Shadow dove

wn throughout the ni

ted on solid persona

n he had brought hon

e Cat. Amalinze was

unbeaten, from Umuof

his back would never

threw in a fight whi

st since the founder

d for seven days

e flutes sang and the

s a wily craftsman,

water. Every nerve and

r backs and their thig

aking point. In the en

ago, twenty years or

ad grown like a bush-

and his bushy eyebro

. He breathed heavily,

ves and children in t

walked, his heels har

on springs, as if he

d pounce on people

henever he was angry

nough, he would use

ssful men. He had had

th

is father's name, had

and improvident and

rrow. If any money

iately bought gourds

s and made merry.

d man's mouth he saw

lifetime. Unoka was, o

or some money, from

ntial

hin and had a slight s

ept when he was drink

ood on his flute, an

e moons after the ha

down their instrum

ld play with them, h

ce. Sometimes anoth

ir dancing egwugwu t

heir tunes. They woul

four markets, making

hire and the good fel

stopped and the sun roseevery morning with d

dry harmattan wind

the harmattan was ve

sphere. Old men and c

ing their bodies. Uno

that returned with t

ngs of welcome to th

w he had often wander

ly against the blue sk

th his whole being,

y, and asking it if i

hs of

when he was young.

poor and his wife an

laughed at him becau

lend him any more mo

was such a man that h

e, and piling

called Okoye came i

bed in his hut play

shook hands with Ok

carried under his ar

oom and soon returne

a nut, some alligator

e ch

ounced when he sat do

o his

ings kola brings life

lied Okoye, passi

think," and they arg

f breaking the kola.Okoye, meanwhile, too

hen painted

Unoka prayed to their

ction against their e

ut many things: about

s, about the next anc

th the village of Mb

o wars. He was in fa

f blood. And so he c

and his face beamed.

tirring and intricate

, and he could hear h

ating them with a colo

y and brisk, but if one

and then broke up in

was sorrow an

ician. He played on

oka. He had a large b

now he was going to t

he land. It was a very

his resources togethe

me to see Unoka. He

ga

la. You may have hear

ke sh

y so far, Okoye said

. Among the Ibo the a

, and proverbs are t

e was a great talker

e subject and then hitt

ndred cowries he hadborrowed from him mo

riend was driving at,

ng and his voice rang

is eyes. His visitor

d, Unoka was able to

tbursts

e said, pointing at th

red earth so that it

koye saw groups of sho

were five groups, and

a sense of the dramat

ok a pinch of snuff a

ch group there represe

e hundred cowries. Yo

ut he has not come

l pay you, but not tod

those who stand before

shall pay my big deb

, as if that was payin

his goatskin

d taken no title at a

then that his son Ok

ng these people a man

ccording to the worth

r great things. He was

est wrestler in the n

had two barns full

. To crown it all he h

prowess in two inte

s still young, he w

ime. Age was respecte

d. As the elders said,

d clearly washed hishands and so he ate w

the doomed lad who

their neighbors to a

lad was call