Akata Witch: Chapter 9 Summary & Analysis

Fast Facts for Free Agents introduces free agent readers to Udide, the “ultimate artist.” Udide is a spider who switches between masculine and feminine pronouns depending on their mood. Some believe Udide lives under Lagos; others believe Udide is in Abuja. Udide has written a book called Udide’s Book of Shadows, which is full of the spider’s recipes, juju, notes, and stories. It’s only been copied three times, but nobody knows where the copies are. Isong insists Udide is a trickster who wanted people to find the book—but “those who choose to use it are idiots.”

Sunny wakes up early on Saturday morning, makes herself breakfast, and tells her parents goodbye. She meets Orlu, Sasha, and Chichi at Chichi’s hut. They’re studying a newspaper headline. Black Hat abducted a little boy, who was found alive—but with his eyes gouged out. Sunny feels sick. Chichi promises to get Sunny a subscription to a Leopard newspaper so she can get information faster.

Anatov greets Chichi, Orlu, Sasha, and Sunny happily when they arrive. He asks them to sit and explains that Kehinde was very impressed—especially with Sasha, whom he’s agreed to mentor. Sasha looks ready to burst with happiness. Anatov continues that the four survived because of their teamwork. He reminds them that knowledge is more valuable than chittim, and says he had to risk their lives to further their educations. Anatov notes that each kid has skills that can help the others—but he says Sasha has to learn Igbo quickly. Then, he gives them their assignment for the day: to visit Taiwo in Leopard Knocks. He gives Chichi a package to give to Taiwo and asks the students to also stop at the bookstore to purchase Advanced Juju Knife Jujus and a book of their choice.

At the bridge to Leopard Knocks, Sasha and Orlu have already crossed. Chichi shows Sunny how to call music, though without a juju knife, Sunny can’t do it yet. Chichi demonstrates how to cut the air and create a juju pouch, which she can then speak words into. Sunny can’t see the juju pouch, but Chichi lets her touch it—it feels cool, soft, and wet. Chichi explains that a person speaks the “trigger words” in their first language; hers was Efik, Sunny’s was English. Chichi speaks the words to call music into the pouch and Sunny calls up her spirit face. A voice deep within Sunny says, “Anyanwu”—Sunny’s spirit name. On the bridge, Sunny feels sure of herself. She rushes forward and crosses the bridge in seconds. Chittim fall at her feet: Sunny made herself invisible.

Sasha leads everyone to Bola’s Store for Books. He, Orlu, and Chichi disappear into the store, and Sunny feels drawn to the book she noticed last time in the store. It’s titled Nsibidi: The Magical Language of the Spirits, and the writing seems to wiggle. Sunny pulls the book closer to her face and it seems to whisper—but she jumps when the shop owner, Mohammed, taps on her shoulder. He confirms that she’s a free agent and asks if she saw anything wiggling in the book. When Sunny says she did, he tells her to buy it. He doesn’t know what’s in it, but she’ll learn something—and he shares that the author is Sugar Cream. Mohammed then helps her hunt down the knife juju book.

Sasha purchases Udide’s Book of Shadows, Orlu purchases A Field Guide to the Night Runner Forest, and Chichi gets Leo Frobenius: Atlantis Middleman or Sellout? She explains that Frobenius was a German Leopard man who almost told Lambs that Atlantis is near Victoria Island. They then discuss the knife juju book, which Chichi says contains jujus for Mbawkwa and above. Orlu explains to Sunny that working jujus above one’s level isn’t illegal, it’s just dangerous—you can die. With this, they set off for Taiwo’s house.

Taiwo lives at the end of Leopard Knocks’s main road, a two hour walk from the bookstore. Chichi, Orlu, and Sasha point out shops, Leopard Spots Village (where people sell illegal things), and the Obi Library to Sunny. Orlu explains that anyone can use the library’s first floor, but the second and third floors are for those studying Ndibu, like Chichi’s mother. Chichi notes that Sugar Cream also lives there. They pass farms where supplies sold in shops are grown, and a wall protecting people coming up with new juju charms.

Finally, the four reach tall palm trees at the end of the road; there’s a hut hundreds of feet up in one of the trees. Chichi calls for Taiwo, but when she gets no answer, she, Orlu, Sasha, and Sunny sit to wait. After a while, they hear a loud noise from above—and Orlu points to a giant Blue-Footed Miri Bird. It’s the size of a horse, and it’s coming right for them. The bird divebombs the kids before it finally lands in front of them. Sasha shouts that it’s insane, and Chichi grouses that it probably has fleas. At this, the Miri Bird clicks and poops. Sunny suggests the bird is angry; Sasha and Chichi are being awful to it. Sunny tries to offer the bird a cookie, but it steps away.

Sunny shares her cookies with Orlu, Sasha, and Chichi. After a bit, Orlu gets up, tells the Miri Bird that they’ve come from Anatov, and asks for help getting to Taiwo’s house. The bird clicks its beak in Orlu’s face—but Orlu says of course the bird wants to be treated like a person. They all politely introduce themselves to the bird, and then Orlu interprets the bird’s clicks. He and Sunny will ride the bird to Taiwo’s house first, and then it’ll come back for Sasha and Chichi. As Orlu and Sunny tumble into the hut, Taiwo says the kids took long enough and then thanks the bird—Nancy—for her help.

Taiwo declares that the kids’ lesson today was in humility. Sasha and Chichi have none, Sunny has it because she’s new, but Orlu was born with it. Sunny thinks that Orlu will obviously become Taiwo’s mentee. Then, Taiwo accepts the package from Anatov and pulls out a bag of treats for Nancy. She tells Chichi to feed the contents to the bird, and Chichi acts disgusted as she does. Taiwo explains that all creatures have their place in the world; this is why the world keeps moving if someone dies. She says they must be figuring it out by now, and Chichi asks if they’re really an Oha coven. Laughing, Taiwo says that Sunny has no idea what they’re talking about. She notes that that’s ironic—but she refuses to explain.

Dramatically, Taiwo says that Sunny, Sasha, Chichi, and Orlu will be West Africa’s first “pre-level” Oha coven, though none of them know what’s coming. Sunny mentions her vision in the candle, and Taiwo acknowledges that she was wrong: Sunny knows. She asks if the kids have all heard of Black Hat Otokoto, who is a Leopard Person. She explains that he passed the highest level years ago, when he was only 34, and he never should’ve taken it. He just wanted wealth and power—and now, it’s the kids’ job to save the world from him. She says whatever he’s doing, it’s dark and dangerous and preys on innocence. The kids will go after him in about three months, and scholars have seen this moment coming for a while.

Sunny can’t stand it. She asks if Taiwo and other scholars seriously expect a bunch of kids to catch someone who knows extremely advanced juju. It’s insane, and if she, Orlu, Sasha, and Chichi die, the scholars will just find more kids to do it. Taiwo says seriously that this is bigger than Sunny; she just doesn’t understand yet. Sunny struggles to shut her mouth. The next morning, she receives her first edition of the Leopard Knocks newspaper.