Chapter 6: The Elders’ Palace

The elders’ place dey for north side, deepest part of Palm Grove. Here, trees thick, grass full everywhere. Mist dey hang for morning, cold breeze from Benue river dey blow for the compound. Eighty-one bronze pillars reach sky, spiritual palace dey for top, mist dey cover everywhere, pavilions just dey on top each other. I follow Pastor waka reach the elders’ cave.

The path to elders' cave dey quiet, only sound na from birds wey dey hide for tree top. The ground dey soft with old palm fronds, and as we dey waka, Pastor no dey talk, just dey wave im whisk like king wey dey inspect land. The air for here heavy, e choke with old power, as if every root sabi secret.

Discipleship get many levels: Spiritual Awakening, Elder, Soul Carrier, Out-of-Body, Spirit Splitter, Merging, Tribulation, Great Perfection, last last Return to Spirit. Palm Grove elders don reach Great Perfection. Dem say dem fit gather soul, make tonics, help outer disciples reach Spiritual Awakening quick. Pastor name na Obinna; e don live over two hundred years, but for these elders, e still be small pikin. E greet for courtyard. “Grand Elder, I bring the new disciple, Tunde.” I bow, greet. “Disciple Tunde greet the elders.” After long time, under the old hall, one old man voice come out, hoarse:

“Every generation new people dey come. Obinna, when you first enter Palm Grove, na this boy age you dey. Now, over three hundred years don waka, world don change…”

I raise my head small, salute, talk: “World no dey easy, but na because of spiritual camp and disciples wey dey help people. I self wan stand, make my heart pure.”

Grand Elder laugh. “See am, your talk no different from when you young.”

The hall cold and dark, only small light dey shine from corner. The Grand Elder voice resemble thunder wey dem cover with wrapper—e deep, e slow. I dey try make my bow correct, no wan make mistake before these ancient people.

Through the old iroko window, I see clear, something big dey coil for inside hall… one big monster. I no fit look am for face. I just dey look the carved tortoise and calabash pattern for wood, let my eye blank, then from corner of my eye dey watch everything. Grand Elder no be human again. Body tall pass person, belle swell, veins full everywhere, face swell like juju bag wey don soak for river, fat and veins full everywhere. And for im belly, sticky tentacle dey come out. E get one kind mouth, full of sharp teeth, dey twist for air, then spit out one golden, shining bead.

The sight of the thing almost make my leg weak. I dey feel small for that big hall, as if old gods dey watch me. I dey remember stories about shape-shifters, about creatures wey dey hide under human skin. The Grand Elder smell like palm oil mix with blood, and the air dey heavy with things wey no get name.

“Take, the Spiritual Awakening tonic. Give am to this young friend.” Grand Elder use hand support the bead, give am out. E pass the window, land for Pastor hand. And me, I don cold from head reach toe. I think say na only Palm Grove people dey use these sticky worms to control others. I even dey plan to find their nest, destroy all at once. But I no expect… I no ever expect… Everybody for Palm Grove… dey under these worms. How Grand Elder go be human? Na im be the farm for insect eggs.

My mind dey scatter. I dey reason, say even Pastor Obinna dey answer to bigger monster. My plan to fight small people no go work—this place na full nest. As I dey look the golden bead, e dey shine for candle light, but for my eye, na pure evil e be.