What are some of the themes found in Chapter Nine?

One important theme in Chapter Nine of the novel is storytelling, The allegory of the tortoise and the leopard, told by the Chief of the Abazon delegation: when the tortoise realizes that he will be defeated by the leopard, he asks for a moment to prepare his mind. He then begins to scratch with his hands and feet on the road and throw sand everywhere. The tortoise says to the confused leopard, "Because even after I am dead I would want anyone passing by this spot to say, yes, a fellow and his match struggled here." Similar for the Abazon delegation, their efforts may not lead to assistance for the drought. The Chief explains: "My people, that is all we are doing now. Struggling. Perhaps to no purpose except that those who come after us will be able to say: True, our fathers were defeated but they tried" (132). The Abazon delegation is outmatched and His Excellency appears to be ruling without any real concern for the welfare of his people, and yet Abazon must try because what else is there to do, even when it seems helpless?