He sprung out of the darkness like a shadow materialised from the abyss - Nganga! The rabid old bat, the amnesial lunatic, let loose into the Detroit night. Long, bristling, grey hairs flung erratically from his scalp, reaching towards the heavens as if to cry for release. He was priest, ritual, and sacrifice, occurring as one, a harrowing portrait of human ruin, bones sticking out of leathered skin. But Nganga’s mind hid his greatest torment: drums - drums bellowing and clamouring from all corners, at every turn. A steady rhythm, four notes to the bar, somehow always getting faster and yet never ceasing: thump, thump, thump, thump. Thump thump thump thump. Thumpthumpthumpthump. In the mind of Nganga, there was nothing but deafening, torturous music. 

The sea tried to swallow Nganga but it choked at the taste and left him here, America. They never found the boat, or any other survivors. He lost everything. But in the womb of capitalism, Nganga was reborn. He started doing small cons telling futures and fortunes for petty cash, before realising bigger stakes were out there, and not for significantly more work. The fascination of the American taxpayer suited the weathered, silver-tongued mystic, the people’s wizard of downtown, Rasputin of East Lafayette, the primordial oracle from Nowhere. Drums bellowed as Nganga dreamed of making his fortune and he would have it at any cost. 

She was not wearing her customary skirt and bodice. No this day had  required more practical clothing.  Brigid was in her favorite black pantsuit, it contrasted with her pale blue eyes nicely.  An elongated  nondescript case in her left hand. She adjusted the black fedora with purple band , the ban matched her shirt color perfectly, to keep the sun from causing her  to squint.

The air was warm and crisp, a small breeze rustled her black shoulder length hair. She noticed a man with wispy gray hair floating up with the breeze , his skin obviously exposed to sun for prolonged periods. What horrors had this man gone through? Was it physical torture? Starvation could make one look like their bones were protruding from their flesh.  She pushed the thought from her mind as she grew nearer him.

A lazy  smile on her face as she made eye contact with him, the first thing she noticed was that he was a fellow crew member. His name lost in her mind , as usual , she was awful at remembering names. Faces on the other hand she never forgot.The second detail she pulled was from his eyes, an intelligence beyond most men , but pain beyond that of most men as well. She was not one for chit chat , when one spoke a message should be delivered, or knowledge exchanged. Yet she understood the necessity of such small talk.

"Greetings.."

It had always seemed to Nganga, the skinny old creature delivered by the waves, that silence was fragile but absolute. But the rhythm of his thoughts, as they crescendoed and tunnelled through the cracks of his skull, pulsed otherwise, rejected that idea in punishing staccato. They told Nganga that he was not worthy of silence. That mayhem would be his lot. That fire and brimstone could not consume the bedlam inside of him. But even divine retribution could not forecast the immutability of this sun-scorched soothsayer. If flame should fall from the sky, he would emerge again, born from water and again from fire. 

Brigid found him alone, walking. He was rarely still. Even when sat, he twitched subtly, reverberated with a manic energy. Greetings. He had seen her but they had never met. Now they would, he thought. A nervous, hysterical smile spread across his face. He nearly burst out laughing. And then it passed. Now they would.

"Hello."

Brigid's great grams Walkingwind's words flashed through her mind as they walked together , " that one is special , touched by the gods."

She knew this  was one of those touched by the gods. You did not dare anger the gods by abusing one of their chosen.

" My name is Brigid, nice to  meet you." She gave him a gentle smile as she spoke  with a pleasant tone ,so as not to distress him anymore than he already appeared.