Part 13 (1/2)
”Stand up!” he commanded sharply. ”If you are not the _sultani_ how dare you sit down before me!”
The youth whisked the stool away: the old man covered his discomfiture in a flow of talk. Kingozi listened to him in silence. The visitor concluded his remarks which--as far as they could be understood--were entirely general: and, with a final courtly wave of the hand, turned away. Then Kingozi spoke, abruptly, curtly.
”Have your people bring me eggs,” he said, ”milk, _m'wembe_.”[9]
[Footnote 9: A sort of flour ground from rape seeds.]
The old man, somewhat abashed, made the most dignified retreat possible through the keenly attentive audience of his own people.
Kingozi gazed after him, his blue eyes wide with their peculiar aggressive blank stare. A low hum of conversation swept through the squatting warriors. Those who understood Swahili murmured eagerly to those who did not. These uttered politely the long drawn ”A-a-a-a!” of savage interest.
”Cazi Moto, where is my chair?” Kingozi demanded, abruptly conscious that the chop box was not very comfortable.
”Bibi-ya-chui has it.”
”Where is she?”
”Right behind you,” came that young woman's voice in amused tones. ”You have been so busy that you have not seen me.”
Kingozi turned. The chair had been placed in a bare spot close to the trunk of the great tree. He grinned cheerfully.
”I was pretty hungry,” he confessed, ”and I don't believe I saw a single thing but that curry!”
[Footnote 9: A sort of flour ground from rape seeds.]
”Naturally. It is not to be wondered at. Are you all rested?”
”I'm quite fit, thanks. And you?”
She was still in her marching costume; but her hair had been smoothed, her face washed. The colour had come back to her lips, the light to her expression. Only a faint dark encircling of the eyes, and a certain graceful languor of att.i.tude recalled the collapse of yesterday.
”Oh, I am all right; but peris.h.i.+ng for a cigarette. Have you one?”
”Sorry, but I don't use them. Are not all your loads up yet?”
”None of them.”
”Well, they should be in shortly. Cazi Moto has given you breakfast, of course.”
”Yes. But n.o.body has yet gone for my loads.”
”What!” exclaimed Kingozi sharply. ”Why did you not start men for them when you first awakened?”
She smiled at him ruefully.
”I tried. But they said they were very tired from yesterday. They would not go.”
”Simba!” called Kingozi.
”Suh!”