Henderson the Rain King - Saul Bellow [84]
XIII
After this came tribal dances and routines that were strictly like vaudeville. An old woman wrestled with a dwarf, only the dwarf lost his temper and tried to hurt her, and she stopped and scolded. One of the amazons entered the field and picked up the tiny man; with a swinging stride she carried him away under her arm. Cheers and handclapping came from the grandstands. Next there was another performance of an unserious nature. Two guys swung at each other's legs with whips, skipping into the air. Such Roman holiday highjinks were not reassuring to me. I was very nervous. I billowed with nervous feeling and a foreboding of coming abominations. Naturally I couldn't ask Dahfu for a preview. He was breathing deeply and watched with impervious calm. Finally I said, "In spite of all these operations, the sun is still shining, and there aren't any clouds. I even doubt whether the humidity has increased, though it feels very close." The king answered me, "Your observation is true, to all appearance. I do not contest you, Mr. Henderson. Nevertheless, I have seen all expectation defied and rain come on days like this. Yes, precisely." I gave him a squinting, intense look. There was much meaning condensed into this, and I will not try to dilute it for you now. Maybe a certain amount of overweening crept in. But what it mostly expressed was, "Let us not kid each other, Your Royal H. Do you think it's so easy to get what you want from Nature? Ha, ha! I never have got what I asked for." Actually what I said was, "I would almost be willing to make you a bet, King." I didn't expect the king to take me up so quickly on this. "Oh? Nice. Do you want to propose me a wager, Mr. Henderson?" I found that my heart was hungry after provocation on this issue. I got involved. Something fierce. And naturally against reason. And I said, "Oh, sure, if you want to bet, I'll bet." "I agree," said the king, with a smiling look, but stubbornly, too. "Why, King Dahfu, Prince Itelo said you were interested in science." "Did he tell you," said the guy with evident pleasure, "did he say that I was in attendance at medical school?" "No!" "A true fact. I did two years of the course." "You didn't! You don't know how relevant that is, as a piece of information. But in that case, what sort of a bet are we making? You are just humoring me. You know, Your Highness, my wife Lily subscribes to the _Scientific American__, and so I am in on the rain problem. The technique of seeding the clouds with dry ice hasn't worked out well. Some recent ideas are that, first of all, the rain comes from showers of dust which arrive from outer space. When that dust hits the atmosphere it does something. The other theory which appeals more to me is that the salt spray of the ocean, the sea foam in other words, is one of the main ingredients of rain. Moisture takes and condenses on these crystals carried in the air, as it has to have something to condense on. So, it's a real wowzer, Your Highness. If there were no sea foam, there would be no rain, and if there were no rain there would be no life. How would all the wise guys like that? If the ocean didn't have this peculiar form of beauty the land would be bare." With increasing intimacy, as if confidentially, I laughed and said, "Your Majesty, you have no idea how the whole thing tickles me. Life comes from the cream of the seas. We used to sing a song in school, 'O Marianina. Come O come and turn us into foam.'" I sang for him a little, sotto voce, almost. He liked it; I could tell. "You do not have a common run of a voice," he said, smiling and gay. I was beginning to feel that the fellow liked me. "And the information is fascinating indeed." "Ha, I'm glad you see it that way. Boy! That's something, isn't it? But I guess that puts an end to our bet." "Not of the very least. Just the same, we shall bet." "Well, King Dahfu, I have opened my big mouth. Allow me to take back