true. It had been days since Mim’s visit and she hadn’t even called once. And ever day Ghania said bad things . . . hurtful things. Things that made her wonder . . .
“Did she ever come back to see you?” Ghania demanded. “Did she even call you on the phone?” Sullenly, the little girl shook her head no. She didn’t know why Mim hadn’t come back to see her—she’d promised she would. She didn’t know of the dozen phone calls from Maggie that had been rebuffed on Ghania’s orders. Every night when she went to bed, she prayed and prayed, but Mim didn’t come back.
“Your grandmamma so happy you gone, she tell everyone she know. ‘That little girl ruin my life for three years. Now I have some fun.’ Ghania laughed, but her eyes didn’t change. Cody hated Ghania’s eyes. They glittered like an animal’s and made her scared.
“Mim loves me,” she murmured, afraid to say it out loud, and equally afraid not to. If she didn’t keep saying it, maybe she would stop believing.
Ghania threw back her head and laughed. “Foolish child! Doesn’t even know who her friends are. Ghania is the one you must have for your friend. Ghania is magic. Ghania knows everything you do and everything you say. Ghania even know what you think! You can have no secrets from Ghania, so you better be careful of every thought in your head, because I look inside and I see them all! Just like you made of glass.”
Cody’s eyes widened. What if that were true? Ghania would know how much she hated her, and how much she needed Mim.
“Last night, when you were in your bed, Ghania looked inside your brain, child, like it was a crystal ball. Ghania heard you pray to that stupid God who doesn’t care about you, one little bit.”
“God loves me!” Cody said defiantly. “Mim said so!”
“He loves you?” Ghania sniffed. “Ridiculous! Does he answer your prayers? No! Does he make your grandmamma love you enough to come get you? No! He doesn’t even know you exist, this foolish God of yours.”
The Amah caught Cody’s horrified gaze with her own mesmeric one. “Ghania knows the friendly Gods, child . . . the ones who make your wishes come true.”
“There’s only one God,” Cody said stubbornly. “Mim told me.”
“What does she know!” Ghania replied vehemently. “My island got Gods your grandmamma never heard of. Gods that kill you if you make them mad . . . Gods that make all your dreams come true, if you know how to ask them.
“I heard your prayers last night . . . you ask for Mim to come. But is she here? No. Stupid God did not bring her! I will tell you which God to pray to, if you be my friend, child. I will prove to you how powerful my God is. Tonight, you will pray to the God whose name I will whisper in your ear. And whatever you ask for will be given to you.”
Cody looked uncertain. Maybe Ghania’s God was scary, like Ghania and the Daddy-man.
“If you ask him to send your grandmamma here tomorrow, he will do it,” Ghania wheedled, playing her trump. She had instructed Jenna to keep Maggie away; now she would rescind the order. “Do you want to know his name or not?”
Cody hesitated. Ghania raised her great body, lithe as a cougar, and moved toward the door.
“Wait!” Cody called after her nervously. “I want Mim!” Anything to get Mim back. Mim would understand she had to do it.
Ghania smiled in satisfaction and leaned down to whisper a strange sound into the child’s ear three times. It didn’t sound like a name, just a hissing noise. Cody started to repeat it aloud, but Ghania’s hand closed over her mouth before the word escaped.
“ Never!” she spat. “This is a god of power! Never speak his name except in your thoughts.” Cody felt the electricity of fear tingle through her. What if this was a bad God?
“Tomorrow he will give you what you want.’ Ghania dangled the carrot, and the promise of Mim’s
“Did she ever come back to see you?” Ghania demanded. “Did she even call you on the phone?” Sullenly, the little girl shook her head no. She didn’t know why Mim hadn’t come back to see her—she’d promised she would. She didn’t know of the dozen phone calls from Maggie that had been rebuffed on Ghania’s orders. Every night when she went to bed, she prayed and prayed, but Mim didn’t come back.
“Your grandmamma so happy you gone, she tell everyone she know. ‘That little girl ruin my life for three years. Now I have some fun.’ Ghania laughed, but her eyes didn’t change. Cody hated Ghania’s eyes. They glittered like an animal’s and made her scared.
“Mim loves me,” she murmured, afraid to say it out loud, and equally afraid not to. If she didn’t keep saying it, maybe she would stop believing.
Ghania threw back her head and laughed. “Foolish child! Doesn’t even know who her friends are. Ghania is the one you must have for your friend. Ghania is magic. Ghania knows everything you do and everything you say. Ghania even know what you think! You can have no secrets from Ghania, so you better be careful of every thought in your head, because I look inside and I see them all! Just like you made of glass.”
Cody’s eyes widened. What if that were true? Ghania would know how much she hated her, and how much she needed Mim.
“Last night, when you were in your bed, Ghania looked inside your brain, child, like it was a crystal ball. Ghania heard you pray to that stupid God who doesn’t care about you, one little bit.”
“God loves me!” Cody said defiantly. “Mim said so!”
“He loves you?” Ghania sniffed. “Ridiculous! Does he answer your prayers? No! Does he make your grandmamma love you enough to come get you? No! He doesn’t even know you exist, this foolish God of yours.”
The Amah caught Cody’s horrified gaze with her own mesmeric one. “Ghania knows the friendly Gods, child . . . the ones who make your wishes come true.”
“There’s only one God,” Cody said stubbornly. “Mim told me.”
“What does she know!” Ghania replied vehemently. “My island got Gods your grandmamma never heard of. Gods that kill you if you make them mad . . . Gods that make all your dreams come true, if you know how to ask them.
“I heard your prayers last night . . . you ask for Mim to come. But is she here? No. Stupid God did not bring her! I will tell you which God to pray to, if you be my friend, child. I will prove to you how powerful my God is. Tonight, you will pray to the God whose name I will whisper in your ear. And whatever you ask for will be given to you.”
Cody looked uncertain. Maybe Ghania’s God was scary, like Ghania and the Daddy-man.
“If you ask him to send your grandmamma here tomorrow, he will do it,” Ghania wheedled, playing her trump. She had instructed Jenna to keep Maggie away; now she would rescind the order. “Do you want to know his name or not?”
Cody hesitated. Ghania raised her great body, lithe as a cougar, and moved toward the door.
“Wait!” Cody called after her nervously. “I want Mim!” Anything to get Mim back. Mim would understand she had to do it.
Ghania smiled in satisfaction and leaned down to whisper a strange sound into the child’s ear three times. It didn’t sound like a name, just a hissing noise. Cody started to repeat it aloud, but Ghania’s hand closed over her mouth before the word escaped.
“ Never!” she spat. “This is a god of power! Never speak his name except in your thoughts.” Cody felt the electricity of fear tingle through her. What if this was a bad God?
“Tomorrow he will give you what you want.’ Ghania dangled the carrot, and the promise of Mim’s
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