Free Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow

took my hand and placed it flat against his breast saying, "Itelo." I did likewise, saying, "Henderson." I didn't want to be a shit about it, you see, but I am not good at suppressing my feelings. Whole crowds of them, especially the bad ones, wave to the world from the galleries of my face. I can't prevent them. "How do you do?" I said. "And say, what's going on around here--everybody crying to beat the band? My man says it's because of the cows. This isn't a good time for a visit, eh? Maybe I should go and come back some other time?" "No, you be guest," said Itelo, and made me welcome. But he had observed that I was disappointed and that my offer to depart was not one hundred per cent gallantry and generosity and he said, "You thought first footstep? Something new? I am very sorry. We are discovered." "If I did expect it," I said, "then it's my own damn fault. I know the world has been covered. Hell, I'd have to be out of my mind. I'm no explorer, and anyway that's not what I came for." So, recalling to mind what I had come for, I started to look at this fellow more closely for what he might know about the greater or deeper facts of life. And first of all I recognized that his heaviness of expression was misleading and that he was basically a good-humored fellow. Only he was very dignified. Two large curves starting above his nostrils came down beside his mouth and gave him the look I had misinterpreted. He had a back-up posture which emphasized the great strength of his legs and knees, and in the corners of his eyes, which had the same frame of darkness as the others in the tribe, there was a glitter which made me think of gold leaf. "Well," I said. "I see you have been out in the world anyway. Or is English everybody's second language here?" "Sir," he said, "oh, no, just only me." Perhaps because of the breadth of his nose he had a tone which was ever so slightly nasal. "Malindi school. I went, and also my late brother. Lot of young fellows sent from all over to Malindi school. After that, Beirut school. I have traveled all over. So I alone speak. And for miles and miles around nobody else, but only Wariri king, Dahfu." I had completely forgotten to find out, and now I said, "Oh, excuse me, do you happen to be royalty yourself?" "Queen is my auntie," he said, "Willatale. And you will stay with other auntie, Mtalba. Sir, she lend you her house." "Oh, that's great," I said. "That's hospitable. And so you're a prince?" "Oh, yes." That was better. Owing to his size and appearance I thought from the beginning that he must be distinguished. And then to console me he said that I was the first white visitor here in more than thirty years, so far as he knew. "Well, Your Highness," I said, "you're just as well off not to attract many outsiders. I think you've got a good thing here. I don't know what it is about the place, but I've visited some of the oldest ruins in Europe and they don't feel half as ancient as your village. If it worries you that I'm going to run and broadcast your whereabouts or that I want to take pictures, you can just forget about it. That's not my line at all." For this he thanked me but said there wasn't much of value to attract travelers here. And I'm still not convinced that I didn't penetrate beyond geography. Not that I care too much about geography; it's one of those bossy ideas according to which, if you locate a place, there's nothing more to be said about it. "Mr. Henderson, sir. Please come in and enter the town," he said. And I said, "I suppose you want me to meet everyone." It was gorgeous weather, though far too dry, radiance everywhere, and the very dust of the place aromatic and stimulating. Waiting for us was a company of women, Itelo's wives, naked, and with the dark color worked in deeply around the eyes as if by special action of the sun. The lighter skin of their hands reminded me continually of pink stone. It made both hands and fingers seem larger than ordinary. Later I saw some of these