Who Fears Death

Four days after Ssolu, a fierce ungwa storm, “a dangerous storm of terrible lightning and thunder and intermittent deluges of rain,” approaches them from the west (326). Mwita recognizes where they are from his travels and knows a cave nearby where they can go, but inexplicably argues against going there, to the frustration of Luyu and Onye. Onye finally convinces him that the danger of the storm outweighs his fear of the cave, and they reach the cave just in time.

As soon as they arrive, Luyu and Onye see two bodies hanging from the entrance to the cave and realize why Mwita didn’t want to go there. The bodies have been there since Mwita passed through, for more than a decade. Luyu suggests burying them; however, Mwita explains that he tried, but that the bodies are held there by juju and are unable to be pulled down.

In the back of the cave is a pile of ancient electronics: computer monitors, desktops, ebooks, etc. “The Great Book spoke of such places, caves full of computers […] put here by terrified Okekes trying to escape Ani’s wrath when she turned back to the world and saw the havoc the Okeke had created” (330).