As the morning dawns “at the end of the wee hours” (41), the people around Solibo’s corpse begin to tell stories about him. Sidonise, the sherbert vendor, laments that they cannot give him a proper traditional funeral. She tells the audience that she had had an ongoing affair with Solibo for many years, even after she married Dalta, a civil servant. She explains that she always loved how Solibo made her laugh. Another man, Didon, who speaks “in a Creole which often brought to mind Guadeloupe” (43), tells a story about Solibo’s extraordinary abilities. He describes how a snake, or “long-one,” had attacked an old woman, Ma Goul, at the market. Solibo had calmed the snake with his words and captured it.

The narrator, Patrick, tells the audience what he knows about Solibo’s past. Solibo’s father had died, and his mother had been admitted to a mental health facility. Solibo had spent his childhood roaming the outskirts of the city. He was taken in by some old women at the market, who named him Solibo, “Creole for blackman fallen to his last peg—and no ladder to climb back up” (46). He had learned the art of storytelling from the old women.

Next, Charlo’, “in a city Creole” (47), tells the audience a story about Solibo. He describes how Ma Gnam, an old woman, had a pig that no one controlled long enough to kill it for Christmas dinner. She summoned Solibo, who was selling charcoal in the market at the time. He managed to talk to the pig until it was calm enough to be slaughtered for dinner.

Then, Chief Sergeant Bouaffesse and the police arrive at the scene. Bouaffesse approaches Solibo’s body and pushes it with his foot. Another policeman beats the corpse and threatens it with his gun. Only after there is no response do they realize that Solibo is dead. Bouaffesse springs into action and begins treating the area like a crime scene, labeling everyone in the audience a suspect in the murder of Solibo. When the paramedics arrive, the other police officers stop them from approaching the body and beat the paramedics badly. One of the paramedics, bleeding profusely, yells in Creole, “The Law makes people bleed” (54). They return to their ambulance.

The audience members try to flee, but Bouaffesse stops them. When Doudou-Ménar approaches Bouaffesse, he treats her with contempt. Another police man, Diab-Anba-Feuilles, intervenes between Bouaffesse and Doudou-Ménar. Doudou-Ménar retorts that she is the Devil and warns him, “If I start fighting with you it’s to the death” (57). Diab-Anba-Feuilles savagely beats Doudou-Ménar while spewing insults in Creole. When she has been rendered unconscious, the paramedics tell Bouaffesse that she must be taken to the hospital. Reluctantly, Bouaffesse allows her to be taken for treatment.

Meanwhile, manioc ants, “carriers of a famished eternity” (70), begin to cover Solibo’s body.

Bouaffesse begins to interview the witnesses. He begins with Charlo’ Gros-Liberté, a saxophonist. Charlo’ says he plays in the Combo Band orchestra. Diab-Anba-Feuilles retorts that that Orchestra has been disbanded. Charlo’ attempts to joke with Bouaffesse about it, but in the middle of laughing, Bouaffesse viciously slaps Charlo’, making him cry. More passers-by arrive as the day breaks. Congo takes off his suit to shield Solibo’s body from the onlookers’ stares.

Bouaffesse reflects on the strange situation and decides that everyone in the audience conspired to kill Solibo. He begins to interview Congo but quickly runs into problems because he insists on speaking French, a language that Congo does not speak. Bouaffesse reluctantly allows Congo to continue in Creole. Congo explains that Solibo died after yelling “Patat’ sa!” Bouaffesse grows frustrated with Congo’s replies and moves to slap him, but he is stayed by the comments from the crowd. They yell that Congo is an old man. The police beat the audience and put them in the police van.

Meanwhile, Doudou-Ménar, “the Terrible One,” (71) arrives at the hospital. She regains consciousness in the hospital and attacks the policeman guarding her (Nono-Goldenmaw, named for his gold tooth). She rips out part of his jaw. He starts beating Doudou-Ménar. She rips off the back door of the ambulance, then picks up Nono, “crumple[s] him” up, and throws him against the side of the ambulance. Then she collapses. Nono runs away. She regains consciousness and runs back toward town, swearing in Creole, “Diab-Anba-Feuilles, I’m going to kill you” (72).

Bouaffesse is perplexed by the crime, so he decides to call in Chief Inspector Pilon.