Read Online Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor - Free Book Online Page B

learning . The more you learn, the more chittim you earn. Knowledge is the center of all things. The Head Librarian of the Obi Library of Leopard Knocks is the keeper of the greatest stock of knowledge in West Africa.” Orlu sat back. “One day, we’ll take you to the Obi Library. You’ll see.”
    “Wow,” Sunny said. “I like that.”
    Orlu smiled and nodded. “It’s great, isn’t it?”
    “People are too focused on money. It’s supposed to be a tool, not the prize to be won.”
    “Spoken like an upward-standing Leopard Person,” Chichi said mockingly. “No wonder my mother likes you so much.”
    Now Sunny understood why Chichi and her mother lived the way they did. “Your mother doesn’t care for material things, does she?”
    “Neither do I,” Chichi said. “My mother’s reached every grade except”—she paused, not wanting to speak its name—“the last. And people think that someday she will.”
    “Chichi’s mother is a Nimm priestess,” Orlu explained. “One of the last princesses in the Queen Nsedu spiritline.”
    Before Sunny could ask what that was, Sasha said, “Not all Leopard People live by the Leopard philosophy.”
    Orlu nodded. “Like any other place, there are killers even here in Leopard Knocks. There are people who only want power and money, who don’t earn any chittim at all, who’d rather steal what they want. Some people are rich in chittim, yet are still set on having power and Lamb wealth. I think they’re the most dangerous.”
    It made sense. There were flavors of “Leopard-dom,” too, they explained. For example, Orlu’s parents owned a fairly large home and another home in Owerri. Unlike Chichi’s mother, they liked nice things.
    Sasha frowned and looked at Chichi. “You know what? We’re an Oha coven, aren’t we?”
    Orlu sucked his teeth. “Come off it, we’re too young,” he said just as Chichi smiled at Sasha and said, “You think so, too?”
    “Think about it,” Sasha said. “First, there are four of us. There aren’t any more in our group, right?”
    “Nope,” Chichi said.
    “Right. Second, one of us is an outsider—me, being from a different country, a descendant of slaves and such. Right, Orlu?”
    Orlu shrugged, refusing to respond.
    Sasha chuckled. “And one of us is outside in.” He gestured at Sunny. “Black on the inside but white on the outside.”
    Sunny sucked her teeth but said nothing.
    “Just telling it like it is,” Sasha said lightly.
    “And two of us are girls and two of us are boys,” Chichi added.
    Then together, Chichi and Sasha said, “Balance.”
    “Whatever,” Sunny grumbled. “What’s an Oho coven?”
    “ Oha ,” Sasha corrected. “An Oha coven. It’s a group of mystical combination, set up to defend against something bad.”
    “So, what does that have to do with us?” she asked. “What bad thing are we—”
    Suddenly, they all looked above her head. Sasha cursed loudly. Sunny looked up just as whatever it was exploded. Warm, wet air that smelled like rotten meat enveloped her. She threw her arms over her head and ducked to the side, falling off her chair. Things hit her head and arms and dropped on the table. She heard Sasha spit several more curses as white chips rained down, clicking and clacking. Something black fell lightly onto the table as well.
    Sunny quickly got up and looked. “What is—is that hair ?”
    There were tufts of it all over the table. It looked like the floor of a barber shop. “And—and what the hell is that!” She pointed to red chunks of raw meat among the hair tufts. She felt her gorge rise.
    “Relax,” Chichi said.
    “Ugh, in a restaurant?” Orlu said. “Filthy!”
    “Come on, the place is open,” Sasha said. “It’s not like we’re indoors.”
    Sunny looked at the table a little more closely and screeched. The white chips were teeth!
    Mama Put came bustling from behind her counter, all apologies. She shouted orders at one of her employees to clean up the