Chapter 2: The Gathering of the Gods

That day, plenty streaks of light just dey fly for sky, land for the endless Eastern Spirit Court.

Birds wey never see light before begin cry, trees bend, even old tortoise wey no dey mind anybody waka commot shell. Everybody for spirit world dey restless, even masquerade refuse dance that day. Na serious matter.

Inside the old palace, where ancient spirits dey everywhere, big big gods stand together, face strong like say dem dey wait for judgment.

You go see Iroko gods with staff, Sango generals, red cloth tight for waist, lightning crown dey shine, river mothers with beads, all dem faces hard like kpokpo garri. Nobody dey smile, even the playful trickster spirits keep quiet, tension full the air.

No too long, Baba Tanimola waka enter with carved iroko staff, beads dey jingle, bow well, come talk with heavy voice: "Your Majesty, I don check wetin kill Eze Ndu, with Shola the Far-Seer and Musa the Eagle-Eye."

Baba Tanimola no dey fear, but today im body shake small. E respect tradition, touch head ground, voice deep as river. Shola, sharp woman, dey nod for corner. Musa, eagle-eye, face squeeze like person wey chop sour mango. Dem all know say, today gist na blood.

"Talk am!"

For the chief throne, the Elder Spirit face dey hide inside mist, im voice cold like harmattan breeze.

Elder Spirit, wey na real agbalagba, dey inside smoke, only im white beard dey show. Im voice, if e talk, even the forest go shut up. Today, na ice, no smile at all.

This Elder Spirit wey dey always calm, today im vex reach bone. The Niger gods like freedom, dem no dey like wahala, but dem no be weaklings.

Elder Spirit dey tap staff for ground, every tap na thunder for hall. Normally, e go joke, but today, e bone. All the small river gods dey shuffle leg, dem fear the next word wey go come.

As Elder Spirit order am, Baba Tanimola take deep breath, come talk: "Few days ago, Zeus, wey be head of Olympus, carry Western gods come hunt for east. Dem just dey kill true river spirits for Niger Delta, skin dem, drink their blood... When Eze Ndu hear am, im vex, go meet dem, na so wahala start. E no fit fight dem reach, na im e die..."

As Baba Tanimola dey talk, you for hear sigh all around. Some gods dey stamp leg, one Sango general nearly break staff for hand. "Dem skin our own?" A goddess wey dey behind dey wipe tears with wrapper. For ground, spirits dey murmur, "This one pass boundaries, dem don scatter taboo!"

"Niger Delta Spirit Palace almost finish... People wey die for the riverbank reach millions..."

One river mother collapse, another goddess shout, "Bring water, quick!" Others rush carry am. "Millions? For our own land?" The anger begin dey swell, some spirits dey beat chest, swear by ancestors, "This one no go end well!"

As Baba Tanimola dey talk all these bad things, the face of the gods for Iroko Hall dey dark like night.

Oil lamp for corner flicker, the shadow for wall dey dance like masquerade. Even the air thick, you go fit cut am with cutlass. The silence after every word just dey heavy like say na curse land.

Dem nail the Spirit King Eze Ndu... kill almost all the Niger Delta spirits... plenty people and spirits die...

The spirits begin dey knock staff for ground, some dey call on ancestors, others dey pour schnapps for floor. One Ogun general carry iron, press for chest, swear: "Today, blood must touch ground!"

Na serious matter, everywhere for the hall just heavy like rain wey wan fall.

Rain begin gather for sky outside, thunder dey roll. Even for mortal world, children dey cry for sleep, as if dem feel the pain for spirit realm. The ground dey vibrate small, nobody talk for long time.

"Abomination! Na madness be this! Na small gods like these dey try us? Dem think say we don vanish finish?"

Northern War General, wey wear black and gold agbada, shout with anger. The power wey dey im body fit clear one million demons, everywhere shake.

Im voice shake the pillars, even stubborn imps run go hide. The generals for hall stand up, each one hold weapon, eyes red, ready for fight. You go fear the kind power wey dey bubble for that place.

How long e don tey?

The question echo for everybody mind. Since dem comot from mortal world, e never reach this kain level. Na only old women go remember the last time spirits cry like this.

Since Niger gods comot from mortal world, nothing like this don ever happen.

Elders dey shake head. "We see Biafra war, but this one pass am," one old spirit whisper. Even the forest animal gods dey weep for night, no food fit sweet for anybody mouth.

"This one... we no go gree! The Niger Delta... must get answer!"

The ground shake as gods dey shout, "No gree for anybody!" The noise loud reach sky. Even mortals for shrine, some fall under spirit power. The world shake, ancestors dey clap hands from heaven.

Stars just dey dance around as Central Obi of the Skies, wey purple energy dey surround, talk with cold voice, anger full im eyes.

Obi of the Skies raise staff, purple lightning dey flash. "We go paint Olympus red!" Im anger na something else; the air begin cool, people dey shiver.

"I, Baba Ganiyu, Guardian of the Sacred Pagoda, ready to lead one hundred thousand heavenly warriors go fight for Olympus!"

