CHAPTER 154: CHAPTER 154 - MASKS OF KONGO

The city of M’banza-Kongo was louder than they expected.

Markets rang with iron and shouting. Portuguese banners fluttered over new-built churches. The scent of roasting cassava mixed with the sharp tang of European wine. But behind the rhythm of daily life, something was off.

Something darker.

Faizah, Kiprop, Zara, Mwinyi, Sarai, and Taban had come in quietly, posing as pilgrims and traders. They knew little KiKongo, just enough Portuguese to survive. They didn’t need to speak much. They were here to listen.

And they were here to find Lumingu Mbemba.

Week One

The mission was already proving harder than expected. Lumingu was a noble, but no one knew exactly where he stayed. His name was never said in public. Yet his influence lingered—in the side glances of court attendants, in the sudden silence when Portuguese officers walked by.

Each day, they split into pairs to gather intel:

Kiprop and Taban watched the ports and tracked movements of foreign merchants.

Zara and Sarai followed whispers in the palace courtyard, pretending to clean floors and carry water.

Faizah and Mwinyi spent time near a Jesuit chapel where slavers and priests often talked freely.

By night, they returned to a hidden shelter in the jungle, recording what they heard in code.

Week Two

That’s when they heard it.

In Portuguese, spoken between two sailors in a wine den:

"The same poison they used in Buganda. It’s headed to Nuri next. They think it’ll collapse faster."

Another man laughed. "They don’t even need soldiers anymore. Just a few smart cooks."

Faizah froze. Zara wrote it down.

"Poisoning food," Kiprop said that night. "It’s how Buganda fell. Lumingu must think Nuri imports grain too."

"But we don’t," Mwinyi said, confused. "We grow most of it ourselves."

"He doesn’t know that," Zara said. "He’s waiting for his spies to confirm."

Week Three

They finally caught sight of Lumingu.

Not in robes or ceremony. Just a man in merchant’s clothes, walking beside a Portuguese officer and a priest near the mountain shrine.

They kept their distance and listened.

"If Nuri relies on local grain," Lumingu said, "we change the plan. We can’t poison what they grow. But if they have weak borders—"

The priest interrupted. "The kingdom is new. New kingdoms don’t last long."

"Then we help it crumble faster."

That night, Sarai said what they were all thinking:

"He wants to destroy Nuri before it rises too far. Before Kongo looks weak next to it."

Zara nodded. "He’s afraid of what we’re building. A strong, united kingdom in the interior? It threatens everything."

"Is the Kongo king part of this?" Taban asked.

"Hard to tell," said Kiprop. "Maybe. Or maybe Lumingu wants the throne for himself."

Week Four

The group voted to split.

Faizah and Kiprop would return to Nuri immediately—with proof of the plot and a warning. Even if the poison plan failed, spies were already inside. Sabotage could take many forms.

Zara would stay in Kongo with Sarai, Mwinyi, and Taban. Their mission was now longer, riskier—understand the deeper game. Who backed Lumingu? Was it just ambition? Or was Kongo being manipulated by outside forces?

Before leaving, Kiprop hugged each of them in silence.

"If we don’t make it back, finish the mission. Learn everything."

Faizah handed Zara a bark scroll. "Only open it if we’re gone too long."

Then they disappeared into the jungle, bound for home.

With the group split, the pace changed.

Sarai started working in a noble’s courtyard. She overheard talk of Lumingu offering "a cleaner future" for Kongo, "free of weak kings and jealous allies."

Mwinyi, helping a smith, saw weapons being ordered in secret—blades hidden in grain carts.

Taban followed a boy named Nzasi to the old Portuguese quarter. He saw a list. Five names. All from Buganda.

The plan was bigger than just poison.

One Night

Zara, hiding near a cellar meeting, heard Lumingu speak again:

"If Nuri doesn’t fall with poison, it will fall with fire. Their king is young. His people are scattered. They won’t survive two wars."

"And if the king of Kongo objects?" a voice asked.

Lumingu replied: "Then the king will disappear too."

The jungle seemed quieter after Faizah and Kiprop disappeared into the trees.

Zara, Sarai, Mwinyi, and Taban sat near a dying fire beneath the thick canopy, voices hushed even in the wild. They couldn’t risk being overheard—not even here.

Zara spoke first.

