Henderson the Rain King - Saul Bellow [85]
what I said about the rain. I am prepared to eat crow. Naturally, as the king you have to back the rain ceremony. So I apologize. So why don't you just say, 'Nuts to you, Henderson,' and forget it?" "Oh, by no means. No basis for that. We shall bet, and why not?" He spoke with such finality that I had no out to take. "Okay, Your Highness, have it your way." "Word of honor. What shall we bet?" he said. "Anything you want." "Very good. Whatever I want." "This is unfair of me. I have to give you good odds," I said. He waved his hand, on which there was a large red jewel. His body had sunk back into the hammock, for he sat and lay by turns. I could see that it pleased him to gamble; he had the character of a betting man. Anyway, my eyes were on this ring of his, a huge garnet set in thick gold and encircled by smaller stones, and he said, "Does the ring appeal?" "It's pretty nice," I said, meaning that I was reluctant to specify any object. "What are you betting?" "I've got cash money on me, but I don't suppose that would interest you. I have a pretty good Rolleiflex in my kit. Not that I've taken any pictures except by accident. I've been too busy out here in Africa. Then there is my gun, an H and H Magnum.375 with telescopic sights." "I do not foresee how it would be usable if won." "At home I've got some objects I would be glad to put up," I said. "I've got some beautiful Tamworth pigs left." "Oh, indeed?" "I can see you're not interested." "It would be fitting to bet something personal," he said. "Oh, yes. The ring is personal. I get it. If I could detach my troubles I'd put them up. They're personal. Ho, ho. Only I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy. Well, let's see, what do I have that you might use; what have I got that would go with being a king? Carpets? I've got a nice one in my studio. Then there's a velvet dressing gown that might look good on you. There's even a Guarnerius violin. But hey! I've got it--paintings. There's one of me and one of my wife. They're oils." At this moment I wasn't sure that he heard me, but he said, "You should not assume at all that you have a sure thing." Then I said, "So? What if I lose?" "It will be interesting." This made me begin to worry. "Well, it is settled. We may match ring against oil portraits. Or let us say that if I win you will remain a guest of mine, a length of time." "Okay. But how long?" "Oh, it is too theoretical," he said, looking away. "Let us leave it an open consideration for the moment." This arrangement made, we both looked upward. The sky was a bald, pale blue and rested on the mountains, windless. I figured that this king must have a lot of delicacy. He wanted to make it up to me for the corpse last night and also to indicate that he would appreciate it if I would visit him for a while. The discussion ended with the king making a florid African gesture, as if peeling off his gloves or rehearsing the surrender of the ring. I sweated hugely, but my body was not cooled. To try to assuage the heat, I held my mouth open. Then I said, "Haw, haw! Your Majesty, this is a screwy bet." At this moment came furious or quarrelsome shouts, and I thought, "Ha, the light part of the ceremony is over." Several men in black plumes, like beggarly bird men--the rusty feathers hung to their shoulders--began to lift the covers from the gods. Disrespectfully, they pulled them away. This irreverence was no accident, if you get what I mean. It was done to raise a laugh, and it did exactly that. These bird or plume characters, encouraged by the laughter, started to perform burlesque antics; they stepped on the feet of the statues, and bowled some of the smaller ones over and made passes at them, mockeries, and so on. The dwarf was set on the knees of one goddess and he rocked the crowd with laughter by pulling his lower lids down and sticking out his tongue, making like a wrinkled lunatic. The family of gods, all quite short in the legs and long in the trunk, was very tolerant about these abuses. Most of them had disproportionate, small faces set on tall necks. All in all, they didn't