"King of Muzagah,' said the prince, "I have no respect for kings who are mere ants that I can smash to smithereens. Dignity is given to the one who deserves it. You deserve my respect. I will explain why. Believe it or not, I shall take no stone from your treasury if you give to me that which I desire more than silver or gold. It is a woman, for I have been stricken by love, and I know that you must have heard about Nana's death. News always flies so far and spreads widely. Believe me, I saw beauty in Nana. After she died, I kissed her body thoroughly. My soul has not found rest after she was killed. Speaking from my heart, I fell in love with Nana, my first wife, who was killed for my healing to come. Since her death, I have become an empty man. I need to fill this void in me with any woman who must look like my lost Nana. I'll be honest. King Guaya, I fell from my horse when I saw a girl. Your Grace, I saw a twin of Nana. She lives in this kingdom and must be the daughter of one of your kinsmen. Don't be afraid. I speak no lies but only the truth. When I passed through the sepulchre of your ancestors, I heard a voice saying, 'Look!' And as I turned around, I beheld a girl. She looked just as beautiful as my lovely Nana. It was like a dream come true. I saw other young women moving in the queue, walking away from a nearby stream. This girl, who hypnotised me, moved alongside them. To be precise, they were six in number. They carried on their heads clay pots of water, which were filled to the brim.
"I stared at the girl who enticed me deeply. Though her clothes were wet, because of the water that dripped from the clay pot on her head, she looked so beautiful. She resembles my dear late Nana, of whom I first saw the beauty of a black woman. She looked like a black angel. Her braided hair was very long. Bounded by a red ribbon, it reached her waist. I have never seen a black woman with such an abundance of fine hair in my lifetime. She walked like a cat. I admire her more than any damsel I have ever seen. As fate would have it, she turned around and stared back at me. Our eyes met; her hazel-coloured eyes left me entranced, so I fell. Her pot of water dropped and clattered to the floor. I struggled to get up and go after her, but she was gone!
"Her beautiful face flashes all the time in my mind. I can see her vividly in my dreams. Her eyeballs are very finely shaped, like those of a black goddess. I see those seamless lines beautifully drawn by the gods around her neck. Her soft skin shows true ebony. I see the sun looking squarely at her, illuminating her beauty for the world. I see the straightness of her legs so full of flesh that it will be unfair to compare hers to either my sisters' or any woman's legs on earth," Prince Habeb said passionately.
Throughout the time he spoke, King Guaya remained silent.
Angered, Prince Habeb said, "King Guaya, I know that you have an intention to stop me from marrying that woman I saw. I will make you pay with your head if you do that! In your eyes, I see doubt. In it, I see the destruction of your kingdom as a consequence of being stubborn. Read my lips, Guaya, and avoid war. Be wary, king. Be wise now if you feel the seriousness in my heart. Get this straight: Let bygones be bygones. Let Nana's demise be a thing of the past. Do not judge me by my past actions. Believe me and avoid war, for I say to you that if she is not given to me, I swear by the name of my own gods that I shall destroy your lands and her people. I will go now and return with apparel festooned with decorations of peace and love to see my black queen. Goodbye."
The chief continued. "The prince said no more words and rode away with his guards. The worst happened to us when we discovered that Briah, our faithful priest, was found dead near his shrine. No one knew what killed him. His servants could not consult the gods. We were all confused. On the third day after the prince left, the chiefs of the entire clans of our kingdom convened at the palace. It was a critical issue and still remains critical today. I was present at this meeting. All of us expressed our opinions. All our opinions were on the same page.
"We agreed not to allow another woman from Muzagah to be sacrificed to the
gods of the Suramite to pacify them for Habeb's sins. We believed that the gods would destroy us if we granted the prince his request. Believe me, my son, I cannot wish to achieve wealth by sacrificing sweet Banabella to Moguzule, that merciless god. Never! She is my daughter. Later, we called out the six girls to spot the genuine one. It was an easy task. The girls gathered themselves shyly and stood before us for scrutiny. Banabella stepped out. She was nervous to speak. So the king scolded her. Then she said things that were similar to what the prince had said. There were no contradictions at all. I observed her feelings when I had a private conversation with my daughter. I noticed that she had developed strong feelings for the prince. She narrated what had happened like a woman in a trance. She had fallen in love with a man she had barely seen.
