Arrow of God

In the night, Ezeulu searches for the new moon. He finds that “the sky [has] an unfamiliar face” (159) outside of his own village. In his dreams, he is troubled by a dream of his grandfather, ignored as he speaks by the rebellious Umuaro elders. Obika wakes him from this dream, which Ezeulu suddenly realizes is “not a dream but a vision” seen “in the clarity of the middle day” (160). The vision is a sign, to him, that the rebellious men of Umuaro “had gone too far” (161).

Clarke follows orders to put Ezeulu “in his place” (161) and refuses to see him for four days. While he lingers, Clarke and Wade stop by a roadside and find an English florin in a sacrifice. When Wade takes the florin, Clarke panics. In his mind, “it certainly showed a monstrous lack of feeling to desecrate someone else’s sacrifice” (162). He realizes that if he must take over power from Winterbottom, “it would fall on him to defend his natives if need be from the thoughtless acts of white people like Wade” (162).

Ezeulu sends Obika back to Umuaro. Ezeulu sends for his youngest wife to cook his food, but Nwodika insists that his wife will cook for the Chief Priest. Still, Ezeulu sends for food that she can prepare. Slowly, Ezeulu starts to soften to Nwodika.

One night, he hears the voices of children calling to the new moon. He recognizes that “his deity must now be asking: ‘Where is he?’” (163). Meanwhile, at home, Ezeulu’s family is in a panic: they nearly attack Obika for news when he arrives home. Akuebue panics when he hears that Nwodika’s wife is feeding Ezeulu and sends Edogo to prepare to travel to Okperi with him.

This is good news for Nwafo, who had felt his eldest brother’s hostility in their father’s absence. Although his and Obiageli’s mother also travels to Okperi to see Ezeulu, he knows he will feel less rejected in their absence. But like his father, Nwafo is worried about the arrival of the new moon in his father’s absence. He decides to sit where his father does as night falls; he nearly beats the ogene, Ezeulu’s sacred drum.

When Akuebue arrives at Ezeulu’s side, he questions Nwodika’s intentions in working for the white man. He replies that he had joined “the race for the white man’s money” (169) three years earlier, at the suggestion of an old friend. Suddenly, Ezeulu’s apparent liking for the young man begins to make sense to Akuebue. Nwodika explains that he does “not aim to die a servant” (170) even though he keeps the white man’s house in order.

After everyone else leaves Ezeulu’s room, Akuebue shares his skepticism about Nwodika. Then, he shares the story Ezeulu requests about one of his daughters, who is causing him trouble following the example of his wife, her mother. Ezeulu explains his philosophy of marriage, in which he asks his wives constantly to complete tasks for him so that he will never have to “knock his forehead on the ground to his wife to ask her forgiveness or beg a favour” (172), following his grandfather’s advice.

After four days, Clarke summons Ezeulu. Clarke’s first words are insulting to Ezeulu: he abruptly asks for Ezeulu to confirm his name. The interpreter tries to explain the white man’s customs, but Clarke also grows frustrated with the thought that Ezeulu seems disrespectful. He wants to lecture the man but knows that the interpreter will not translate his words well, so he calms himself down and delivers his proposal. Instead of accepting, Ezeulu says to “tell the white man that Ezeulu will not be anybody’s chief, except Ulu” (174). In anger, Clarke sends him back to prison.

Ezeulu’s reputation declines when he defies Clarke’s order, for “such an action had no parallel anywhere in Igboland” (175). He is proud of his actions, despite the brief thought that Wintabota may have “good intentions” shrouded by “this ill-mannered, young white pup” (175).

Ezeulu decides  that “Wintabota must answer for the actions of his messengers” (176)like a responsible man. At home, those who believed Ezeulu sought such a position with white men could not believe that he had turned it down. They see him to be “as proud as a lunatic” (176). However, most people begin “to think that he had been used very badly” (176) and begin to visit Ezeulu in Okperi.

Winterbottom agrees with Clarke’s decision to leave Ezeulu “inside until he learns to co-operate with the Administration” (177). But after another overture, Ezeulu still refuses. Clarke worries that releasing him would mean that the Administration “would sag to the ground especially in Umuaro” (177).

While Winterbottom fails to fully heal, Ezeulu’s stock around the compound rises. African servants feel that “he had done no harm to the white man and could justifiably hold up his ofo against him” (178). Eventually, after more than 30 days, Clarke releases him without Winterbottom’s approval.

Nwodika admires the way that Ezeulu “can wrestle with the white man,” but Ezeulu is less certain that he has proven to those at home that “have been poking their fingers into [his] face” (179).

Clarke, in the meantime, is occupied by letters. A Reuter’s telegram warns of chaos in Russia, and a report from the Secretary for Native Affairs mentions the question of the Okperi chief. Clarke mentions the letter’s concern for clear communications with local people, but Winterbottom does not worry too much about it when Clarke shares the news with him.