Chapter 3: Sirius—Old Soldier, New Blood

The last hard man for southern town na old man. Im hair white, im waka dey slow, like say small breeze fit blow am fall.

For bus stop, dem dey point am as 'old soldier.' But nobody fit guess im true level—people just dey respect distance.

But if you underrate am, na your own wahala.

E get one time, small pikin insult am for market, dem still dey find the pikin till today. For Naija, no be every old man be weakling.

This old man na top assassin from Seven Stars Brotherhood. Seven Stars Brotherhood na the most coded killer group for the land now. If dem mark you, just know say you don collect invitation from death—no matter how you try, you no fit escape.

Dem no dey write letter, dem no dey show face. Once your name enter their book, even your ancestors go dey reason how to hide you.

This old man no get name, na Sirius dem dey call am. Dem talk say from the time Seven Stars Brotherhood start, na im dey there, and im own price pass all—thirty thousand naira for one person head.

For this life, no underrate old soldier—na dem sabi where rain dey beat person.

The code for their matter strong. People dey talk say na only people wey fit pay school fees for five universities dey call Sirius.

The price no too much. The head of Ogbomosho Clan, wey people say fit cut hundred rivers with one sword, once injure one noble pikin for duel. The young lord vex, hire Seven Stars Brotherhood. Ogbomosho Clan begin guard their compound day and night, boys patrol everywhere—even fly no fit enter.

For that season, even native doctor dey sleep with one eye open. But all their efforts no stop wetin go happen last-last.

But still, their master die—na Sirius kill am.

Na as everybody dey wait, na so Sirius enter compound broad daylight, clear the man for front of own children. Dem say till today, that family no dey do naming ceremony on Tuesdays.

And no be sneak attack, na open fight. Sirius blade work dey among the best ten for the country.

Na so everybody dey fear to mention im name. Boys dey respect, elders dey avoid im side for mosque or church.

Now, na this same killer Wu Lie must arrest.

Even police for station dey pray say make Wu Lie succeed. Nobody wan touch Seven Stars wahala.

As e find Sirius for hidden guesthouse, before Wu Lie fit talk, Sirius do something wey shock.

Sirius just dey act calm, no shake. Some people say old man no dey fear because e don see too many things for this life.

2

The old man hand steady. E pour tea from pot, the water thin, stop just as cup full reach top.

Im hand no dey shake at all, even mosquito land for im arm e no bother am. The tea for im cup dey shine, no single drop for table.

One drop more, e go pour. One drop less, e go short.

Dem say na only person wey get mind fit measure tea like that. Sirius just dey show say im heart no dey jump for anybody.

With this kind steady hand, imagine as e go take kill person.

The legend talk say e fit slice yam wey dey balance on fly head. Im blade na story for children.

Wu Lie sit down opposite the old man, no send. E carry the tea, drink am finish, then slap arrest warrant for table, eyes sharp like arrow, dey look the old man.

Na so the two men dey stare each other. The whole room cold. Wu Lie face no dey show fear, the kind way soldier dey look general.

"You be Lin Yang or Wu Lie?" the old man ask, voice low but strong. E pour Wu Lie more tea.

E voice get wahala, but still gentle. If you hear am, you go sabi say e don dey used to command.

"Lin Yang na my senior brother."

E talk am with small pride. Lin Yang matter for police, na big gist.

"Lin Yang get sense, Wu Lie get mind. Na Lin Yang suppose do this work," the old man talk.

E smile small, teeth white. E dey measure Wu Lie, dey see how e go react.

"My senior brother travel for official matter. When e come back, I go let you two meet—for cell," Wu Lie talk, dey smile as e drink another cup.

Wu Lie just dey use style dey warn am say no escape, no hope. Im smile sharp, eyes still dey watch every move.

That time, footsteps land for door. The old man stand go open. Wu Lie narrow im eyes. If na help the old man call, Seven Stars Brotherhood go shame today.

Wu Lie hand near pocket, e ready for anything. Im brain dey work like Lagos conductor money sense.

But the people wey enter surprise am.

Na small confusion for Wu Lie mind. E expect cult boys, but the thing wey enter na different.

The one wey stand na woman, she never old, but her hair don white. Sorrow don blind one of her eyes, she no fit cry again.

Her skin pale, wrapper rough. The pain for her face go make even herbalist wey no get heart to cry.

The one wey dey ground na small girl, maybe like sixteen, face full of knife mark. Worse, all her bones don break. The girl still dey alive, but every breath na pain.

For Naija, once you see small pikin suffer like this, even hard man go shed tears inside.

"Who do this kind thing?" Wu Lie jump up, blood dey boil.

Im fist dey shake, voice raise. For im mind, e don swear to fight injustice till e die.

Three days ago, this girl go flower market with her friend, meet one fine young man. The guy dey fight another person. Im blade work good, but the other man better. The young man sword fall for the girl leg. She be sixteen, that age wey love dey sweet, so she blush, give am back the sword. The young man smile, thank am, ask, "How you see my blade work?"

Her friend dey giggle for back. The market women dey wink. Na that kind playful, innocent time wey pikin dey think say nothing bad fit happen.

The farm girl shy, head down, no sabi wetin to talk.

E heart dey jump, hands dey shake. For that small moment, all her life dey inside im eye.

The young man no mind, point the black-cloth fighter wey e dey fight. "Who you think better, me or am?"

The girl just whisper, "I no know."

Her voice low, almost silent. Im friend dey nudge her, but she still dey look ground.

The young man blink, im face sharp. "If you feel say I better, you for talk. But you say you no know, that mean say you feel the other man small pass me, abi?"

Na so pride dey worry some young men. Im voice dey rise, im eyes dey hot.

The girl put head down again, but as her mama teach am to talk true, she nod small.

She dey shake, but she no fit lie. Her mama word dey ring for her ear—'tell the truth, no matter who dey front you.' For village, truth dey heavy, but lie dey bring curse.

The young man laugh, hold the girl hand, talk, "You dey honest. I like am. You right—the man better pass me. Na im teach me blade."

Some bystanders dey hail the young man for honesty, but others dey suspect say e pride dey pain am.

The girl face red. She wan pull her hand, but somehow, she no struggle.

Na so she dey look am, dey wonder wetin love mean for her small world.

As she dey lost for the moment, the young man suddenly stab the black-cloth fighter for chest. Blood rush like hot water. The girl smell the blood.

The whole market scatter. People run, women dey scream, market table dey fall.

The black-cloth man kneel for ground, face white like chalk, eyes wide, dey look the girl.

Na so im last moment be—dey find help, but help no dey. Im eyes dey beg, but time don finish.

Na her first time see person die. The girl scream. She try run, but the young man hold her, push her face near the dead body.

Her scream loud. E echo reach next street. The young man hand strong, im grip tight.

The young man still dey smile, voice dey shake with excitement: "Im blade better, but if I wan make am die, e go die. Now, who strong pass—me or am?"

The question cold. For her mind, na demon she dey see, not human again.

The girl dey shake, teeth dey knock, fear wan finish am. She wan beg, but no words come out. Her friend run. As night reach, she just dey pray make she waka go back her papa house.

Prayer dey heavy for her mind. She dey call God, dey beg ancestors. She dey wish say her mama dey to save am.

The young man grab her hair, no send her cry, drag her enter keke, tell im boys, "Go house."

For this Naija, even okada men dey avoid their keke as dem drive go. Nobody wan ask question.