| Hunters
arrive in Oyo at night. The state is partially dark. |
| BONI: |
Gentlemen, we have to study the situation properly before
advancing. |
| LOKO; |
Sure One looks before leaping. |
| ALEGBATI: |
Right. Over joyous of the grog dislocates its thighs. |
| IGISUBU: |
Even if I leap before looking, anything that mistakenly
falls into the trap will be certified died. |
|
…We know you are naturally stubborn. Hereditary. Like
father like son. You don’t succumb easily. |
| (Laughter) |
| IGISUBU: |
You always comment on others, hiding your affairs beneath
flat broken pots. Was it not your father, before he kicked the bucket,
fought with a lion when your mother was carrying your pregnancy? Yes…he
did, over powered the animal, who had scratched his on the face…that’s
the root cause of his scarification. |
| (All, seriously
laughing) |
| OLOMO: |
(claps his hands, tries to kill mosquito)
This… this rude thing. |
|
They’ll never respect elders. |
| BONI: |
They should prostrate before sucking. Apart from that your
skin’s so hard that the poor thing’s proboscis might twist in the
futile attempt. |
| (Suddenly
strange sound) |
| GBANDAN: |
Comrades… I heard something… |
| LOKO: |
Your car is faulty. Needs repair. |
| IGISUBU: |
No faulty ear. I heard too |
| OLOMO: |
Perhaps the Gods have a message. |
| GBANDAN: |
Message? Look now… |
| (Six
lighted torches appear on state. There’s terrible noise. Boni tries to
bring out some charms) |
| EMISSARIES: |
No, no room |
| (The hunters continue to
be attentive while the emissary’s roam and hoot. Suddenly… |
| BONI: Look… |
look these things are real human beings. |
| IGISUBU: |
(aims) if you aren’t… I’ll
shoot… |
| ALBINO: |
(seriously terrified)
It’s human being…please don’t… |
| IGISUBU: |
(jumps forward)
caught you. |
| (Others leap and pounce
on the creatures) |
| BONI: |
Gentlemen, tie them at once. |
| (They
struggle) |
| BONI: |
How did you get here? Who sent you? Answer before I break
you… |
| HUNBACK: |
It’s Bashorun. |
| IGISUBU: |
(slaps albino)
What about you? |
| ALBINO: |
The Alapini |
| OLOMO: |
And you? |
| DWARF: |
LAGUNA |
| GBANDAN: |
Yen…egg head |
| LEPER: |
It’s the Asipa |
| BONI: |
Finally you… |
| PROGNATHI: |
Samu |
| BONI: |
(pointing)
definitely you cripple… you are from the Akiniku |
| CRIPPLE: |
Yes… |
| ALBINO: |
Please spare us. We beg you. It was |
| BONI: |
Tell the king just that, not to us.… |
| (Loko examines the
jokingly as they walk off state). |
|
| In the palace, the king
sits… Ologbo stands at the back. |
| KING
ABIPA: |
(In pensive mood)
these men ought to have been back. I hope no odds this time. |
| OLOGBO: |
(realizes the kings mood)
Don’t panic my lord. |
|
The gods are solidly behind you. |
| KING
ABIPA: |
(very restless and impatient)
But…Ologbo, don’t you think they are keeping too long. |
| OLOGBO: |
No my lord. |
| KING ABIPA: |
We’ll see. |
| OLOGBO: |
My lord… I remember something. |
| KING
ABIPA: |
What? |
| OLOGBO: |
A story…my father told me years ago. It’s about
someone. She has two left kegs in his grand fathers compound. The most
striking thing was, whenever he walked to the right hand side, he drifts
to the left side like a crab. |
| KING
ABIPA; |
Ologbo…Ologbo… haba. Spare the man. You always hear the
wield things. |
| OLOGBO: |
My lord, it’s true. It’s no lie. |
| KING ABIPA: |
Did I say it’s a lie? |
| (Unexpectedly, Boni
enters the Palace. Others follow including captives). |
| KING ABIPA: |
(taken aback)
Boni, Igisubu…you made it. |
| BONI: |
My lord,
it’s a child’s play. |
| KING
ABIPA: |
Childs play? |
| (They
greet) |
| OLOGBO: |
(joyfully) My lord, I told you. |
| KING
ABIPA: |
What happened? Who are these? |
| OLOMO: |
Counterfeits. Sent to scare people. |
| OLOGBO: |
The supposed ghosts? |
| IGISUBU: |
Yes. |
| KING
ABIPA: |
Who sent them? |
| BONI: |
(stammering)
You…you chiefs |
| KING
ABIPA: |
Are you tipsy? Or…what… |
| HUNTERS: |
No, my lord. Your chiefs did it. |
| KING ABIPA: |
(overwhelmed)
My chiefs…chiefs… all of them? |
| HUNTERS; |
No one is innocent. |
| OLOGBO: |
Your friends might turn out to be enemy. |
| GBANDAN: |
My lord, we’ve not used our weapons when they
surrendered. |
| IGISUBU: |
I wanted to scatter this one’s buttocks; he stopped
yelling and spoke like a human being (slaps albino)
Bastard. |
| OLOGBO: |
My lord… I suspected this foul play but… (Bites
his finger). |
| KING
ABIPA: |
My ace hunters, this is a landmark I salute your courage.
Henceforth, you shall be given full honors in my domain. You also have a
right to certain privileges, which I will state later. For now, keep these
half beings under tight security in the backyard. |
| (Hunters
greet and leave the Palace) |
| OLOGBO: |
These people are mean. But why don’t they want to go back
to Oyo. No matter how sweet a foreign land is, Odidere
will still go back home. |
| KING
ABIPA: |
Outrageous. They forgot that the wind of evil work blows
over evildoers. |
| (The
king gets up and leaves the Palace. The Ologbo follows playing the flute). |