"We know the poison won’t work," she said, slowly. "But Lumingu doesn’t know that yet. That gives us time."

Taban frowned. "He still has spies inside Nuri. Even if they don’t poison the food, they could burn granaries, spread disease, stir rebellion."

Sarai leaned forward. "What if we turn it around? Let his spies believe the poison worked. Let him move too soon—and show his hand. Besides, Prince Khisa already knows spies are headed his way, he won’t let Nuri fall to the same fate as Buganda."

"That’s risky," Mwinyi said. "And it still doesn’t answer the biggest question."

Zara looked up. "Which is?"

"Who’s backing Lumingu? Is he alone? Or part of something bigger?"

They paused, the crackle of fire filling the space between them.

"We need to talk about Buganda," Sarai said finally. "I’ve been piecing things together from the markets and temples. With Nuri’s intervention, Buganda survived the plague, but the threat is not yet neutralized. People whisper about betrayals, disappearances. Once Nuri pulled out of Buganda, the king has his hands full controlling his court."

Taban nodded. "I heard a merchant say that most of Buganda’s elite were either bribed or poisoned. Those who resisted were... silenced."

Mwinyi spat into the dirt. "It’s the same pattern they want to employ in Nuri. Lumingu’s not just mimicking it. His spies will seek out those most susceptible to bribery, those full of discontent and ambition."

Sarai turned to Zara. "Then the question is... why repeat the same plan in Nuri?"

Zara exhaled. "Because it worked. But they underestimate us. Nuri has fought against slavers before and emerged victorious, a plot like this will never work."

"You can’t be so sure about that. You fail to account for something as simple as human nature. Despite Nurians working hard to build our kingdom, things like greed will always have a place. And people like Lumingu know exactly how to sniff out those traitors. If we blind ourselves to such a simple fact Nuri will fall because of our own ignorance." Mwinyi said.

Zara sighed, " You are right, Mwinyi. Our duties as shadows is to be the eyes and ears of our king. We will defend Nuri with everything we have. And Mwinyi, keep that up. Your instincts will protect Nuri more than you realise."

They sat in silence.

Then Taban said what none of them wanted to.

"Maybe Lumingu doesn’t just want Kongo. Maybe he wants all of Central Africa."

Zara shook her head. "That’s too bold. Even for him."

"Is it?" Sarai challenged. "Look at the signs. He uses European tactics. Allies with the Portuguese, but doesn’t trust them. He poisons kingdoms, then offers ’stability’ after. He’s building an empire through decay."

Mwinyi muttered, "Then we’re not just dealing with a rogue noble. We’re looking at a faction. A shadow court."

"Prince Khisa wants to build with unity and peace and another wants to build with war and deaths. In stories it would be plain as day who will win in the end." Sarai said.

"We know reality is not as simple. One mistake from either side will be their downfall." Mwinyi said staring into the flames.

They paused. The fire crackled low.

Sarai stood. "So... do we go to the palace?"

"To investigate the king?" Taban asked. "What if he’s in on it?"

"Or worse," said Mwinyi, "what if he’s too weak to stop it?"

Zara rubbed her temples. "We can’t storm into the palace. But we can move closer. I know someone who works in the royal kitchens. He might talk."

"What about the nobles Lumingu meets with?" Sarai added. "That group near the old stone gate—they speak Portuguese too fluently. I think they’ve all studied in Luanda."

"Portuguese-trained elites?" Taban asked.

Zara nodded. "They call themselves Os Restauradores. The Restorers. I thought it was just about trade... but it could be more."

"A puppet regime," Mwinyi said grimly. "Backed by Europe. Meant to swallow kingdoms from the inside out."

Zara stood and paced.

"Here’s what we do. We split, again. Carefully."

"Sarai, get closer to the palace staff. Find out what the king knows. And what he doesn’t know."

"Taban, follow the Restauradores. See who they meet, what they carry, who they avoid."

"Mwinyi, go to the eastern markets—find traders from Luanda or Portuguese outposts. See if they mention anything about Buganda’s final days."

"I’ll follow Lumingu. He’s getting impatient. If he slips, I’ll be there."

"What if one of us is caught?" Sarai asked.

"Then the rest finish the mission," Zara said. "Khisa didn’t train us to die in the dark. He trained us to see in it. We have trained you to the best of our abilities. This is your chance to prove yourselves."

They nodded.