Summaries

Synopsis

Artifice is a dark satire with fast-talking, over the top, colorful characters, who are all hustlers playing a real life game of deceit.

Its the summer in New York and for Albamarle, an instinctively ruthless drug kingpin. For him, it has always been about the money by any means necessary. Albamarle is going through a change personally. Now, he sees his ruthlessness and constant drug war as being destructive to his Brooklyn community and financially costly. This leads him to enter an agreement with his long time, but weaker rival, Billy Fungus. Billy jumps at the opportunity. He agrees to the deal to stop the senseless violence and conduct business like in the corporate world. The better-run business will prosper while the other will dissolve or stand vulnerable to a take over. Billy (the Jamaican gang leader) then decides to use a questionable strategy by seeking the help of a voodoo worker (Clarence) to assist in his drug dealing business venture and to overthrow the stronger Albamarle. Within a year of the deal between the two kingpins, it has become obvious to Albamarle that his business is not doing well. He has had a string of bad luck for months. Many of his people are being arrested with his product and cash on their persons. The cops are hitting his stores. Albamarle is losing a lot of money. At the same time Billy Fungus is prospering.

Suspicious, but not wanting to break the deal, Albamarle put two of his soldiers on the case to find out why is he having such bad luck, is Billy behind it? why is Billy Fungus prospering?

Albamarle two soldiers, Trevor and Corn have heard rumors for the past year or so, that Billy is involved in voodoo. Trever has never taken the rumor seriously but Corn, who has Caribbean blood, keeps an open mind. Their investigation takes them to other hustlers and con artists who acknowledge the rumors, which lead them, deeper into the underground culture of voodoo and obeah workers and con artists. Eventually they find out that Billy is using voodoo to aid him in his venture. Same time, Billy is tortured spiritually because of his guilt in accepting voodoo in his life. He feels that he has made a deal with the devil and his soul is the offering. Albamarle a nonbeliever in the entity decides to test the theory that voodoo is working for Billy in his drug dealing. He decides to eliminate the voodoo worker (Clarence) who aids Billy to see how it affects Billys profits. But, to get to her he decides to fight fire with fire and hire a voodoo worker of his own by the name of ARTIFICE. Artifice accepts the job but has a plan of his own which is to find Billys voodoo worker and have Albamarle eliminate her, then serve as the voodoo worker for both Albamarle and Billy Fungus which will make him rich.

Artifice starts his work to find CLARENCE with the help SHAQUAN. In his investigation he finds SANCTIFIED, the community evangelist and one time drug dealing hustler and friend of Billy Fungus. He visits Sanctified to get information. After a heartless encounter with Sanified, Artifice gets the information he needs. But, in his efforts to find Clarence he and SHAQUAN become sloppy and are found out by Junior and Sashi, Billy Fungus left and right hand soldiers. But first, Artifice directs Albamarles soldiers to question the one person who knows CLARENCE, the community retard and cigarette hustler FAFA. Unbeknown to all Fafa is Billy Fungus brother. FAFA is taken away for questioning by Bills men Trevor and Corn. Billy finds out and the search for Fafa is on. Billy in his search to find his brother visits ARTIFICE. Artifice is force to tell all including where Fafa has been taken. Same time Fafa is forced to tell where CLARENCE is. Albamarle visits CLARENCE. CLARENCE is taken care of but on his way back to where Fafa is questioned, Albamarle, and Billy accidentally meet in the street. The encounter uncovers, though dialog, the men secrets and insecurities that results in an endingthats action pack and Shakespearean.