The chief shook his head. “No. Just a few days later, he was killed.”
“Do you regret his death, Nana?”
“Of course!” he said with a new intensity. “I think with him, we in Akwidaa had a chance that something good would come if we continued to negotiate.”
Maybe, Dawson thought, but he was doubtful. From what he had observed, neither the government nor the private sector was in any rush to change the lot of villages in the country. Urban first, rural last.
“One last question, Nana, if you please,” he said. “Do you know of any fishermen or people in Akwidaa who wanted to harm Mr. Smith-Aidoo?”
Nana frowned. “Oh, no,” he said firmly, shaking his head and appearing put out by the question. “That’s not how we think here. You know, all this type of killing-shooting people and so on-belongs to the ways of the city. I’m not trying to offend you, Mr. Dawson…”
“It’s no offense, Nana. What about juju or witchcraft?”
Ackah-Yensu stared at the ground for a moment and then looked up to meet Dawson’s gaze directly. “That one, I can’t say. Since my time in Akwidaa, we have only had two witches. One was driven away to a witches’ camp, and the other one was killed. I don’t think anyone in Akwidaa performed juju on Mr. Charles and his wife. Maybe a jealous family member, rather.”
Dawson wished he could ask the chief if he thought Mr. Cardiman could have murdered the couple, but obviously he would have to wait for a more discreet moment.
BEFORE RETURNING TO THE others, Cardiman took Dawson and Chikata up a promontory beyond the mangroves. From there, they could see the bay where Ezile was located to their left, and a second slightly larger bay to their right. The sand was pale fawn in color, the water dark turquoise rolling onto the shore and breaking into white foam.
“It’s deserted,” Dawson observed in surprise.
Cardiman looked at him, nodding with a smile. “Yes, that’s what is so marvelous about it. The most you’ll see is one or two people walking along the beach in transit from Cape Three Points village to Akwidaa.” He gazed rapturously at the bay. “Unspoiled beauty. I’m not saying don’t build anything on the land. I’m saying don’t ruin it if you do, and that’s the vision Charles had-a wholesale raping of the land for commercial purposes. On the other hand, my Ezile is constructed in complete harmony with the environment-no uprooting trees or disturbing the mangroves. Some of our power even comes from solar energy.”
