Henderson the Rain King - Saul Bellow [38]
great, Itelo. I love you. I love the old lady, too. In fact you're all pretty damned swell, and I'll get rid of those frogs for you if I have to lay down my life to do it." They all saw that I was moved, and the men began to make the hollow whistle on their fingers and spread their mouths so like satyrs and yet sweetly, softly. "My aunt says what do you request, sir?" "Oh, does she? Well, that's wonderful. For a starter ask her what she sees in me since I find it so hard to tell her who I am." Itelo delivered the question and Willatale furrowed up her brow in that flexible way peculiar to the Arnewi as a whole, which let the hemisphere of the eye be seen, purely, glistening with human intention; while the other, the white one, though blind, communicated humor as if she were giving me a wink to last me a lifetime. This closed white shutter also signified her inwardness to me. She spoke slowly without removing her gaze, and her fingers moved on her old thigh, shortened by her stoutness, as if taking an impression from Braille. Itelo transmitted her words. "You have, sir, a large personallity. Strong. (I add agreement to her.) Your mind is full of thought. Possess some fundamental! of Bittahness, also." (Good, good!) "You love send �" (It took him several seconds to find the word while I was standing, consumed--in this colorful court, on the gold soil, surroundings tinged by crimson, by black; the twigs of the bushes brown and smelling like cinnamon--consumed by desire to hear the judgment of her wisdom on me.) "Send-sations." I nodded, and Willatale proceeded. "Says � you are very sore, oh, sir! Mistah Henderson. You heart is barking." "That's correct," I said, "with all three heads, like Cerberus the watch dog. But why is it barking?" He, however, was listening to her and leaning from the balls of his feet, as if appalled to hear with what kind of fellow he had gone to the mat in the customary ceremony of acquaintance. "Frenezy," he said. "Yes, yes. I'll confirm that," I said. "The woman has a real gift." And I encouraged her. "Tell me, tell me, Queen Willatale! I want the truth. I don't want you to spare me." "Suffah," said Itelo, and Mtalba picked up my hand in sympathy. "Yes, I certainly do." "She say now, Mistah Henderson, that you have a great copacity, indicated by your largeness, and especially your nose." My eyes were big and sad and I touched my face. Beauty certainly vanishes. "I was once a good-looking fellow," I said, "but it certainly is a nose I can smell the whole world with. It comes down to me from the founder of my family. He was a Dutch sausage-maker and became the most unscrupulous capitalist in America." "You excuse queen. She is fond on you and say she do not wish to make you trouble." "Because I have enough already. But look, Your Highness, I didn't come to shilly-shally, so don't say anything to inhibit her. I want it straight." The woman of Bittahness began to speak again, slowly, dwelling on my appearance with her one-eyed dreamy look. "What does she say--what does she say?" "She say she wish you tell her, sir, why you come. She know you have to come across mountain and walk a very long time. You not young, Mistah Henderson, You weight maybe a hundred-fifty kilogram; your face have many colors. You are built like an old locomotif. Very strong, yes, I know. Sir, I concede. But so much flesh as a big monument �" I listened, smarting at his words, my eyes wincing into their surrounding wrinkles. And then I sighed and said, "Thank you for your frankness. I know it's peculiar that I came all this way with my guide over the desert. Please tell the queen that I did it for my health." This surprised Itelo, so that he gave a startled laugh. "I know," I said, "superficially I don't look sick. And it sounds monstrous that anybody with my appearance should still care about himself, his health or anything else. But that's how it is. Oh, it's miserable to be human. You get such queer diseases. Just because you're human and for no other reason. Before you know it, all the years go by, you're just like other people