. ▁Es dan ▁inform s ▁them ▁that ▁the ▁Ek umen ▁does ▁not ▁have ▁an ▁army , ▁and ▁even ▁if ▁it ▁did ▁it ▁would ▁take ▁many ▁years ▁to ▁arrive , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁inter stell ar ▁distances ▁involved . ▁He ▁wor ries ▁that ▁he ▁may ▁be ▁caught ▁up ▁in ▁a ▁fa ction al ▁struggle ▁within ▁the ▁liber ation ▁army . ▁Es dan ▁tries ▁to ▁persu ade ▁the ▁officers ▁to ▁care ▁for ▁the ▁slaves ▁still ▁in ▁the ▁estate , ▁including ▁the ▁ones ▁who ▁c ared ▁for ▁him . ▁A ▁re bel ▁mar shal , ▁Met oy , ▁promises ▁to ▁care ▁for ▁the ▁slaves . ▁Another ▁of ▁the ▁re bel ▁officers ▁later ▁dem ands ▁that ▁Es dan ▁threaten ▁the ▁government ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁the ▁reb els . ▁Es dan ▁rep lies ▁that ▁he ▁cons iders ▁himself ▁a ▁prisoner ▁of ▁war . ▁That ▁night , ▁when ▁K ams a ▁brings ▁Es dan ▁food , ▁fighting ▁breaks ▁out ▁outside ▁the ▁building . ▁K ams a ▁leads ▁Es dan ▁to ▁a ▁bol th ole ▁where ▁the ▁other ▁household ▁slaves ▁are ▁also ▁hiding . ▁ ▁After ▁waiting ▁there ▁for ▁many ▁hours , ▁Es dan ▁leaves ▁their ▁shelter ▁and ▁returns ▁to ▁the ▁house , ▁which ▁he ▁finds ▁has ▁been ▁bom bed . ▁He ▁comes ▁across ▁some ▁slaves ▁who ▁work ▁the ▁fields , ▁who ▁tell ▁him ▁that ▁everyone ▁who ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁house ▁is ▁dead , ▁but ▁for ▁one . ▁Met oy ▁has ▁been ▁seriously ▁injured ▁but ▁is ▁still ▁alive . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁slaves ▁leave ▁the ▁comp ound ▁to ▁try