She switched suddenly to Spanish: " La serpiente says ... she says ... the blood. Jesus’ blood on the cross . .. the tree .. . the crossroads. Where the priest walks, the ground shakes. Beware the priest whose magic . .. beware the spirits ... Oh!" She shrieked and leaped to her feet. "His head! They have taken his head!" My hand emerged from the bowl, dripping water all over the table. Mama G gripped it like a drowning woman, so hard it actually hurt. Her whole arm trembled.