Nii was squirming inside. “Papa, I will get more. The money hasn’t been coming as fast as I want. I don’t know what’s wrong.”

“You are having difficulties because the gods are not so pleased with you,” Ponsu declared.

That pronouncement engendered dread in Nii. He flicked his tongue across his lips. “Yes please, Papa.”

“In next two weeks, bring two chickens as an offering.”

Nii nodded.

“And,” Ponsu continued, “hair from a white woman.”

Nii started. “Please, Papa—you say?”

“Hair from a white woman.”

“What about albino?” Nii suggested. He could buy that in town. It was expensive but available.

“No!” Ponsu shook his head. “Are you deaf? I say a white woman and you are trying to tell me ‘albino.’ Foolish. You will sleep with a white woman and get the hair. And her panties too with her fluids. Then the gods will know you are serious. If you don’t bring it, you know what can happen.”

Yes, Nii was aware. Loss of livelihood, riches, prestige—and sometimes, of life. “I will bring it, Papa.”

“And your boy, is he learning?” Ponsu asked.

“Please, you mean Bruno? He is learning fast.”

“If he is ready, then you bring him to me next time. He should bring two chickens for the sacrifice.”

“Yes please.”

“You can go now.”

Nii left shaken. He needed to ask God—the head of all gods—for help. He had to find a white woman.

FIVE

January 5, Accra, Ghana

That night, Nii went to The Republic off Oxford Street. It was a loud bar and club with a DJ who spun hiplife and hip hop. When the place was packed, which was always, patrons spilled out onto the street. The waiters sped about between tables serving up mixed drinks and yam fries. The crowd was a mix of Ghanaians and people from all over the world. White American girls loved coming here to get some black-man penis. The Americans always acted all cool but if you watched them carefully you could see their eyes eating up tall, young Ghanaian guys like vultures devouring carrion.

Nii spotted three white women sharing space with a few other people at a table next to the small dance area. One woman was on the chunky side, and the second was thin with almost no breasts. But it was the third woman who held Nii’s attention. She was pretty, on the dark side of blonde with hair cascading to her shoulders. A lot of hair.

Nii approached them, switching on his charm and Americanizing his accent and pronunciation. Reese was the pretty one, and Nii concentrated his attention on her. He used some of the American expressions and idioms he’d learned from Susan Hadley.

Reese seemed to be responding to his flirtations, but after a while, Nii noticed the other two were being obstructive, especially the chunky one, Sheila, who kept sending him disparaging looks. She seemed to be trying to “protect” Reese, or else she was just plain jealous. He couldn’t even get Reese’s number because of that fucking Sheila. All the same, he did give Reese the number to his two mobiles.