Who Fears Death

A year and a half after Onye and Mwita’s night in the desert, Onye overhears two boys, one injured, talking about a sorcerer named Aro; Onye recalls that Aro’s name was mentioned the night of her Rite. She also overhears them talking about “that Ewu boy” being “the only one good enough to learn the Great Mystic Points” (62).

Onye storms off to find Mwita, angry that he had withheld this from her and desperate to learn. Mwita, however, tells her that Aro will not teach her because she’s a woman: “You can bring life, and when you get old, that ability becomes something else even greater, more dangerous and unstable” (63). Mwita insists that what he teaches her will have to be enough and claims that he is only trying to protect her, and further that he has already asked Aro, anyway.

Once Mwita is out of sight, Onye changes into a vulture and follows Mwita home, to the edge of the village bordering the desert. The next day she sneaks out of her house and walks to Aro’s hut. Aro meets her outside his hut before she can reach it. He tells her that he will not teach her; Onye protests that he teaches Mwita, but Aro replies that he doesn’t teach Mwita the Mystic Points, which is what is required to become a true sorcerer.