Diana Racine 02 - Goddess of the Moon

of life, but she ’s too strong-minded .”
    “Don’t hurt her. She’s been through enough. Y ou of all people should understand.”
    “Are you appealing to my sense of justice?” Slater asked. Then his tone hardened. “Don’t bother. I lost that years ago.”
    “ What’s this about, Slater ? Why kidnap Diana? Why kidnap babies?”
    Slater ’s mouth twisted into an ugly grimace . “I wasn’t in favor of the kidnappings. That was Phillip’s idea. He judged it imperative to inject heightened genetic material for the future of the group: scientists and doctors. I grew to embrace the concept , however. A s for Diana ― how could we resist the opportunity? The name: Diana. Her exceptional psychic abilities. Coincidence? I think not. She insinuated herself into our sphere of interest when she found the pink house. Everything fit so perfectly.”
    These people were deranged. All of them. Lucier didn’t realize the extent until now. “Crane? I don’t understand.”
    “Phillip’s great-grandfather is full-blooded Osage Indian. That’s common knowledge for anyone doing the research.”
    “I suppose there’s a connection between him and your Indian savior . Unless the holy man discovered the fountain of youth, he must have been a descendent.”
    A frown creased Slater’s brow . “So, Diana betrayed my confidence. I wondered if she would. Such a juicy story. Yes, of course, a descendent ― Phillip’s grandfather. He and his people saved my life. T he story gets better.”
    Even though Lucier tried to act disinterested, Slater’s tease drew him in.
    “Phillip’s great-grandfather received an allotment of land through the Dawes Act, a noble experiment doomed to fail. Unlike many of his people, he was neither ignorant nor stupid. He took a nubile young white woman for his wife, over whom he wielded considerable power, and transferred his property to her name so the white man couldn’t take what was his.” Slater moved closer to Lucier, almost into his face. “The Crane magnetism goes way back, doesn’t it?”
    Lucier snorted, but now he was caught up in the story. Hopefully, Slater would tell him what Jason couldn’t find out. Then he thought if he never left this place, knowing Crane’s background wouldn’t much matter.
    Slater continued. “That worked well when he discovered oil in 1913. You see, the white man and his g od would have taken everything from him, and his father ’s g od allowed his tribe to live in the Dark Ages. So he elaborated on his Indian culture, veering from the script, and founded a new religion by transposing god into one of his own philosophy. Phillip’s grandfather was a child at the time, but he learned how to live in two worlds ― the very public white world when he took over after his father ’s death, and the other, as a simple man who helped his people. That’s the man I knew. A man as white as me, like his mother, I presume, although he proudly claimed his Indian heritage. He was very old when I met him, but he had much to teach.”
    How far back did Jason go in Crane’s history, and what would it matter if he’d discovered this? Who could tie it together? “Yeah, how to use what you had left to enjoy earthly pleasures. Sex 101: A million ways to get your rocks off without a dick.”
    Slater squinted, his eyes turning cold. Lucier braced himself for the inevitable fist , b ut Slater held back with the sa me cool above-it-all arrogance.
    “Actually, you’re right. That’s exactly what he did, among other things, and I embraced his god in the process.” He walked around Lucier’s chair, checking his bindings to make sure his prisoner wasn’t working free. “I concede you’re not as dim as I first thought. I wondered what Diana saw in such mediocrity and figured it must be something you’re hiding. Something I can’t compete with.”
    Ignoring the bait, Lucier reeled in his fury to meet Slater’s composure with his own . “Women don’t fall in love with di cks, Slater. They fall in love with the man. Osiris, my ass. You should have given yourself more credit instead of becoming a eunuch.”
    Lucier’s comment had the desired effect . Sl ater’s face bloomed with color.
    “Below the belt, Lieutenant,” he said through clenched teeth, “metaphorically speaking, of course. I’m afraid you’re wrong, though. That was my one white lie, or should I say black lie. Why in Satan’s name would I eliminate the one thing to give me sexual pleasure?