Chapters 17-19 Summary

Obi does not expect Green to ask about his leave, and says nothing to the lecture about "local leave" being used by Africans to "go on a swan", when it is intended originally to let Europeans cool off. Green believes no Nigerian will forgo privilege in the interests of his country. How can they, then, govern themselves? When Green leaves to take a phone call, Tomlinson has to agree: in Nigeria one gets four months leave a year rather than two weeks in England. Obi says that the Europeans set the rules back when no Nigerians are in the senior service. She wants at least the Muslim holidays done away with. They argue a while longer and Tomlinson changes the subject, saying Obi looks run down. He claims a touch of malaria. Later in the morning, Obi asks Omo about a...