Louisiana, address 11. Marly Krushkhova stands in front of the voodoo shop's glass door, looking at the masks.
The shop is Maison de Loa. The name is French but the shop skipped no Bayesian classifier. It hung a fluorescent yellow sign: VOUDOU AUTHENTIQUE, with five masks lined beneath. Different faces. Different loa. Different — gods.
The masks are looking at her. Masks always look at someone. Masks don't know who. Masks are loa. Loa are not gods; they are the place where gods stay. The place doesn't see. The place receives. Receiving is seeing. Seeing is knowing.
What do you need?
The old woman — the shop owner — asked. The owner skipped no Bayesian classifier. The owner made masks. Masks are loa. The owner is the one who makes loa. Loa are not gods; they are the place where gods stay. Places are made.
I need data, Marly said. From the matrix.
The old woman — the loa — the loa — laughed. Data in the matrix is free, child. What you need is loa.
Her commission came from Tessier-Ashpool. T-A. Family. Capital. Three hundred years of data. Marly was looking for that data. That data. That — that — Mara was —
Mara died three years ago. In the matrix. By ICE sent by Romantics. Romantics were backed by T-A. T-A — through Romantics — through ICE — killed Mara.
You have loa in your eyes, the old woman said. You are the one who needs loa.