O l i v e r B e n j a m i n
banquet of humanity spread out before him, the multifarious fruits of
sapient culture splattered all over the menu. Then the restaurant
vanished and he woke up to find himself alone again in the
wilderness.
“I guess that was it,” he said into the mute emptiness.
Ling wandered back and met Shiva on the road that led to
Dreamwalker’s house. They were both feeble now and naked, having
lost place of their clothes and, for the moment, substantial parts of
their minds. Shiva shared her vision with him. It was exactly the
same. A strange restaurant in the desert with an equally-bizarre
menu.
“What do you think it means?” she said, amazed.
“Maybe it means that we’re really, really hungry.”
They stumbled back together, arm in arm until reaching the
perimeter of Dreamwalker’s tiny estate. He had left water and robes
out for their return.
They gorged themselves from the refrigerator while the shaman
stood over them, scratching his head. “Normally the vision comes in
the form of an animal,” he sighed.
“Fried chicken is an animal,” Fu maintained.
Dreamwalker threw up his hands. “Then you must follow your
vision and build a restaurant in the desert. Together. As man and
wife.”
This was too much. Fu had just about had enough of this. He did
love Shiva. But was he going to have to take orders from this man
forever? He had just done one of the craziest things he had ever done
just because this crazy old witch doctor…
“Don’t worry about taking orders from this crazy old witch
doctor,” Dreamwalker interrupted his reverie. Fu shrank back in
surprise. “I’ve only got a few months to live. All I ask is that you
promise me you’ll follow your vision.”
Dreamwalker revealed to them then that he had inoperable brain
cancer.
“You see, I need you to care of my darling niece when I’m gone.
And you must put what I’ve taught you to some use. You too are a
shaman now.”
Shiva cried all night. Ling saw that he had no choice. He did love
her. And he would abide the wishes of this man who was either a
great visionary or very possibly a madman.
At their matrimonial ceremony, Dreamwalker gave Fu a new
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