Chapter 37
It Takes A Village
Part 3 of 4

Guillame has used both his influence as a spiritual leader and his mysterious powers to defend his people against the corrupt forces of the Tonton Macoutes…until the day that his powers failed him.  Despite a shameful defeat, Guillame manages to inspire his people again.  Unfortunately, as a child, the mysterious Haitian didn’t realize he was behind his father’s downfall…

This story arc has been one of the stranger ones that we’ve seen, and this installment continues the trend.

When we left off, the Haitian was being beaten severely by his father.  He inadvertantly lashed out with his powers, ripping out his entire village’s souls, causing them become empty shells.  When we pick up this week, he and his father, Guillame, are trekking through the jungle.  When the Haitian asks where they are going, his father tells him they are cursed, and must go to make amends.

After they make camp, Guillame is not very talkative.  The Haitian tentatively asks his father if he hates him.  He pauses, and then begins to tell a story that his people tell about a snake and a crane.  In the story, the snake is very ambitious, but is tired of crawling around on his belly and eating insects and mice.  One day he sees the crane, who is carefree, and could fly anywhere.  The snake is envious, knowing that he could accomplish great things if he could fly.  So one day, he goes to the lake where the crane likes to drink, and swallows the bird whole, taking his wings.  (It should be noted here that while he is telling this story, Guillame is drawing the symbol that has become very familiar to us.) 

The Haitian says that that is a good thing; the snake got what he wanted.  His father agrees, but follows up with the question, “What good is it to fly if you have nowhere to go?  Once he had the power, the snake lost touch with the ground.”  He compares himself to the snake, saying that the Loa (gods) have given him great power, power with which he could control nations, and he uses it to “get them high and sleep with their women”.  That is what they are to make amends for.

The next morning, they make their way to the “Crossroads”, an altar surrounded by skulls, with an axe lying nearby.  When there, the Haitian questions his father about what they are doing there.  Guillame drops his machete, ordering his son to pick it up.  When he turns, he has covered his face in blood from the altar, and is holding the axe in his hand.  With a crazed look, he says that, since he lost touch with the ground, the Loa cursed his seed, and sent him a son to punish him.  Now he must cut out the “poison” to remember the ground, so he can fly again.

This arc is turning into an interesting twist on how people in different cultures interpret their powers.  I’m looking foward to see how this one wraps up next week.

The Easter Egg this week is a behind the scenes shot of Bennet and the Haitian.