, how is your health?"

"Good," Dolo Anah said.

"How is the health of thy wife?"

"Good."

"How is the health of thy children?"

"Good."

"How is the health of thy mother?"

"Good."

"How is the health of thy father?"

"Good."

"How is the health of thy kinswomen?"

"Good."

"How is the health of thy kinsmen?"

"Good."

To the traditional greeting of the Dogon, Amadijue added hopefully,
"Welcome to the villages of Sangha."

His voice registering nothing beyond the impatience which had marked it
from the beginning, Dolo Anah repeated the routine.

"Men of Sangha," he snapped, "how is your health?"

"Good," they chorused.

"How is the health of thy wives?"

"Good!"

"How is the health of thy children?"

"Good!"

"How is the health of thy mothers?"

"Good!"

"How is the health of thy fathers?"

"Good!"

"How is the health of thy kinswomen?"

"Good!"

"How is the health of thy kinsmen?"

"Good!"

"I accept thy welcome," Dolo Anah bit out. "And now heed me well for I
am known as Dolo Anah and I have instructions from above for the people
of the Dogon."

Sweat glistened on the faces and bodies of the assembled Dogon headmen,
their uncharacteristically silent witchmen, the Hogons and the sons of
the headmen.

"Speak, oh juju come out of the sky," Amadijue fluttered, but proud of
his ability to find speech at all when all the others were stricken dumb
with fear.

* * * * *

Dolo Anah stared down at the ground before him. The others, their eyes
fascinated as though by a cobra preparing to strike its death, focused
on the spot as well.

Dolo Anah raised a hand very slowly and very gently and a sigh went
through his audience. The dirt on the hut floor had stirred. It stirred
again and slowly, ever so slowly, up through the floor emerged a milky,
translucent ball. When it had fully emerged, Dolo Anah took it up in his
hands and stared at it for a long moment.

It came to sudden light and a startled gasp flushed over the room, a
gasp shared by even the witchmen, Amadijue included.

Dolo Anah looked up at them. "Each of you must come in turn and look
into the ball," he said.

Faltering, though all eyes were turned to him, Amadijue led the way. His
eyes rounded, he stared, and they widened still further. For within,
mystery upon mystery, men danced in seeming celebration. It was as
though it was a funeral party but of dimensions never known befor