Ponsu was offended. “My friend, do you know the one who you are talking to right now? Right now, do you know who you are talking to, is what I’m saying. I am a healer and a man of God.”

“But you also believe in magical powers, don’t you?”

“I believe in the powers given to me as divine gifts,” Ponsu declared, moving on to the black F-250.

Emma snorted with derision. “What a buffoon,” she said under her breath.

Sowah looked at her with grim amusement. “Indeed,” he said, checking his watch. “I wonder how long this will go on.”

“Might as well be entertained,” Labram said.

In fact, whether by chance or design, Ponsu could be quite funny. Even so, thirty minutes of his antics were about all Emma and her companions could take, and just as they began to wonder whether to leave and return later, the TV journalists wrapped up the interview and began packing up to leave.

“Let’s get to him before he launches into something else,” Sowah said.

They made themselves more conspicuous and a young man who looked like he could lift a building approached them to ask what they wanted.

“We need about ten minutes of Mr. Ponsu’s time,” Sowah told him.

“Wait here, please.” He went over to Ponsu and whispered in his ear. The priest glanced at the three waiting guests and nodded. The young man returned to them. “Wait ten minutes,” he said. “Then he can see you.”

“Thank you,” Sowah said. “Your name, please.”

The man gave him a surly look. “Clifford.”

There was a moment of confusion as a man, the exact double of Clifford, came out of the center building. Emma’s head whipped back and forth between the two men to be sure she wasn’t seeing things. Clifford’s twin, equally massive, walked up to them.

“That’s Clement,” Clifford said. “My brother.”

Evidently, Emma thought.

Clement said nothing, regarding the trio with little visible interest.

In the end, it was more like twenty minutes before Clifford and Clement led Emma, Sowah, and Labram to a kind of assembly room with some fifty chairs and a peculiar throne-like setup at the front. Ponsu had arranged himself and his robes apparently to appear as majestic as possible. Clifford and his twin stepped to the side and stood guard with identical stances.

“You are welcome,” Ponsu addressed them after shaking hands with them all. “Please, have a seat.”

Clifford had pulled up three chairs. After sitting, Sowah introduced himself and his colleagues.

Ponsu nodded. “Eh-heh, so what can I do for you?”

“Mr. Ponsu,” Sowah began, “Detective Djan and I are investigating the disappearance of an American man by the name of Tilson, Gordon Tilson. He has been missing since the third of April and we have reason to believe that he might have visited you here in the four or five days prior to that date.”