They had not slept well in their little jungle patch. Talk about hostile territory. The place was crawling with never before seen insects. One didn't want to think about the probable vipers, reptiles and and other predators that surely were sniffing in circles ,waiting for that one best opportunity. Angele and Rodo were assigned to rotate guard duty, but God only knows what they had actually done. They were always smiling,smiling. Probably, they rifled through all the cases during the night. Anything that was not too firmly attached, likely had a new home in one of their pockets. Never matter, as long as they didn't touch the two freezers, they were welcome to the rest. Scopes was going to get something from them that was more valuable than any store-bought object.
Scopes opened just one eye and looked around at his fellow travelers. Smith was snoring with his mouth agape. The two Brazilians were busying themselves with some packages. The boats were rocking gently side to side on the small tributary. They sometimes knocked against each other ,but they were secure. The air was heavy with moisture, although it was not raining.
Scopes sat up, stood up and walked over to the two Brazilians. They could barely communicate. He did not know a word of Portuguese or whatever obscure language that they spoke. He pulled out a large map. Gesturing to himself he said "doctore", and then "dietero". Shaking his finger no, he indicated that he was "non touristo". He was serious. He wanted to find the original village of the Santo Daime, the place where the church that worshiped using the Ayahuasca brew originated. Ayauhuasca is an exotic decoction, an infusion stewed from a variety of secret plants found only in the Amazon. It is said to be made from the vine of the dead or the vine of souls, The scientific name is Banistteriopsis caapi. But there are many different concoctions. They vary by tribe, region ,even country; Brazil, Peru, Ecuador. Other plants such as cokruna, Brugmansia, Justicia and even tobacco have been know to be mixed in various quantities Different methods had been used to prepare it.
Ayahuasca known by different names as caapi, yage even natem had been used deep in the Amazon for what have been described as miraculous healing powers. Some of this could be ascribed to the diarrhea that it produces eliminating many of the parasitic infections ,endemic in the rainforest's. Some western doctors had even come down to do controlled trials of the ingredients , using them as anti-depressants.
The tea was also part of the Shamanistic/animistic religious ceremonies producing sometimes a feeling of well-being exaggerated to the point of causing hallucinations or at other times more horribly strokes and death. Even trendy, self-important celebrities had pranced down to Brazil to abuse it for their own amusement.
Scopes, however, was interested in a much more extravagant quality of this magic brew.
A few months earlier,Scopes, while attending a conference in Los Angeles had gotten into a late night drinking bull -session with someone with intimate knowledge of the villages of Brazil. Oops. A secret was let slip: the village of Sarnos. There had for a long time been rumors of this village ,where people lived extraordinarily long lives. More than that they retained their youth and vigor for most of their adult lives and only eventually succumbed to an accident or occasionally disease. The natives of Brazil called them the devine. But Scope knew better, They would be more properly called the vine drinkers
He chose Angele and Rodo as his guides in Manaus because Rodo had once lived near or even in that special spot . Certainly Rodo , who did not know his exact age ,looked less than thirty even with a cigarette dangling from his lips. Scopes eyed him most closely now in the early morning light. Yes. Skin like a baby.
They gathered around the map. Scopes offered up a grubby pencil to Rodo. Rodo awkwardly clutched the wooden stub and sketched out a ten mile course down the river and finished it with a circle.
Go to Chapter 6
