Summary

Ben tells of Ikenna's changing attitude and likens him to a python. Ben realizes that the change was internal at first, but the Guerdon given to them by Father for going to the river made the attitude change materialize. Just an hour after Father gave Ikenna the lecture about not leading his brothers astray, Ikenna called a meeting with them. Again, he blamed them for fishing and said if they had listened to him, he would not have been beaten so much. He showed his brothers his lash marks and blamed them and Iyabo for his whipping. In his narration, Ben compared the marks to those on Jesus of Nazareth. Ikenna demanded that his brothers help him think of a way to punish Iyabo for telling on them and causing him so much pain.

While Mother was gone to church with the...