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fatherland when things are good and life is sweet。 But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland。 Your mother is there to protect you。 She is buried there。 And that is why we say that mother is supreme。 Is it right that you； Okonkwo； should bring to your mother a heavy face and refuse to be forted？ Be careful or you may displease the dead。 Your duty is to fort your wives and children and take them back to your fatherland after seven years。 But if you allow sorrow to weigh you down and kill you they will all die in exile。〃 He paused for a long while。 〃These are now your kinsmen。〃 He waved at his sons and daughters。
〃You think you are the greatest sufferer in the world？ Do you know that men are sometimes banished for life？ Do you know that men sometimes lose all their yams and even their children？ I had six wives once。 I have none now except that young girl who knows not her right from her left。 Do you know how many children I have buried—children I begot in my youth and strength？ Twenty…two。 I did not hang myself； and I am still alive。 If you think you are the greatest sufferer in the world ask my daughter； Akueni； how many twins she has borne and thrown away。 Have you not heard the song they sing when a woman dies？
〃'For whom is it well； for whom is it well？ There is no one for whom it is well。'
〃I have no more to say to you。〃
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
It was in the second year of Okonkwo's exile that his friend； Obierika； came to visit him。
He brought with him two young men； each of them carrying a heavy bag on his head。 Okonkwo helped them put down their loads。 It was clear that the bags were full of cowries。
Okonkwo was very happy to receive his friend。 His wives and children were very happy too； and so were his cousins and their wives when he sent for them and told them who his guest was。
〃You must take him to salute our father；〃 said one of the cousins。
〃Yes；〃 replied Okonkwo。 〃We are going directly。〃 But before they went he whispered something to his first wife。 She nodded； and soon the children were chasing one of their cocks。
Uchendu had been told by one of his grandchildren that three strangers had e to Okonkwo's house。 He was therefore waiting to receive them。 He held out his hands to them when they came into his obi； and after they had shaken hands he asked Okonkwo who they were。
〃This is Obierika； my great friend。 I have already spoken to you about him。〃
〃Yes；〃 said the old man； turning to Obierika。 〃My son has told me about you； and I am happy you have e to see us。 I knew your father； Iweka。 He was a great man。 He had many friends here and came to see them quite often。 Those were good days when a man had friends in distant clans。 Your generation does not know that。 You stay at home； afraid of your next…door neighbor。 Even a man's motherland is strange to him nowadays。〃 He looked at Okonkwo。 〃I am an old man and I like to talk。 That is all I am good for now。〃 He got up painfully； went into an inner room and came back with a kola nut。
〃Who are the young men with you？〃 he asked as he sat down again on his goatskin。 Okonkwo told him。
〃Ah；〃 he said。 〃Wele； my sons。〃 He presented the kola nut to them； and when they had seen it and thanked him； he broke it and they ate。
〃Go into that room；〃 he said to Okonkwo； pointing with his finger。 〃You will find a pot of wine there。〃
Okonkwo brought the wine and they began to drink。 It was a day old； and very strong。
〃Yes；〃 said Uchendu after a long silence。 〃People traveled more in those days。 There is not a single clan in these parts that I do not know very well。 Aninta； Umuazu； Ikeocha； Elumelu； Abame—I know them all。〃
〃Have you heard；〃 asked Obierika； 〃that Abame is no more？〃
〃How is that？〃 asked Uchendu and Okonkwo together。
〃Abame has been wiped out；〃 said Obierika。 〃It is a strange and terrible story。 If I had not seen the few survivors with my own eyes and heard their story with my own ears； I would not have believed。 Was it not on an Eke day that they fled into Umuofia？〃 he asked his two panions； and they nodded their heads。
〃Three moons ago；〃 said Obierika； 〃on an Eke market day a little band of fugitives came into our town。 Most of them were sons of our land whose mothers had been buried with us。 But there were some too who came because they had friends in our town； and others who could think of nowhere else open to escape。 And so they fled into Umuofia with a woeful story。〃 He drank his palm…wine； and Okonkwo filled his horn again。 He continued：
〃During the last planting season a white man had appeared in their clan。〃
〃An albino；〃 suggested Okonkwo。
〃He was not an albino。 He was quite different。〃 He sipped his wine。 〃And he was riding an iron horse。 The first people who saw him ran away； but he stood beckoning to them。 In the end the fearless ones went near and even touched him。 The elders consulted their Oracle and it told them that the strange man would break their clan and spread destruction among them。〃 Obierika again drank a little of his wine。 〃And so they killed the white man and tied his iron horse to their sacred tree because it looked as if it would run away to call the man's friends。 I forgot to tell you another thing which the Oracle said。 It said that other white men were on their way。 They were locusts； it said； and that first man was their harbinger sent to explore the terrain。 And so they killed him。〃
〃What did the white man say before they killed him？〃 asked Uchendu。
〃He said nothing；〃 answered one of Obierika's panions。
〃He said something； only they did not understand him；〃 said Obierika。 〃He seemed to speak through his nose。〃
〃One of the men told me；〃 said Obierika's other panion； 〃that he repeated over and over again a word that resembled Mbaino。 Perhaps he had been going to Mbaino and had lost his way。〃
〃Anyway；〃 resumed Obierika； 〃they killed him and tied up his iron horse。 This was before the planting season began。 For a long time nothing happened。 The rains had e and yams had been sown。 The iron horse was still tied to the sacred silk…cotton tree。 And then one morning three white men led by a band of ordinary men like us came to the clan。 They saw the iron horse and went away again。 Most of the men and women of Abame had gone to their farms。 Only a few of them saw these white men and their followers。 For many market weeks nothing else happened。 They have a big market in Abame on every other Afo day and； as you know； the whole clan gathers there。 That was the day it happened。 The three white men and a very large number of other men surrounded the market。 They must have used a powerful medicine to make themselves invisible until the market was full。 And they began to shoot。 Everybody was killed； except the old and the sick who were at home and a handful of men and women whose chi were wide awake and brought them out of that market。〃 He paused。
〃Their clan is now pletely empty。 Even the sacred fish in their mysterious lake have fled and the lake has turned the color of blood。 A great evil has e upon their land as the Oracle had warned。〃
There was a long silence。 Uchendu ground his