Death Before Facebook

tell.
    When it was nearly over, the pattern of the thing began to ring a bell—something about the four directions and the elements. Wasn’t this a common part of religious rituals? Was it Masonic? He thought it was, perhaps, but he thought he’d read something about its origins; he had the impression it was vaguely Kabalistic.
    Something told him he was in for more than he bargained for—this wasn’t a bunch of women doing some little improvised Halloween skit. He didn’t know what it was, but it was starting to spook him.
    He rifled his pockets for his tape recorder; he was close enough that it might pick up. And, to make sure, he took notes as well, on his ever-present four-times-folded sheaf of paper, the only proper notepad for reporters, the old-timers had told him, because it fit in the palm of your hand and didn’t make anyone nervous.
    Neetsie came forward and with a fanfare drew the dagger on the altar from its sheath, held it out the full length of her arm. Kit also came forward and pointed likewise with her ankh.
    Neetsie began speaking a language Pearce couldn’t understand. He couldn’t get it at first, couldn’t make any sense at all of it, but she kept repeating it, chanting it, and finally he just started writing down what it sounded like:
     
    Eko, Eko, Azarak,
    Eko, Eko, Zomelak,
    Eko, Eko, Shining One,
    Eko, Eko, Terrible One!
     
    As she chanted, she walked around the circle, Kit following, the two still pointing with their weapons.
     
    Darksome night, and shining moon,
    East, then South, then West, then North;
    Hearken to the witches’ [room? tune? he wasn’t sure]
    Here we come to call ye forth!
    Earth and Water, Air and Fire
    Wand and pentacle and sword,
    Work ye unto our desire,
    Hearken ye unto our word!
    Cords and censer, cup and knife,
    Powers of the witch’s blade,
    Waken all ye into life,
    come ye as the charm is made!
     
    Queen of heaven, Queen of hell,
    Horned hunter of the night,
    Lend your power unto the spell,
    And work our will by magic rite!
    By all the power of land and sea,
    By all the might of moon and sun—
    As we do will, so mote it be; Chant the spell and be it done!
     
    Eko, Eko, Azarak,
    Eko, Eko, Zomelak,
    Eko, Eko, Shining One,
    Eko, Eko, Terrible One!
     
    They walked the circle three times in the course of the chant, and when it was over, Neetsie said, “The circle is cast; we are between the worlds.”
    The other women answered in chorus: “So mote it be!”
    A woman Pearce didn’t know came out of the circle, picked up a bowl of water from the altar, drew her knife, put it in the bowl, and said, “I exorcise thee, o creature of water, that thou cast out from thee all the impurities and uncleanliness of the world of phantasm; in the names of the Lady and the Lord of light and darkness.”
    She held up the bowl for all to see.
    Another woman, also a stranger, came forward, picked up another bowl, put her knife in it, and said, “Blessings be upon this creature of salt; let all malignity and hindrance be cast forth here from, and let all good enter herein; wherefore do I bless thee, that thou mayest aid me, in the names of the Lady and the Lord of light and darkness.”
    She then poured the salt into the water; both women put their bowls back and rejoined the circle.
    Neetsie again took center stage and admonished the group: “Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she who of old was also called Artemis, Astarte, Athena, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod, Isis, Bride, and by many other names. At her altars the youth of Lacedaemon in Sparta made due sacrifice.”
    He had thought she would continue, but Kit directed her ankh toward the heavens (toward the moon, he realized later), and all the women spoke in unison:
    “Whenever you have need of any thing, once in the month and better it be when the moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of me, who am queen of all the witches. There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these will I teach things that are yet unknown, and ye shall be free from slavery—”
    Here Pearce’s tape recorder jammed, and he fiddled with it during the rest of the speech. There was something about the “secret door,” though, “which opens upon the Land of Youth, and mine is the cup of the wine of life and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the holy grail of immortality.”
    Sign me up,
he