Into the Niger Bend by Jules Verne

Author:Jules Verne
Format: epub

The two comperes are not discouraged. They insist so much that we give way, if only to have some peace. After all, we can give them a little pleasure, and if it brings them a few cowries, so much the better for them.

We enter a hut, abominably dirty, penetrated by only a gleam of light. The Ke'nie'lala is standing in the middle of the room. After having slapped himself for five minutes on the thigh while saying Ini-tili, which means "good midday", for that is the time, he squats down on a mat and invites us to do the same.

He begins by piling up in front of him a heap of very fine sand, which he spreads out fanwise by one movement of a little broom. Then he asks us for a dozen Kola nuts, half red and half white, which he moves rapidly over the sand while babbling incomprehensible words; then, setting them out on the sand in several figures, circles, squares, diamonds, rectangles, triangles, and so forth, he makes strange gestures above them as though he were blessing them. At last he collects them carefully and holds out his dirty hands in which we place the consultation fee.

Now we've only got to ask him. He is inspired. He speaks.

In turn we ask several questions, while he listens in silence. He will give all the answers at once, he tells us. When we have finished, it's his turn to speak, very volubly and very quickly, like a man who is certain of what he says. Not very cheerful, the predictions of our magician! If we had any faith in him, which fortunately we haven't, we should come out of his consulting room worried and ill at ease.

He starts with me, with me who's been enquiring about the fate of what I value most in the world, the articles I'm sending you.

"Soon," he tells me in a gibberish which I am translating into decent French, "nobody will have any more news of you."

(As to the half fact about Morilire, either that doesn't mean anything, or if St. Berain was not so absentminded as usual, Morilire is an accomplice of those people who are trying to stop us. His insistence on taking us to the Ke'nie'lala already makes him suspect, and it is credible that he has at least been hired for that purpose. This point will have to be cleared up.

Such are my conclusions. The future will show whether they are, or are not, well founded.

Qui vivra, verra. Amedee Florence

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