"Yes, it was unanimously agreed that I, the chief of the Guchi clan, must not behave as Umai, who, for a similar act, caused the gods to pour their wrath on us even to this day. I wondered why my king could not understand that the prince was actually serious about fulfilling his vows. I perceived that war would come very soon. Princes and emperors do not swear by the name of their god and forget to make it happen. The clan chiefs and the king deliberated together, trying to untie this difficult knot by seeking a solution to the matter, yet nothing different came from above. Briah, the priest of Zoe, was gone! The gods seemed far from us. The king concluded that Banabella must not be given to the prince. I demanded to know from King Guaya what we must do if we refuse to grant the prince of Suramy his wish. Who does not know that we cannot defeat the multitude of armies that the Empire has at its disposal? Also, if we are powerful enough and think we can defeat the Suramites, why then do we pay taxes to him? I've fought in many battles. But with the size of their army, we are too small in number to stand out victorious. Though I will fight for my people, I am still confused as to why I am to die in this unwise battle that must happen. Everyone said the gods would stand for us, for we have acted in accordance with their laws; thus, we deserve sacred protection. This belief amazes me, for battles depend on the strength of men and not the gods. The gods give courage, but men fight the battle themselves.
"I was counselled to take Banabella to the kingdom of Fallahi; I mean your
mother's birthplace. I have handpicked a group of men who have been chosen to take Banabella to the village of Bo, in the kingdom of Fallahi. Don't be surprised, my boy. Yesterday, I read what was written on our wall. I saw our young men running away from Muzagah because the prince had declared war against us. I joined my fellow chiefs and elders to motivate our young men who were running away from this kingdom because of the fear of dying on the battlefield against the Suramites, whereupon many ran off and few remained. My spirit echoes my end time. I see you.
live to uplift my name, and I believe you will make this happen. I make no move to run to the caves. I have sworn to serve my motherland until my last breath. I can never leave this land of ours.
"Last night, I visited King Guaya. He talked about the visitors you saw the other night. They demanded Banabella, but we denied them their request. King Guaya lied to them, saying that she'd been acutely ill and had died two days ago. The prince did not believe this. He and his men left, saying no word. King Guaya followed them as though leading the way out, and furiously, a soldier threw a parchment at his face, and that was when they left in anger. The next day, another group returned, demanding Banabella. And as they rode off, with no hopeful response from King Guaya, a soldier hauled another parchment to his face.
"The first letter read:
'I, Prince Habeb, the Prince of Suramy, demand from you, Banabella, whose name I discovered in my dreams. I beg you in the name of your own god, grant me my wish, and avoid being uprooted from the face of the earth."
The second parchment read: "Because you have hidden Banabella from me, I'll tread upon your bodies and make your kingdom bare like ordinary earth. Till I see Banabella, the people of Muzagah shall not be privileged to take air into their nostrils before the sun sets tomorrow. Prince Habeb speaks!'
"Murai, I love you so much. My love for you is unconditional. For this reason, I chose you to join Luh and Jonah and go to the great rock, Lala, to trumpet the signals of war. I urge you, my dearest son, if you see the Suramy soldiers invading this kingdom, blow your horns and take cover in the caves until the battle is over; for all devoted and gallant men do not give up, even till the end of time. But hear me: when I die, take my sword. It is an ancient, mysterious sword that I inherited from my great-grandfather, who was the greatest swordsman of his time. I had dreams that the sword would be a beacon for you at the right time. Always be with it, and when you die, pass it on to your sons and grandsons. For one day, the kingdom of Muzagah shall be a strong kingdom that no kingdom can defeat. I am prepared to fight against the armies of Zule on the battlefield. Nothing can change that. We have heeded righteously to the tenets of the gods; we shall know if they will send fires from above and burn our enemies as the day of battle draws near." The chief's words faded away.
Luh and Jonah sat mesmerised, too stunned to speak.
Just then, the sound of approaching feet alerted them. They were here! The three boys picked up their cow horns. As they blew air into it, the sounds were transmitted to Mount Gabor, where the warriors had gathered. Satisfied that they had done their duty, when they heard responses from the hills, which they knew came from the guards who were at Mount Gabor, they climbed down towards the dark doors of the caves and disappeared into the darkness with a weary heart.
The caves were not as dreadful as they had thought. The darkness had been thick since night had come. They kindled their torches and sought a place to lay their heads. Sleep would not come, as the sounds of the battle caused their eyes to remain open. Tears dripped from their eyes. They cried out loud, and as the hours sped by, sleep came to them gradually.