Chapter 9
Celebrating The Catch
FEELING THE EFFECTS of the liberal amounts of rum he and his fellow slave catchers had consumed, Jean Claude Guilar reflected on that evening’s festivities. Baako was a prize catch, but not so much because of his size. The true cause for celebration: the extraordinary bounty paid by Henri Baptiste. The idea of drinking a toast to each bone in Baako’s body, which would likely be broken the following morning, seemed brilliant at the time. The group started with the arms, and at the point they got to the toes, Jean Claude was physically drunk from the rum and emotionally intoxicated from the glorious vision of Baako screaming in agony. What a spectacle it will be! Jean Claude thought, giddy with excitement.
Approaching his shop in downtown Jacmel that night,
