Paragraphs 28-36 (Pages 3-4) Summary

The thief again asserts that he is a good thief and does not want to make any trouble. He does not want to return to the Civil War but wants to enjoy what he calls the Civil Peace. Jonathan asks him what, then, he has come for. The thief demands that Jonathan deliver one hundred Nigerian pounds; if he refuses then he will be killed with his family. An automatic weapon shoots into the sky to emphasize the threat. At the sound of the weapon Maria begins to cry aloud.

The thief again asserts that he is a good thief who does not intend to molest anyone; he simply wants his ransom money and he will be on his way. His accomplices yell out their agreement with his oxymoronic statement about not causing any trouble. Jonathan feebly...