Mumbo Jumbo

One of Buddy Jackson’s men arrives at Mu’tafikah headquarters. He loans them costumes and cars for their raid of the Center of Art Detention. He also tells them that there are ships waiting for them at sea.

Biff Musclewhite and Charlotte are cuddling on the sofa. She is bored by Musclewhite’s stories of his adventures in World War I. Musclewhite suddenly grabs Charlotte and aggressively kisses her. The doorbell rings, and Charlotte lets in Mu’tafikah members Berbelang, Thor, Yellow Jack, and Fuentes. They tell Musclewhite that they’re going to take him for a ride. He attacks them but is quickly subdued. As part of a procession, they drive Musclewhite to the Center of Art Detention. Under threat of being killed, Musclewhite greets the Center’s guards and tells them to let everyone inside. The Mu’tafikah go about removing their targeted artworks and then exit with Musclewhite as their hostage.

Musclewhite is being held at Mu’tafikah headquarters where, despite objections from Fuentes, Thor is watching over him. Through a protracted plea that appeals to their shared racial heritage, Musclewhite convinces Thor to untie him. Musclewhite says he will call the police, and Thor tells him when Berbelang will be back.

Von Vampton approaches Nathan Brown, a young Black poet, and attempts to flatter him and recruit him to write for the Benign Monster. As he did earlier with Young, Von Vampton inadvertently comes off as insulting, and Brown dismisses him. Von Vampton now only has one month to find a Talking Android or he must drink the poison.

A trolley car operator sees well-dressed Black people coming and going from a mysterious black freighter in the harbor. There is a lone woman passenger on the trolley who has been “giving him the eye” (119). He is happily married but is drawn to this woman.

Berbelang heads to the basement to give Thor a break from watching Musclewhite. Musclewhite tells his men to open fire. Berbelang is killed, and Musclewhite walks over to inspect the body.

On the trolley, it is Earline who is the lone passenger. She is seductive and compels the operator to ask her if she’d like to have a drink. They go to a speakeasy.

Distraught over Berbelang’s murder, Thor sobs and yells at Musclewhite for shooting him like an animal. Musclewhite is unmoved.

Earline wakes up next to the nude trolley driver. The chapter cuts back to Musclewhite, who phones Charlotte and tells her he has dealt with the Mu’tafikah. Charlotte says she doesn’t remember how she got home from work last night, and Musclewhite says he’ll come over to her place in half an hour.

Charlotte lounges about her apartment and then picks up the morning’s newspaper, which uses racist language and paints Musclewhite as heroic in his killing of Berbelang. Charlotte is shocked. Musclewhite arrives at the apartment. Charlotte says, “You … killed Berbelang” (124). Musclewhite forces his way inside, accuses her of being disloyal, and then uses a cord to strangle her to death.

A rookie police officer arrives at the apartment, and Musclewhite explains that he had to bust Charlotte for possession of illegal booze. He says she resisted and had a gun. When the officer notes that there is no gun on the premises, Musclewhite backtracks and says a large Black man killed her and then left through the fire escape. The officer notes that there is no fire escape, and Musclewhite accuses the rookie of disputing his word. The officer backs down and calls the coroner.

LaBas and T Malice enter Earline’s place and ask if she’s heard about Berbelang. She doesn’t know what they’re talking about. She then collapses. LaBas phones Black Herman and says he thinks Earline is occupied by a loa. Black Herman says he is on his way to help.

LaBas wakes up the trolley operator and tells him to leave. Black Herman arrives with his assistants, the sisters. They put together a traditional elixir to rid Earline of the loa. LaBas and Black Herman talk to the loa, encouraging her to exit Earline’s body. LaBas fails to draw the loa out from Earline. Black Herman begins to coax her and the door shuts, leaving them alone in the room.

Black Herman emerges from the room and announces that Earline will be OK, but she shouldn’t yet be told about Berbelang. LaBas wonders why he was unable to rid Earline of the loa, and Black Herman explains that he is too technical and that he needs to relax.

There are visitors in the harbor who want to see LaBas. Black Herman drives him there. Along the way, Black Herman points out Von Vampton’s picture in the New York Sun and says that this is someone he wants to monitor.

They approach a freighter, The Black Plume. They board the ship and see oil paintings of Haitian leaders. They meet with the ship crew’s leader, Benoit Battraville. He explains the current situation in the United States’ war against Haiti. Battraville reveals that the US military is in Haiti at the orders of the Wallflower Order. This is the extension of an ancient holy war, and the Order wants to eradicate the source of Jes Grew. He shares stories of how the Marines have greatly victimized the Haitians. He also shares intelligence about a mysterious man (Von Vampton) who is trying to find and train a Talking Android to work from within the Black community. They talk all night, discussing their knowledge of The Work. As they start to part ways, Battraville reveals that during some of their discussion he was possessed by a spirit, the God of the Sea.