One morning, the high dignitary Mizère M’Vunguti came to hire ZENGA-Mambu, whose reputation was already well established, for a very particular job: he wanted him to cast the evil eye on his adversary, Malonga Césaire, a minister who had stolen his wife to make her his fiftieth wife.
Consumed by jealousy, M’Vunguti asked the great féticheur (sorcerer) to “erase” him from existence, either with a violent case of malaria or kidney stones!
On the night following the ritual, at the hour when tales are usually paused, the NGANGA (healer/sorcerer) stayed outside with all his gris-gris (amulets), ensuring the Grand Chief’s protection. The minister knew his enemies would come during the night in their sorcery planes “Air Makanda” hand-crafted from rafts and bamboo from the Pool region, invisible to the naked eye, and only detectable by a powerful and wise sorcerer!
Zenga-Mambu performed all kinds of invocations in ancient tongues. He drew symbols on the ground with his own blood and that of various animals and placed fetishes all around the trees encircling the villa. That poor man didn’t get a moment of rest all night!
Before Minister M’Vunguti even had time to finish his plate of cassoulet, imported by a major chemical producer from China, a black cat, without permission, warrant, or invitation, appeared in the licentious and luxurious compound, panic on board! But Zenga-Mambu managed to sacrifice the cat, prepare it, and serve it as a meal the next day.
Why kill the cat? Because only a sorcerer (n’doki) knows how to kill another sorcerer! Just like the great Chief who eats the grilled m’bangalas (a metaphor for enemies) of his opponents.