After the village pays the fine, the six men are released, but they return home in silence and misery. Okonkwo, beaten and scarred, is met by concerned relatives and friends, but no one speaks. That night, the village is called to a meeting, stirring Okonkwo's thoughts of revenge. At the meeting, a leader urges action against the intruders, even if it means fighting their own people. As tensions rise, court messengers arrive to halt the gathering. Okonkwo, frustrated by the villagers' fear and inaction, impulsively kills one of the messengers before realizing the futility of his efforts to provoke war.