Authors notes on Lassie is dead:
For those who are interested in the mythology the Iroquois legend mentioning the twins can be found here:
http://www.webwinds.com/yupanqui/iroquoisdreams3.htmunder The Woman who fell from the Sky.
The Iroquois use of vervain here:
http://www.altnature.com/gallery/Blue_Vervain.htm The Arawaks legend of the mosquito is here:
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/Taino/docs/myths.html Information on Tituba is here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tituba The sacrificial rite Damon is subjected to is loosely based on Mayan mythology (The Iroquois being rather slack at human sacrifice) where the Maya would offer blood taken from their earlobes, tongues and genitals to offer to the gods. Earlobes were a bit twee and I so wasn’t going to do genitals so tongue it was.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_sacrifice_in_Aztec_culture scroll down to the part on The Role of Sacrifice in Mesoamerica.
Please be aware I am in no way an expert and if any offence has been caused by a misinterpretation of these myths it is entirely unintentional.