Book 1, Chapter 5 Summary

The area seems peaceful and villagers begin coming to the town. Many of them stay, and the town gets crowded. Tempers flare, and people begin talking again about war. Europeans, Arabs and other Africans had mistreated people of this region. During the war for independence, they were overcome with rage. They destroyed their own town to show their anger. Then, they mourned its destruction. Now that the town is growing, they are becoming afraid of it again. Many move back to the villages and plan to destroy the town again. They form an army and move into town. The army men spend a lot of money and learn about rugs from the Arabians. People begin to be ambushed, and tension is very high. The town seems to quiet and wait. Ferdinand is distraught with fear and wants to go to his...