vlad still waits for her, but he has been joined by the Mambo and Team Girl. She embraces Eile and Sunny in a group hug as they sniffle tears of joy. Vlad escorts the Mambo back to the village as she walks with the Girls. They tell her she shouldn't have risked herself for them. She asks what they would have done had their roles been reversed, and they admit they would have done the same, but they insist that would have been different. After all, she's the Director while they're just expendable assets. They say it without rancor, but she states that as far as she's concerned, she is more expendable than they are. Besides, they've pulled her arse out of lots of predicaments in the past, so it was only right she did the same for them. They think she's just bullshitting them to justify her actions, but they appreciate it anyways, and it's a good excuse for a party. She considers telling them what Baron Samedi had told her about their future, but decides against it. That might change what would happen, and she doesn't want to inflate their egos more than they are already. She tells them a party sounds like a capital idea.