In disbelief and owe, the elders, kinsmen and the whole township burst out in chaos and they discuss and murmur amongst themselves the bravery of the princess with such remarks.
All: And what is that? Tell us! (All yelled as they wait their questions be answered)
Amanirenas: (Filled with renewed vigour) That the customs and history of this kingdom were written by men. (The men cheer) the most cowardly of the human species…and the most myopic and glory-loving yet very lazy creatures God Almighty ever moulded, perhaps by mistake.
This very statement got everyone in the Kingdom upset because she was challenging the very thing no one has tries challenging. And as a warrior that she is, she fears nothing in saying what she feels is right in her own ways.
Elders: (Shounting angrily) Hey! Watch your tongue! Watch your words towards your elders! Be warned little princess, be warned.
Amanirenas: I will say it again and again and yet again. Men are the most bloodthirsty, destructive, unthinking, childish…
1st Elder: (Roaring with so much rage and anger) Look here little girl…
Amanirenas: (Very sharply) Who is your little girl?
1st Elder: I command you for the last time to watch your tongue else you shall be made to leave here without it. We have had enough of your silly talk. Who do you think you are?
(Amanirenas quickly dashes to the nearest palace executioner and snatches his long knife from his scabbard and holds it in the air)
Amanirenas: Here is my tongue… (She sticks out her tongue) and here is a knife…
(She holds out the knife at arm's length) a knife as sharp as the ray of the morning sun. let he considers himself a true man, a he-man, in this palace, step out and take this knife and remove with it, this thick and red rough boneless flesh of the tongue from its enclave.
(Sticks out her tongue) I want a man.
(She parades the area) I am still waiting.
(There is murmuring among the men. The dying queen mother smiles and nods her head weakly)
I say I want a man…
(There is absolute silence in the whole chamber)
Where have all the men gone…where are they?
(The men start murmuring among themselves again)
Cowards… who call themselves men…
(A man steps out going to take the knife from her)
I see, there comes one at last.
Ofori: Let me have the knife.
Amanirenas: (Throws the knife on the floor at his feet)
There is the knife, pick it up. (Man picks up the knife)
Good.
Ofori: (Confidently) Now stick out your tongue and step forward and let me cut it for you. (Amanirenas sticks out her tongue as commanded by ofori and begins to move back as ofori advances towards her. She suddenly draws a similar long knife concealed in her cloth to the amazement of everybody.
Amanirenas: Oh yes…you thought I was an easy task. Just walking in zuguma-zuguma like an idiot to cut off my tongue and walk away freely.
Ofori: I…I…don't think.
Amanirenas: You didn't think…
I am not surprised in the least. I have always known that you men do not think. You are all deceived and trapped.
We shall fight with our knives here and now. Whoever is killed shall have his or her tongue cut off. And the tongue less corpse displayed in the durbar ground. (Taunts ofori)
You fool…goat… you will soon see what am going to do with you. You should have said a final farewell to your wife and children before stepping forward to fight me, because you are not leaving here alive. Oh yes, and I am going to ensure that.
Ofori: (Obviously shaking) I…I…never thought…
Amanirenas: Yes, I know you men never think, so stop repeating it to my ears. Go back four paces then we attack.
Ofori: What are the rules?
Amanirenas: No rules, anything goes.
(The village is conquered with silence as the combatants stalk one another. The men cheering and chanting "ofori-o-ofori-o" as the two combatants keep stalking each other).
2nd Elder: See how she stalks him like a leopard ready to launch an attack on its prey.
Amanirenas: I am going to kill you and give your heart to the vultures… You won't see your children again neither will you ever hear the voice or the scent of your wife… You poor goat!... come on now…Goat! I say come on now and fight me.
(They keep on stalking like two wrestlerd,each looking for the slightest opportunity to plunge the knife into the other. Somwhow ofori falls heavily on his back losing he grip on hid knife)
Elders: Look, our man has fallen. (Nana quickly kicks the knife far off and sits on him and pins him to the ground)
Amanirenas: I have got you now. (She lifts the knife and is about to bury it in his chest) I am going to…
Queen Mother: No, stop it.
My daughter, stop where you are. Go not further. Spare an old woman the sight of blood at her last hours. Paint me not red picture of my last few moments on earth.
Amanirenas: Oh, Mother.(Panting heavily and feigning exasperation)
Why do you take the meat out of my mouth just when I am about to set my teeth into it? You should allow me to kill him and rove his tongue for a trophy. To teach these living spectators that courage is not the monopoly of men. (Pause) You are lucky.
(Gets up reluctantly from ofori. Places one foot on ofori's chest. Looks around to see if there is any challenger ready to step forward) Now, give way and let me pass. (Ofori scampers off)
Queen Mother: Stop her…don't let her go… (All the men quickly join hands to form a human wall)
Amanirenas: (Turns around sharply holding the knife on a battle-ready position)
Let the he-man amongst you attempt to stop me. (As she walks towards them, the men begin to move away)
Queen Mother: Call her back…I say call her back. (The Queen mother calls out as she was not yet done with her daughter, the princess of the Kingdom)
1st Elder: Your Majesty, she is gone.
Queen Mother: I commanded you to stop her, didn't I?
1st Elder: Indeed, you did your Majesty, but she couldn't be stopped. She dashed out like lightening just before your command reached our ears your Majesty.
Queen Mother: (In a voice growing weaker and weaker with each passing moment) I want all my divisional chiefs to come closer to me. (All the divisional Chiefs gather around her. They must strain their ears in other to hear her last words. Elders and the divisional Chiefs keep nodding thet heads)
So…that…is all…see to it that…that…that…Aaagh!...
(The queen mother dies. The palace is suddenly thrown into mourning. The women wail. Masinissa Linette Duah II is hurriedly let away. The corpse is carried away to another part of the palace. Lights fade slowly and peak on Amanirenas and Akinidad)
As the Queen Mother dies, custom and tradition demands her befitting burial and a grand durbar is organized to bid her farewell into the land of her ancestors. As history says, the ancestors will ask every ruler if they executed their mandatory and official roles as practiced and executed by their predecessors.
It is believed in some odd cases, the ancestors sends back any ruler who come to their realm without fulfilling the obligatory role passed to them and practiced since time in memorial, to come execute as expected of them.
The death of the Queen Mother has been one of the greatest tragedy to ever befall on the people of the Ptolemaic Kingdom.