7.

The men had not slept and they carried the extra weight of death. Kintu was worse: he had only licked on sleep. For a while, after being woken up, his body shook with the wrath of early sleep cut short. Even blinking was uncomfortable, as if there was sand under his eyelids. The sun gave them no respite. Nature’s company were shadowy birds that croaked and menacing mirages that shimmered. The men had run out of laughter to mask their fears and o Lwera gave them nothing cheerful to talk about. The journey resisted them. Kintu tried to empty his mind of Kalema but failed. It wandered here and there, never anchoring on any subject.

A week later, they made it out of o Lwera, gaunt and sunburned. The vegetation started to thicken and to darken. The ground grew tolerant of their feet. It rained and the earth smelled fresh. At the sight of the green color of life, the men’s spirits lifted. Soon the party was in Mawokota Province. At Kibuuka Town, Nnondo’s relations awaited them. For a week, the party rested in Kibuuka until the blisters on their heels healed and the burned skin peeled off. When they set off again, cool wind soothed the sun-bite, it rained, and the air was filled with cheerful noises.

From that point on, Kyabaggu played mischief in Kintu’s mind. Kintu had only met him twice before. As a prince, Kyabaggu was exceedingly haughty. Looking back now, to Kintu, the brothers had always seemed fond of each other, although it was clear that Kyabaggu was sharper than Namugala. Kyabaggu had once said to Namugala, in Kintu’s hearing, “I’d take time to trust people from Buddu if I were you. Nyoro blood still runs thick in them.”

“Did you hear that, Ppookino?” Namugala had laughed lazily. “Kyabaggu does not think you’re Ganda enough yet.”

Kintu had broken into a litany of allegiance, cursing any remnants of Nyoro blood in his veins. He also added, his eyes on the ground, “Those who betray the king, Ssabasajja, man above men, tend to be close to the throne. We commoners, whatever our blood, are nothing.”

Now Kintu went over every word he had said on that occasion. It could mean life or death.

Fourteen days after Kibuuka Town, the party arrived below Buddo Bulungi Hill in Busiro Province where Namugala had been enthroned with new rituals and spectacle. From the traffic going up the hill, it was clear that Kyabaggu planned to be crowned in the same manner. The party pushed on until they came to the River Mayanja. There, as was traditional, the kabaka’s men, the bakunta, were waiting for Ppookino’s party at the riverbanks. Kintu did not recognize any of the men. To him, that was the first sign that Namugala had not willingly handed over his throne to Kyabaggu as stated—otherwise there would still be familiar faces among the bakunta. Knowing that among Kyabaggu’s men were spies and assassins, Kintu wore his most impotent look. No doubt, word had already reached the lubiri describing Ppookino’s entourage. It was just as well that his men looked gaunt.

Kyabaggu’s men led Kintu and his party through a new route. This way they cut Nateete, Wakaliga, and Lubaga off, and headed toward Mpiimelebela, across Kitunzi, through Bulange at the bottom of Namirembe Hill. This helped to avoid most of Kyadondo’s steep hills and floodplains. To Kintu, Kyadondo was a foreign land. It did not matter whether it was the wet or the dry season: Kyadondo’s valleys were always difficult to cross and the hills were painful to climb. Kintu had been up Namirembe Hill once when Namugala invited him to join him in a hunt for mpala antelope. Up there, the views over Buganda and Nnalubaale Lake were most magnificent. Only the kabaka was permitted to build on top of the hills. Each new kabaka vied to build a more magnificent court on a higher hill with a more spectacular view than his predecessor. Kyabaggu was expected to build a new palace on a hill not recently inhabited by a kabaka for hygienic reasons; however, Kintu was curious as to why Kyabaggu had chosen Lubya, a less imposing hill.

Even though Kyabaggu’s escorts avoided the steepest hills and most wetlands, the party arrived at the foot of Lubya Hill out of breath.