Misfits and Heroes: West from Africa by Kathleen Rollins

Author:Kathleen Rollins [Rollins, Kathleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-01-22T00:00:00+00:00

“We’re changing the world!” Akin yelled as he stepped forward. “We’re ending the old age and bringing in the new one.”

“The old age when people killed each other?” Dwyka asked.

“Yes! The new era will grow as a seed from the ashes of the old one!”

“And yet, you’re still killing each other? How is this world different?”

“The people must be allowed to kill each other, so we can start over, with better people,” Akin replied, but even as he said the words, he thought he might have picked better ones.

“Then these men have no value?” Dwyka challenged.

The men were listening now.

“Their value is to end this age,” Akin said. “They’re doing their part.”

“And who will be fit to live in your new age?”

“Great people. Only great people. There will be no lesser men, no lazy men, no incomplete men. Only great men.”

“And you will create these great men? Men much better than these?”

“Yes.” It wasn’t exactly right the way it was sounding, but Akin wasn’t going to quibble about choice of words. The point was the same, no matter how you dressed it.

“You cannot create great men,” Dwyka said. “Great men create themselves. Even though they have many choices, they choose to live with a strong, generous spirit. Most of these fine men will never be called heroes, except to their family and friends. They simply live well, doing their best, helping others, caring for their families, honoring the gods.”

Confused, Akin shouted back, “Those aren’t heroes! Heroes do great deeds, worthy of great honor! They live lives that are larger, brighter, more important than those of normal men. The Leader is a hero!”

There was no cheer at The Leader’s name.

“You will know him as a hero, because you will tremble at his name!” Akin yelled. “If you don’t, you are stupid and foolish, like this woman.”

Still, there was no response from the crowd.

“Then watch!” Akin yelled, as he raised his right arm. “Learn the power of The Leader, the creator of the new world!” As he dropped his arm and yelled, his archers fired a volley of flaming pitch arrows into the massed warriors around Dwyka, the sticky, burning resin landing on their skin and hair, so they fell, screaming in pain. Others ran away.

But Dwyka still stood in the center, shaking her head. “You cannot terrify people into greatness, Akin. Not even your great Leader can do that.”

One of those listening was indeed The Leader. Finally, he saw her, saw his enemy and his competitor. There was no room for indecision today. It had to happen today. The new world had to be born on this day, and no woman would stop that. He knew he was right. The gods had shown him the path winding up into the clouds. It was his path, his awesome, righteous path, the one he was called up to take. There could be no confusing talk, no loss of momentum. From behind Dwyka, he ran up without a word, raised his powerful arms, and

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