Zahrah the Windseeker (30 page)

"It's in our nature to travel and explore, to see and learn," Nsibidi continued. "I wanted to see where my father and mother were born. My father, his name is Ruwan, he's from Kebana."

"That town's only a few minutes from here," I said.

"Hmm. But my mother, Arrö-yo," Nsibidi said, her eyes turning to slits, a sly smile on her face, "she is from Earth."

"Earth!?" Dari shouted.

"It's real?" I asked, clasping my hand over my mouth.

"You think you're the only one who has traveled far?" Nsibidi asked playfully.

"So have you been there, too?" Dan asked with wide eyes.

Nsibidi only gave a knowing look that said, "We'll save that story for another time."

She reached forward. "I see you still have my luck charm."

Dari nodded. "It definitely gave me luck."

"The idiok wanted you to have it. Your personal spirit told them that you needed to be protected in some way. These charms are blessed by the Mami Wata Mambos."

Dari and I looked at each other and grinned.

"Just looking at you two tickles me. You have so much to learn." She motioned around us with her big hands and long arms. "There is more than this place. This Ooni Kingdom. I knew this, but both of you didn't. You had to learn the truth the hard way."

Dari and I nodded vigorously, trying to digest Nsibidi's words.

"So I see that you two have run out of questions for me," Nsibidi said after several moments. "Well, I've got one question for you, Zahrah. It's really a request. I want to see you fly. Not here, somewhere more private."

"OK," I said, thinking that maybe Nsibidi could give me some tips, since she
was
far more experienced.

"And Dari, you must tell me more about your politics."

"My pleasure," he said.

Nsibidi stood up. "Time for me to get back to work. Give me your netmail addresses and we will set up a time and place to meet again. No more going into the Dark Market for you two, at least for a little while. "

Dari and I wrote our netmail addresses on the piece of paper Nsibidi handed to us.

"I'll be in touch."

And with that, Nsibidi returned to the Dark Market.

"Wow," I said when she was gone.

"Doesn't it feel weird?" he said.

"Yeah," I said, staring straight ahead. I felt as if my world were expanding. I'd felt that way since I returned from the Greeny Jungle. As if nothing was what it seemed anymore. "And the strangest thing about it is that it seems as if no one else is aware of it at all."

"No one is, really," Dari said. "Except Nsibidi and probably a few other people."

We sat quietly for another fifteen minutes, each of us thinking about different but similar things.

"I want to learn about Earth," I said with wide eyes.

Dari sighed loudly but smiled. "Me, too. Today let's just go and sit in our usual tree and watch the sunset."

"OK, but don't expect me to sit on the lowest branch anymore."

***