Baba Ganiyu carry im pagoda staff, strike am for ground. All the small pagoda spirits wey dey for wall begin shine, like say e dey summon ancient army. Im confidence dey spread, other gods dey follow.

"I, Okechukwu, Star General! I, Musa, Star General! The Seven Star Army ready to lead the front!"

The generals stamp ground, raise hand for sky. Their followers dey blow horn, ready for wahala. From the crowd, people dey hail: "Star Army no dey carry last! Star Army no dey carry last!"

"We, the Six Ogun and Six Sango Generals, dey beg make we join the fight..."

Ogun and Sango generals, all iron and fire, dem fall for ground, beg with full chest. "We wan see blood today!" For back, dem followers dey beat drum, the sound na battle cry.

...

As Obi of the Skies talk finish, gods just dey step out one by one, vex dey show for everybody body.

No one fit hide im anger. Even the playful trickster spirits dey quiet, only their eyes dey shine. The Iroko tree wey dey palace begin leak sap, old as e be, e dey cry with the gods.

The true spirits for Niger Delta don dey control rain for thousands of years, dem dey work, dem no complain. Now, see as dem take die—who no go vex?

"We dey work, dem dey enjoy!" one rain spirit hiss, "Now see as dem use us do suya." All the hardworking spirits dey swear for Western gods, promise to fight till last drop.

Dem... must find justice for Niger Delta spirits!

Dem start dey plan. One goddess wey dey control river begin mix black soap and red oil, another begin draw sign for wall. For air, you go smell old palm wine, blood, and incense. Everybody prepare for war.

But as dem dey talk, Musa the Eagle-Eye rush enter from outside, voice dey shake: "Wahala dey! Something big don happen!"

Musa no dey run, but today im leg no touch ground. Im voice crack, eyes red. For hall, spirits dey turn, everybody ready for anything.

"Wetin again? Those Western gods don do another madness?"

One thunder spirit tap staff for ground, ready for fight. The rest dey look Elder Spirit, expect more bad news.

Elder Spirit squeeze im eyes, stand up slowly, voice heavy.

E stand up, dust hand for wrapper, eye sharp like cutlass. Everybody hold breath, hall cold like ice block.

By this time, im eye cold like ancient ice.

The cold spread, you go see as mist dey form for Elder Spirit beard. Even the shadow for wall stand still, no movement.

"No."

One word, but e heavy. All the spirits just pause, heart dey beat quick.

Musa never see Elder Spirit like this before. E swallow spit, take deep breath, come talk: "The Great Sage—the monkey—don go attack Mount Olympus!"

People shout, some knock staff for ground, others dey shout: "Monkey? For Olympus?" One wind goddess begin laugh, "I talk am! That monkey na wahala!"

"The Great Sage? That monkey?"

Baba Ganiyu, Guardian of the Sacred Pagoda, shock, eyes wide.

Im jaw almost touch ground. "Monkey wey Buddha make god, still dey find fight? Wonders no go finish!"

Everywhere quiet.

Pin-drop silence, even the air dey listen. Some spirits dey use sign talk to each other, dey wonder if na joke or real news.

Immortals dey look each other; even dem no expect say the Great Sage, wey be Buddha now, still get that kind fire for body.

Some begin dey remember old tale: "That monkey no dey fear anybody, na proper wahala for heaven!" The elders dey nod, "E dey pain dem pass as e dey pain us."

As dem dey here dey talk plan, the monkey don reach Olympus, dey swing im staff.

Na so e be, while dem dey talk, monkey no dey waste time. For Olympus, e dey break gate, scatter gods like groundnut. People dey hail am from afar, "Carry our spirit king back!"

No be small thing o!

Na real gbege. Spirit birds dey fly up and down. Even for market, women dey dance, dey sing, "Monkey no dey fear!" The old men for palmwine joint dey tap calabash, "Monkey wey get sense!"

"Heh."

Elder Spirit chuckle small, voice soft but full of fire. "Old Sun no dey play with injustice!"

"See am—monkey get more liver than all of us."

One old river god talk am loud: "If na monkey dey front, who wan fear?" The hall begin dey buzz, spirits dey hail: "Old Sun, carry go!"

After small silence, Elder Spirit just laugh small. The anger for im eye calm down, but e strong pass before. E look far, talk softly, "Since we don reach like this... Wetin remain to talk?"

Im voice calm, but e dey shake ground. "Time to show say Niger gods never die!"

"Go tell Ayo make e go Olympus, join that monkey, collect small interest for Niger Delta first."

Ayo na strong man. As dem call im name, all the young gods begin dey smile. "Ayo dey come? E don finish be that!" The hall dey buzz, plans dey form.

"And tell those Western gods... the real god fight don start."

Everybody repeat am like chorus: "The real god fight don start!" Even the trees for outside dey echo am, "Fight don start!" Ancestors dey nod for spirit world, say, "Today na today!" Thunder dey roll, ancestors dey watch—Olympus, prepare, Niger dey come!