CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The young church in Mbanta had a few crises early in its life. At first the clan had
assumed that it would not survive. But it had gone on living and gradually becoming
stronger. The clan was worried, but not overmuch. If a gang of efulefu decided to live in
the Evil Forest it was their own affair. When one came to think of it, the Evil Forest was
a fit home for such undesirable people. It was true they were rescuing twins from the
bush, but they never brought them into the village. As far as the villagers were
concerned, the twins still remained where they had been thrown away. Surely the earth
goddess would not visit the sins of the missionaries on the innocent villagers?
But on one occasion the missionaries had tried to over step the bounds. Three
converts had gone into the village and boasted openly that all the gods were dead and
impotent and that they were prepared to defy them by burning all their shrines.
"Go and burn your mothers' genitals," said one of the priests. The men were
seized and beaten until they streamed with blood. After that nothing happened for a long
time between the church and the clan.
But stories were already gaining ground that the white man had not only brought
a religion but also a government. It was said that they had built a place of judgment in
Umuofia to protect the followers of their religion. It was even said that they had hanged
one man who killed a missionary.
Although such stories were now often told they looked like fairytales in Mbanta
and did not as yet affect the relationship between the new church and the clan. There
was no question of killing a missionary here, for Mr. Kiaga, despite his madness, was
quite harmless. As for his converts, no one could kill them without having to flee from
the clan, for in spite of their worthlessness they still belonged to the clan. And so
nobody gave serious thought to the stories about the white man's government or the
consequences of killing the Christians. If they became more troublesome than they
already were they would simply be driven out of the clan.