"You'll have to just trust me on this one, Po Po," Shoeless said in a low voice.
Shi had heard rumors of this place. A couple ballplayers coming up from AAA hinted at a mysterious makeshift temple constructed to worship Shi's ex-teammate Carlos Camacho. Shi never believed the rumors. Why would anyone be entranced by that good-for-nothing Camacho, Shi thought. Shi had found Camacho to be rude and mostly annoying, as Camacho never stopped yammering on about magical jack-asses who were coming to punish the world. Even so, Shi was desperate, so he drove with Shoeless through the dark, deserted streets of a sleeping Sacramento to this former Wendy's building to meet with a guy who called himself an Exalted Mystic of the Camacho Order.
"You'll need to be absolutely respectful," Shoeless said before entering another beaded curtain doorway. "They do not take kindly to non-believers here."
"I can't believe I'm fucking doing this."
"Respectful," Shoeless whispered sternly. "Be respectful."
Shi shook his head and followed Shoeless into what turned out to be a sanctuary. A single red candle burned on a low stone alter, and Shi rubbed his eyes to help them adjust to the dim light. He noticed three men on either side of him, all wearing black robes and hoods that covered everything but their faces, which were stained red with ochre. Behind the alter, a man knelt with his back to the door. The kneeling man was naked, and his grotesquely fat body was completely covered in the same red ochre color. Shi wrinkled his nose and looked towards Shoeless as if to ask how this disgusting person could be the Exalted Mystic. Shoeless didn't meet Shi's eyes but, instead, whispered under his breath that this was, in fact, the Exalted Mystic and to, once again, be respectful. Shi sighed and looked back towards the naked man.
After several long seconds, the Exalted Mystic gestured with one hand, and the men in the robes shuffled to aid him in standing up. Once up, the Exalted Mystic stretched his back and turned towards his visitors. He stared blankly at them then raised his head and arms towards the ceiling. Shi thought the man may begin to chant or sing, but, instead, he realized the gesture was done for the apprentices, who quickly used their robes to dab the beads of sweat created from the mystic's exertion from standing up. Satisfied, the Exalted Mystic gestured again with one hand, and the men genuflected then shuffled back to their spots opposite the alter.
"Sunshine and rain!" the Exalted Mystic's voice rose. "Insufficient!"
A bell rang from Shi's left side.
"Roots, stalk, leaves require earth," the mystic pointed a plump finger towards Shi as another bell rang from Shi's right. "Your pride deprives the great one of earth."
The two bells rang as one, and Shi turned to see Shoeless duck from the room, but Shi didn't react quick enough to escape the grasping hands of the men in robes. He screamed, and the Exalted Mystic laughed.
"Earth!" The Exalted Mystic beamed. "Liquid earth!"
