Igboland, 1810Blackwheel had no idea on what to do as he saw Nwakaego. Her youthful beauty was definitely intact, and yet he could not bring himself to go closer to her and invite her for a hug. Was he being stung by his conscience? He watched as she sat down, detached, his mind running into full circles like the blades of a windmill, wondering if an immediate apology would make his current state any better. Somehow, he doubted himself. The thoughts of Nwakaego blaming him for all the years of his absence. It was as if she understood the alarming need for him to disappear about two decades ago."You have a grandson now," Nwakaego started, raising her cheek. "How is your wife in England?"Blackwheel kept quiet as he tried to hide the shame that filled his face. The public exposure of his English wife in an inappropriate fashion to Nkechi and his daughter was not something he was expecting to deal with, not in a hot afternoon with news of a dead hunter flying aro

Igboland, 1810Blackwheel thought seriously of what could have happened to his daughter, Nneka if she had not stopped what she was doing when he ordered her to do so.“You could have hurt yourself if I didn't stop you,” Blackwheel said, “that is a dangerous way to approach things, Nneka. What were you thinking when you were going deeper and not getting results?”"I was almost getting there," Nneka replied. "I was seeing the person who is in possession of your necklace but I couldn't find the location.""That doesn't justify your action," Blackwheel exhaled. "Death is a one time journey. There is no going back."Nneka spoke as though emerging from a misty memory of her childhood. Her voice sounded suddenly precarious. “But, there are risks that are worthy to be taken! From the way I see it, this necklace is important to you, father. And as it is important to you, I am willing to help you get back the necklace despite th

Igboland, 1810Blackwheel was amazed when Nneka came out from her hut covered with sweat. Before she came out, he was staring at the backyard of her hut with a look of utter amazement at the silence that had arose immediately the strange creature had left. Nwakaego was beside him, looking even more dazed that she had seen a strange creature in Igboland at an unpleasant hour of the night.“I want to see my mother. It is very important,” Nneka demanded as soon as she saw Blackwheel. “I will tell you what I have heard after I have spoken to my mother. What I want to tell her is important to your mission and the discovery of your rare necklace.” Blackwheel listened quietly without replying her. When Nneka was done, he allowed her to leave the threshold of her hut while directing her to backyard where Nwakaego had rushed to immediately she heard the door creak."She is there," Blackwheel said. "Your mother is in the backyard."

Igboland, 1810Why is he wasting time? Blackwheel checked the backyard of Arinze's hut after noticing an absence in the threshold of his hut. He felt worried as he thought of what was happening inside the hut. Three minutes had already passed and still, there was no sign of Ekene or the man who he had came to find, Arinze. What was happening?Blackwheel frowned as he tried to push the thoughts of being played with away from his mind. Still, the thoughts spurred in his mind and forced him into action as he heard movements behind an orange tree. When he got to the orange tree, he found a grasscutter struggling with an unfinished meal. He was displeased at what he had seen but he managed to leave the scene without being tempted to murder the cane rat.Why hasn't he come out from the hut? Are they planning to escape from the hut without me knowing? Do they know what I have done to Nwakaego and Nneka's son? Blackwheel struggled to force himself to move back to the th

 Igboland, 1810Chief Obinze glared at the village town crier standing outside the back door of his large hut. The town crier glared back in a way that made him to be aware of their failure, his darkened smile supporting the peculiar ominous silent air accompanied with the absence of a chief priest."No news about the killer of the hunter?" Chief Obinze asked.The town crier shook his head."So, the meeting was all in vain?" Chief Obinze continued, biting his lips."We will find the murderer very soon," the town crier assured him. "Just give us a little bit of time and we will find him.""You better do," came an angry stare.