lage wa

re, but wit

wind....blaming Ejike for stirring old cu

turned away, children hissing like sn

der, as if the sky itself mou

the village counc

uted, fing

a sudden

s brother, Chinedu with his fac

betrayed u

s ec

the ancient iroko tree, a pact made in

d. The truth was wor

tranger, but a man swor

final

to Ejike's o

uncil

Chinedu. "Tell

t once you hear, th

s stood Chief Amadi, his

d stone, "you bring shadows where t

is fists. "I'm t

"you're the poison. An

e stepped forward, bandag

mous. "He lies. He know

s hear

ecause he realized that the betra