Skin of the Sea

While Kola fights, Simi runs up a set of stairs, finding the twins in a cage at the top. While she searches for the cage’s key, Kola enters, covered in blood. He has the key clutched in his hand, and Simi releases the twins, who run to Kola. He asks Kehinde where her ring is, and she backs away, taking her twin with her. Kola shifts to reveal Esu, and the real Kola, bleeding from a wound in his side, arrives at the top of the stairs. Esu delivers a crippling blow to Kola, who falls unconscious.

Simi holds Esu at bay, demanding to know why he’s doing this to Kola’s family. Esu is tired of being Olodumare’s mouthpiece and wishes to be more. He is angry that the orisas’ powers are limited and believes that “our lands will never survive without an orisa like me” (279). Simi asks what he’s done so far to show the world needs him, comparing his tricks to the help the other orisas have given. Esu confesses he never delivered Yemoja’s messages of atonement for creating the Mami Wata to Olodumare and that Olodumare never ordered him to scar Yemoja—Esu acted on his own out of jealousy.