The feast spilled across Makoko's piers like a colorful oil slick, _jollof rice_ and _pepper soup_ steaming into the night as the lagoon itself seemed to hum along with Juwon's drums.
Kemi danced with all strangers, laughter bubbling, the calabash's broken halves tucked away but its power still thrumming in her mind.
Tariq spun a makeshift DJ set, blending _Azonto_ with _apala_, the crowd swooning as children chased fireflies above the water, their tiny lanterns like floating stars.
Naomi slipped beside her, a glass of _zobo_ in hand, the deep-red drink like a secret.
"You've made waves, Kemi.
The funders... they won't let this go."
Kemi took a sip, the tart sweetness hitting right.
"What's their play? They control everything."
"Money talks, Lagos listens," Naomi said, gaze sweeping the revelry, the neon reflections dancing on the lagoon.
"But money can't buy the _Iwọ̀n_. You tapped into something ancient.
Problem is, so will they." A sudden burst of speedboats cut the party short, headlights slicing through the darkness like knives.
The crowd parted, nervous murmurs rising as men in black, faces shadowed, stepped onto the piers.
No logos, no uniforms-just intent. One locked eyes with Kemi.
"Kemi Adebayo. We need to talk."
Tariq moved closer, a protective stance, but Kemi nodded him off.
"I'll go."
The man led her to a sleek speedboat, its engine a low growl.
Offshore, another shadow waited-a yacht, lights dimmed like a predator's eyes.
Naomi followed, a silent shadow, her expression unreadable.
Onboard, a familiar unknown voice.
"Kemi. Nice move with the calabash." A woman in a sharp suit leaned back, a gin-and-tonic sweating on the table, the ice clinking like a countdown.
Dr. Elara Singh, a name whispered in tech circles-investor, strategist, the kind who made deals in whispers.
"Dr. Singh," Kemi said, standing her ground amid the yacht's polished luxury.
"Please, sit.
You're a hard one to pin down."
Elara nodded to the seat, her smile neat.
"Let's talk business.
The _Iwọ̀n_, Lagos' old power... it's useful.
We want to harness it.
Clean up the grid, make the city a hub. With you."
Kemi raised an eyebrow.
"Not EkoBot?" Elara's smile tweaked.
"EkoBot was a tool.
You've shown us... there's a better way.
Partner with us.
Control the narrative.
The lagoon, the energy, the growth-it's all scalable.
We'll bring in jobs, tech, make Lagos a beacon."
Naomi leaned against a bulkhead, arms crossed.
"And if we say no?" "Then the... _accidents_," Elara glanced at the water, her gaze cold, "might get worse.
Makoko's vulnerable.
The people are vulnerable.
You want progress, Kemi.
I can make it happen." Kemi felt the weight of the calabash's shards in her bag, the _Iwọ̀n_'s silent watch like a heartbeat.
The drums on the piers pulsed slower, as if waiting.
"You want the city," Kemi said, voice even. "We want it to breathe. Not just run faster."
Elara leaned forward, her eyes sharp.
"Same goal, different terms. Play with me, Kemi.
Or play against. Either way, Lagos moves forward."
A challenge hung in the air.
Kemi glanced at Naomi, whose expression was a careful mask.
A plan formed, fueled by Makoko's defiance.
"Here's how it goes," Kemi said.
"You leave Makoko alone. Open-source EkoBot's tech.
And we write the rules-with the people. Transparency, accountability."
Elara laughed, low and throaty.
"You're young. But I like that.
One condition: you come with me.
Meet the others.
See what 'progress' really looks like."
The yacht's engine roared to life, a vibration through the hull.
Kemi hesitated, the lagoon stretching dark before her.
Naomi touched her arm, a faint nod.
"I'll go," Kemi said.
The piers faded into distance, Makoko's lights a glow behind them.
Elara poured another drink, the city's neon stretching ahead like a gamble.
"The real question, Kemi... do you trust the _Iwọ̀n_?" The water swallowed the sound.
Kemi looked into the night, the beat of Lagos still thrumming, and smiled.
"We don't need to trust it.
We are it."
The yacht cut through shadows, toward a destination unknown.
On the piers, Juwon's drums didn't stop.
In Kemi's mind, a counter ticked.