“N’kiri, I hope you will agree to be with me,” I said, “as all the other women are now in groups.” I had in mind that she might like to help me cause chaos in the slave market once we found it.

“Betty, we are together in this, of course,” she responded, “but by your voice I can tell you have something important in mind that you want us to do.”

“Yes. Since you told me that the slavers were bringing you here, I had a feeling that there...