Summary

Onyesonwu went to Aro’s hut for the first time 28 days after Aro agreed to teach her. In order to begin her instruction, Onyesonwu must undergo initiation. Mwita warned her that it was painful and difficult, but refused to tell her more. During her initiation, Onyesonwu went out into the desert and met a sorcerer named Sola, whom she noticed was very pale. Sola forced her to live through the death of an unknown woman from the woman’s perspective. As this unknown woman, Onyesonwu was buried up to her neck in sand and then stoned to death. Mysteriously, the woman whose death Onyesonwu experienced did not resist her death.

After this experience, Onyesonwu went out into the spirit world, where she met Njeri, her Papa Fadil’s first wife. Njeri taught Onyesonwu to call the spirit world “the wilderness” and gave her encouragement...