Forest of the Pygmies(46)
"Do you want me to pass on the king's petition to Angie?" Kate asked when she recovered her voice.
"It isn't a petition; it's an order. Talk with her. I will see her during the tournament. That will be tomorrow. In the meantime, you have permission to move about the village, but I forbid you to go near the royal compound, the Pygmies' corrals, or the well."
The commandant waved a hand, and immediately the soldier at the door seized Kate by the arm and dragged her away. For a moment she was blinded by the light of day.
?
Kate rejoined her friends and transmitted the declaration of love to Angie, who took it rather badly, as Kate had expected.
"I would never be one of that flock of Kosongo's women!" she exclaimed, furious.
"Of course you wouldn't, Angie, but you could be nice to him a couple of days and—"
"Not one minute!" Angie sighed. "Of course if it was the commandant, instead of Kosongo—"
"Mbembelé is a beast!" Kate interrupted.
"That's a joke, Kate. I don't intend to be nice to Kosongo, or Mbembelé, or anyone else. I intend to get out of this hole as soon as possible, claim my plane, and get to a place where these criminals can't catch up with me.
"If you distract the king, as Ms. Cold suggests, we can gain some time," Brother Fernando declared.
"How do you suggest I do that? Look at me! My clothes are wet and filthy, I've lost my lipstick, and my hair's a disaster. I look like a porcupine," Angie replied, pointing to dirt-stiffened hair that stuck out in all directions.
"The people in the village are afraid," the missionary interrupted, changing the subject. "No one wants to answer my questions, but I've tied up a few loose ends. I know that my companions were here, and that they disappeared several months ago. They can't have gone anywhere. The most likely answer is that they've become martyrs."
"Does that mean they were killed?" Kate asked.
"Yes. I think they gave their lives for Christ. I pray that at least they didn't suffer long."
"I'm truly sorry, Brother Fernando," Angie said, suddenly serious. "Forgive all my joking and bad humor. You can count on me; I'll do what I can to help you. I'll dance the dance of the seven veils to distract Kosongo, if you want."
"I won't ask that of you, Miss Ninderera," the missionary replied sadly.
"Call me Angie," she said.
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They spent the rest of the day waiting for Nadia and Alexander to return, wandering around the village looking for information, and making plans to escape. The two guards who had been careless the night before had been arrested by the soldiers and not replaced, so no one was guarding them. They found out that the soldiers of the Brotherhood of the Leopard, who had deserted from the regular army and come to Ngoubé with the commandant, were the only ones who had access to the firearms kept in the barracks. The Bantu guards were forcibly recruited in their teenage years. They were poorly armed, mainly with machetes and knives, and obeyed more out of fear than from loyalty. Under orders from the handful of Mbembelé's soldiers, the guards had to contain the rest of the Bantu population, that is, their own families and friends. Fierce discipline left no out; rebels and deserters were executed without a trial.
The women of Ngoubé, who once had been free and involved in the decisions of the community, lost their rights and were forced to work on Kosongo's plantations and look after the needs of the men. The prettiest girls were sent to the king's harem. The commandant's network of spies included children, who were taught to watch their own families. The mere accusation of treachery, whether or not there was proof, was punished by death. In the beginning many were executed, but the population in that area was sparse, and when the king and the commandant saw that they were killing off their subjects, they decided to curb their enthusiasm.
These two leaders also counted on the aid of the witch doctor Sombe, whom they called on when a sorcerer's services were required. People were accustomed to healers or witch men whose mission was to act as liaison with the world of the spirits, cure illness, cast spells, and fashion protective amulets. It was generally believed that a person's death was caused by magic. When someone died, it was up to the sorcerer to determine who was responsible, then undo the curse and punish the guilty party or force him to pay compensation to the family of the deceased. That gave the healer power in the community. In Ngoubé, as in many other parts of Africa, there had always been sorcerers, some more respected than others, but none as much as Sombe.
No one knew where the bizarre witch doctor lived. He would materialize in the village like a devil, and once he had done what he had come to do, he evaporated without a trace, and no one would see him for weeks or months. He was so feared that even Kosongo and Mbembelé tried to avoid him; both stayed in their quarters when Sombe was due to appear. His appearance alone spread terror. He was enormous—as tall as Commandant Mbembelé—and when he fell into a trance, he acquired supernatural strength; he was able to lift heavy tree trunks that six men couldn't budge. He wore the head of a leopard and a necklace of fingers that—word had it—he had amputated from his victims with the blade of his gaze, just as during his exhibitions of sorcery he decapitated roosters without touching them.