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has e upon their land as the Oracle had warned。〃
There was a long silence。 Uchendu ground his teeth together audibly。 Then he burst out：
〃Never kill a man who says nothing。 Those men of Abame were fools。 What did they know about the man？〃 He ground his teeth again and told a story to illustrate his point。 〃Mother Kite once sent her daughter to bring food。 She went； and brought back a duckling。 'You have done very well；' said Mother Kite to her daughter； 'but tell me； what did the mother of this duckling say when you swooped and carried its child away？' 'It said nothing；' replied the young kite。 'It just walked away。' 'You must return the duckling；' said Mother Kite。 'There is something ominous behind the silence。' And so Daughter Kite returned the duckling and took a chick instead。 'What did the mother of this chick do？' asked the old kite。 'It cried and raved and cursed me；' said the young kite。 'Then we can eat the chick；' said her mother。 'There is nothing to fear from someone who shouts。' Those men of Abame were fools。〃
〃They were fools；〃 said Okonkwo after a pause。 〃They had been warned that danger was ahead。 They should have armed themselves with their guns and their machetes even when they went to market。〃
〃They have paid for their foolishness；〃 said Obierika； 〃But I am greatly afraid。 We have heard stories about white men who made the powerful guns and the strong drinks and took slaves away across the seas； but no one thought the stories were true。〃
〃There is no story that is not true；〃 said Uchendu。 〃The world has no end； and what is good among one people is an abomination with others。 We have albinos among us。 Do you not think that they came to our clan by mistake； that they have strayed from their way to a land where everybody is like them？〃
Okonkwo's first wife soon finished her cooking and set before their guests a big meal of pounded yams and bitter…leaf soup。 Okonkwo's son； Nwoye； brought in a pot of sweet wine tapped from the raffia palm。
〃You are a big man now；〃 Obierika said to Nwoye。 〃Your friend Anene asked me to greet you。〃
〃Is he well？〃 asked Nwoye。
〃We are all well；〃 said Obierika。
Ezinma brought them a bowl of water with which to wash their hands。 After that they began to eat and to drink the wine。
〃When did you set out from home？〃 asked Okonkwo。
〃We had meant to set out from my house before cockcrow；〃 said Obierika。 〃But Nweke did not appear until it was quite light。 Never make an early morning appointment with a man who has just married a new wife。〃 They all laughed。
〃Has Nweke married a wife？〃 asked Okonkwo。
〃He has married Okadigbo's second daughter；〃 said Obierika。
〃That is very good；〃 said Okonkwo。 〃I do not blame you for not hearing the cock crow。〃
When they had eaten； Obierika pointed at the two heavy bags。
〃That is the money from your yams；〃 he said。 〃I sold the big ones as soon as you left。 Later on I sold some of the seed…yams and gave out others to sharecroppers。 I shall do that every year until you return。 But 1 thought you would need the money now and so I brought it。 Who knows what may happen tomorrow？ Perhaps green men will e to our clan and shoot us。〃
〃God will not permit it；〃 said Okonkwo。 〃1 do not know how to thank you。〃
〃I can tell you；〃 said Obierika。 〃Kill one of your sons for
me。
〃That will not be enough；〃 said Okonkwo。
〃Then kill yourself；〃 said Obierika。
〃Forgive me；〃 said Okonkwo； smiling。 〃I shall not talk about thanking you any more。〃
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
When nearly two years later Obierika paid another visit to his friend in exile the circumstances were less happy。 The missionaries had e to Umuofia。 They had built their church there； won a handful of converts and were already sending evangelists to the surrounding towns and villages。 That was a source of great sorrow to the leaders of the clan； but many of them believed that the strange faith and the white man's god would not last。 None of his converts was a man whose word was heeded in ihe assembly of the people。 None of them was a man of title。 They were mostly the kind of people that were called efulefu； worthless； empty men。 The imagery of an efulefu in the language of the clan was a man who sold his machete and wore the sheath to battle。 Chielo； the priestess of Agbala； called the converts the excrement of the clan； and the new faith was a mad dog that had e to eat it up。
What moved Obierika to visit Okonkwo was the sudden appearance of the latter's son； Nwoye； among the missionaries in Umuofia。
〃What are you doing here？〃 Obierika had asked when after many difficulties the missionaries had allowed him to speak to the boy。
〃1 am one of them；〃 replied Nwoye。
〃How is your father？〃 Obierika asked； not knowing what else to say。
〃1 don't know。 He is not my father；〃 said Nwoye； unhappily。
And so Obierika went to Mbanta to see his friend。 And he found that Okonkwo did not wish to speak about Nwoye。 It was only from Nwoye's mother that he heard scraps of the story。
The arrival of the missionaries had caused a considerable stir in the village of Mbanta。 There were six of them and one was a white man。 Every man and woman came out to see the white man。 Stories about these strange men had grown sim one of them had been killed in Abame and his iron horse tied to the sacred silk…cotton tree。 And so everybody came to see the white man。 It was the time of the year when everybody was at home。 The harvest was over。
When they had all gathered； the white man began to speak to them。 He spoke through an interpreter who was an Ibo man； though his dialect was different and harsh to the enrs of Mbanta。 Many people laughed at his dialect and the way he used words strangely。 Instead of saying 〃myself〃 he always said 〃my buttocks。〃 But he was a man of manding presence and the clansmen listened to him。 He said he was one of them； they could see from his color and his language。 The other four black men were also their brothers； although one of them did not speak Ibo。 The white man was also their brother because they were all sons of God。 And he told them about this new God； the Creator of all the world and all the men and women。 He told them that they worshipped false gods； gods of wood and stone。 A deep murmur went through the crowd when he said this。 He told them that the true God lived on high and that all men when they died went before Him for judgment。 Evil men and all the heathen who in their blindness bowed to wood and stone were thrown into a fire that burned like palm…oil。 But good men who worshipped the true God lived forever in His happy kingdom。 〃We have been sent by this great God to ask you to leave your wicked ways and false gods and turn to Him so that you may be saved when you die；〃 he said。
〃Your buttocks understand our language；〃 said someone light…heartedly and the crowd laughed。
〃What did he say？〃 the white man asked his interpreter。 But before he could answer； another man asked a question： 〃Where is the white man's horse？〃 he asked。 The Ibo evangelists consulted among themselves and decided that the man probably meant bicycle。 They told the white man and he smi