Again, their screeching of laughter became incessant and the moment the witches found their silence was a prayer answered to Osabiegun, Oranmiyan, the Chiefs and Elders who felt the laughter of the witches had already revealed the hidden truth to the people.
But if any person of Ifa-ile dared for a talk even at this moment shall the person also, in the same strength that deals with the mother of Atejoku, deal with him or her and more terribly were the thought of Osabiegun as he held onto his staff more fiercely to the ground and in his beaded crown, he had watched a few of the villagers with his eagle eyes.
With only the gesture of the hand, the Eldest Priest had commanded another of the young priests even from a distance and as he approached him, in his cool voice even alongside that he began yet again with incantations, he asked that he bring him the cutlass of death.
Definitely, the cutlass of death was that which they use at the shrine to behead those unruly to the tradition of the land and offer them as a sacrifice to worship the deity of the shrine, Ifa.
As according to the tradition of the land, had anyone who dares to see the eyes of the masquerade shall be made to feel the taste of the cutlass and even when Ifa had forsaken them and they are now bent to the worship of the witches shall the witches also be glad to drink from the blood the cutlass shall offer to them.
In accordance with the tradition, the whole number of the young priests, the rest of the priests, gathered round the Eldest Priest who held the cutlass in his palm, stretched further slowly in the four directions of the earth.
With only this had the Eldest Priest and the Mother Of Atejoku with two of the young priests who held her firmly to the ground remained in the middle of them all.
As they all murmured and also in unity at first, the common incantations of the cutlass to resurrect its power, they slowly and eventually began to pronounce each word at the top of their voices to which caused the immediate and quick earthquake.
The laughter of the witches which sprouted out again and the earthquake, which had now suddenly been at peace placed all of the villagers in their maximum fear.
Even though, many still remained at the entrance of the shrine abreast the courage of Osabiegun, Oranmiyan, Okiki-osupa, the Chiefs and Elders as they were determined to see the end of the event at the shrine and a story they must tell to everyone in the respect of time, few others of the villagers had already picked their legs from the ground as they ran to their separate homes.
And more steadfast, up to the sky the Eldest Priest now pointed the cutlass, and the witches he began to call upon to accept their offering even before they shall bring to them their main sacrifice.
That with this offering shall they remain powerful and not a man born of a woman, or shall a woman born of a woman, or a beast born of the earth shall be able to trample on them. For no one can be able to see eye to eye with the sun lest, burn down into a smoky stain.
That with this offering shall Ifa-ile always be the lord to every vassal they shall have and Ifa-ile shall never be conquered. For in their desire they pray and that they grant them, they will forever honor.
To all the prayers the Eldest Priest said aloud that everyone at the entrance had heard clearly, Osabiegun, Oranmiyan, the Chiefs and Elders, even Okiki-osupa chorused their positive answer.
That, so it shall be, were the words they said in unity and even all that the villagers of Ifa-ile had said was their fervent silence since the command of Osabiegun had not instructed otherwise.
But in gossip had one of the villagers dared to speak. For he shall be here if the witches shall grant them their desire for the only true god was forever Ifa, who they had deserted to succumb to the laughter of the witches.
That he mind himself and if anymore sound comes out of him again, shall he be chopped into pieces not even as a sacrifice to the witches but as a wastage even to the feet of the earth, for everything that is of the earth shall reject him only for the command he had failed to obey, were the words of Balogun.
If Balogun had heard him of his words shall he not be warned but executed he knew, and only for this had he walked backwards further among the villagers to which he instantly and rapidly obeyed the command of his legs.
As the incantations stopped with the nod from the Eldest Priest had all young priests and the rest of the priest aside the two young priests who held the mother returned to their previous position.
With the cutlass which remained yet in the hands of the Eldest Priest, he held pin pointed to the ground that it slightly touched the ground and in his solemn voice, he commanded for the start of the bath.
Only with this had one of the two young priests began with the pouring of the water from the calabash and the other began scrubbing her body with the local sponge from inside the calabash.
The Eldest Priest who now also began with other words of incantations called the witches in their realm yet again to accept the blood and the flesh of their offering for it has been cleansed and purified only for their sake.
In between her fingers they washed, as her nails which were longer than her hand fingers were cut and inside of her anus were washed again as dirt; all hair which remained were made to be clean.
With the silence which now conquered the shrine and an imbecile the mother had suddenly become, left her only by herself. For she knew not what was happening.
Only at this moment had the villagers of Ifa-ile lost the confidence to watch as they were now once again filled with empathy and a pit of total sadness they fell. For they wish, they could go into the past and correct the mistake of dancing to the shrine.
Even Okiki-osupa had dropped a bead of tear, for within her heart, she wished the mother had been pardoned and if it was left only in the hands of Oranmiyan would she have persuaded him for forgiveness.
But to think Osabiegun, Oranmiyan, the Chiefs and Elders had welcomed any slightness of empathy was a total falsehood as everything they wished to see at this moment was her blood that gushed out of her neck.
That they stop, Atejoku shouted even from a long distance. That no one should touch his mother he continued to warn at the top of his voice as he had not stopped running in rabbit steps.
At the moment he had gotten to the entrance of the palace, even without care that he had pushed Osabiegun away from his way, he entered into the shrine which also remained a taboo for any ordinary person.
But an antelope which is thirsty for water shall not mind the lion at the shore of the river nor the crocodile which will devour his head into the waters and in the same sense the only concern for Atejoku was the safety of his mother.
Even though he had dared to throw a punch to the face of one of the young priests, he had been held firmly in arrest by other young priests.
And no matter how much he struggled for even a little freedom, that he could free his mother from the shackles that binds her hands, for the only reason that she could flee for her life, he was hindered.
Even though the eyes of his mother were open, she already lost her senses and no matter how much he called her, she had not recognized his face, nor his voice.
The people of Ifa-ile, who in this strength had looked up again into the event of the shrine, only to see what will come out of this situation found themselves rumbling in gossip as the laughter of the witches called everyone again into their fear.
That they clung together yet again, they did. With their heads bowed to the grounds they hadn't moved a muscle, not until the shrinking laughter of the witches had stopped and everything that was loud were the sound of their breath.
Only a single word from the Eldest Priest, who had now summoned and passed the cutlass to the priest saddled with the duty of the butcher, let down the cutlass on her neck and everything that was obvious this instant were the red blood stain scattered on the ground and all over the face of Atejoku.