“Greetings Mugabe son of Mugabe,’’ his deep voice cut through the bleak silence like razor, “you have a reckoning to answer for, from the son of Oranmiyan, prepare to be judged.’’

“All I have done, I did for science and how to make the world better, and yes I will do again given the chance.’’ Mugabe glared up at Shango in defiance, betrayed only by the tremor in his voice.

“At the cost of my own freedom, freewill and years of pain,’’ Shango bristled, defend thy case better, mortal for your life and that of your people hangs in the balance.’’

The doctor glanced back at his colleagues, for once emotion flashed through his impassive face.

“The decisions was mine and mine alone demon,’’ he said, ‘’they were just following orders, my own grandfather started this project, the feud is between you and I pagan god.’’

Shango growled. “the one who stole the keg of palm oil from the ledge from whence it was kept is as guilty of theft as the one who stood down below to receive it, they made their choices, therefore they are guilty.’’

"Who are you to declare who's guilty or not." Doctor Mugabe said, "you? a so called god with all the powers and capabilities to change the world for the better but selfishly guide your secrets and instead demands worship from lesser beings like us? Had you not been fickle and vain, Africa could have been great, we could have been the pinnacle of civilization but no, here we are, a backward underdeveloped continent trying to catch up with the rest of the world."

The children stared, Obiora couldn't help but admire the doctor's bravado in front of a being that could destroy him in a blink of an eye.

Shango was speechless with rage, his eyeballs that was already enveloped in flames died down to fumes as he stood rigid, as if contemplating doctor Mugabe's accusations.

Just then, the armored Askari with the large gun raised it toward him as Orchid cried in alarm.

In a flash, Shango was beside him, he tore the gun forcefully from the Askari, the arm strapped to the weapon coming away with it, the Askari screamed as he saw the bloody stump that was his arm but his cry of pain was soon cut off abruptly as Shango grabbed his helmeted head and squeezed, popping it like water melon.

As if released from a spell, the other Askaris opened fire on him, the impact from the barrage forced him back a step but he recovered quickly, sneering; he walked calmly up to the first unfortunate guard, grabbed him by his leg and started beating up the rest, wielding him like a club until he was a tattered stump, Shango simply dropped his remains and picked up another unfortunate Askari to replace his gory weapon until they were all dead mangled corpses littering the chamber floor.

The massacre barely lasted a minute, the silence after was chilling, broken only by muffled activities from the other side of the chamber as attempts were made to break in.

Omotola retched and shuddered as she shared an anxious look with Orchid but Shango ignored the children, cruel gaze back on the petrified doctors.

"The Elders say when a man dig relentless in search of knowledge, he should also pray not to dig too deep lest he encounters hell itself. You debase the body of a deity relentlessly without stopping to think of the consequences of your actions, like a child with a new toy, you abandoned us for your technological advances and yet in your arrogance you look for what is not looking for you."

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"You are not blameless either."

"Pour out your mind mortal."

"You and your so called gods, where were you when the white man landed on these shores and take us captives, away to foreign lands and severed us from our roots, where were you when they came back again and ruled us in the name of amalgamation, who are you to judge our actions after all we have been through.

"Whatsoever befell your ancestors was as a result of their failings, they forsook the gods of their fathers and meddled with foreigners, their aravice became their undoing and they were punished for it."

"I am Dos Emilio Mugabe a descendant of afro Brazilians slaves, my grandfather told me my great-grandmother was your priestess, she was taken, shackled in chains and sold, all the time you were having your beauty sleep, she died knowing you failed her. Everything my family have done we have done so no nation will come back and walk over us ever again and if you will strike me down, you would have done so already pagan god because you know it."

Shango instead sneered, pacing around the petrified doctors like a predator.

"For two hundred years, I was humiliated and robbed of my powers, you and your fathers before you gave me nothing but pain but I embraced it, looking forward to the day I would share it with you, I kept an ounce of each pain under my finger nails see." he raised up his hands for all to see.

They all noticed each fingertip was swollen as if infected by whitlow.

‘’Each finger represents a quarter of twenty years, a sliver of the pains and anguish you administered upon me. Now here's my judgment, if you can endure and survive an ounce of my pain from one finger, then I swear to hold you blameless and accept all my predicaments as my fate.

A sliver of hope shone on Mugabe's eyes as he stared up at Shango's fingers.

"If I endure your pain, you will let us live and walk away from here, I wasn't born yesterday demon, your black magic will end us all the same." He sneered.

"I have heard your story doctor and I have not killed you outright even though I am in the right to, let the creator judge me if I hold back on my word. Now come forward and be judged.’’

Shango held a finger towards Doctor Mugabe as the old man glanced back at his colleagues, stepped forward and braced himself, he then pushed it against his forehead.

For a moment, nothing happened as they all held their breath, the doctor’s face was first hunched in concentration, panic and then horror, his eyes bulged, howling as if in excruciating pain.

The doctor tore at his lab coat, fingers clawed bloody furrows on his face, hunched over at the invisible torture. They all stared horror-stricken as he reared back his head for one final ululation, and then ran headlong for the chamber wall, smashing his head repeatedly on the steel wall as if to put an end to the pain in his head, the final wet thud of his crushed head echoed through the chamber.

And doctor Mugabe died, his body slumped to the floor in his own pool of blood, gave a final gurgle and was still.

"Shame, as an impassioned mortal, I thought he would have endured longer." Shango mused; his face devoid of emotions. Now he returned his impassive glare at the other doctors where they stood crying piteously.

“You shall all be judged.’’

A moment later, he stood alone with the children, surrounded by the dead doctors, he sighed as they drew back from him in consternation, Orchid retching and Binta sobbing.

“The knife drew blood, we throw it away in wrath, alas the deed had already been done,’’ he said. "Vengeance, the elders say, is for a man with nothing to lose, a man who had made the decision to never look back. In spite of what you heard the doctor said, children you are nothing like me.’’

Babybaby, regaining consciousness knelt crying beside Amaka’s still body. “Please heal her’’ she stared up at Shango, eyes imploring.

Shango shook his head in sympathy.

“The calabash has shattered into a thousand pieces and the water has spilled, my poor child, it is too late, for she has gone to deliver her works to her maker, now have comfort in the fact that her murderer walks the lonely path with her.’’

He turned his attention to the chambers locked door and the noises from the other side.

‘’Now stand back children, since the people on the other side are so impatient to get in, it is rude to keep them waiting a moment longer."

On saying this he stretched flaming hands towards the steel barrier as the metal melted like putty, the Askaris outside stood gaping in shock. An avenging god charging them howling like crazy was definitely not what they were expecting.