Much had transpired since Ebube was lost to the village. Rumours had it that the deity had rejected him as its son, and this had been reflected in Arochukwu’s near-defeat at the hands of the strangers sent by the gods, who might in fact be the very gods themselves.
Everywhere in the village, day and night, people huddled together to discuss Ebube’s renegade behaviour and the recent occurrences in Arochukwu.
It was said that the chief priest of the strangers was a very powerful medicine man, and that was why the Arochukwu warriors had been unable to kill a single one of them in battle, only their black soldiers. It was also said that the way the strangers avoided the heat of the sun was reason to believe the sun did not shine in the village they came from.
“The strangers also have the ab
