King Manjolo's Guest

After a while, Jacobus shuffled back to the door and stooped out. This time, perhaps because of the pouch whose string he was loosening, he did not stoop out of the eaves. Jumbe and Galafa had to step forward. “How did you find him__ gullible?” Jacobus asked as he shoved his hand into the weighty pouch. “Gullible! You can say that again bwana. You should have seen the look of wonderment on his face when we told him you have knowledge of the secret to eternal life! If we were mongooses and he a fowl, we would be picking strands of his royal flesh from our teeth right now.” Jumbe bragged. Seeing the string of cowries that Jacobus had produced, Galafa did not want to be outdone by his friend. “His royal plumage would have been garnishing my caked scat behind a thicket or anthill in the forest right now. We mesmerized him with fables of your prowess in healing the sick and wounded__ We were so convincing that he drooled so copiously you would be forgiven for mistaking him for a royal imbecile!” They had Jacobus beaming from ear to ear. “Very well done,” he congratulated them, “But, I won’t go there yet. I will wait until he starts blabbing my name when he sleep-talks! I might as well wait until he sends emissaries to plead for my visit__ Here, you can share this for the time being.” He wiggled the string of beautiful, gently sheened cowries before handing it to Jumbe. “You will be rewarded a hundredfold once the ventures I have in mind start blooming,” he added as they turned to leave. And, as if he had forgotten something, Jumbe froze in mid-step and executed an about turn to come face to face with the beaming Jacobus. “Bwana Yakubu, I would advise you not to procrastinate paying Manjolo the visit,” he took a couple of steps closer to Jacobus and spoke in a hushed tone, “We have heard there is another bwana approaching from the west. It is said he is also claiming to have come to make people live forever. So, you had better make haste for, while the leopard must haul its prey to the highest bough on a tree before it starts feeding, the hyena starts feasting when its prey is still kicking and bellowing.” He waited until he thought Jacobus was out of earshot before continuing, “What makes you think with your enchiridion you will succeed where others like the scheming Mustafa failed with their subterfuge.” The smile had slowly disappeared from Jacobus’s face as he entered his hut. “Who is this spoil sport?” he wondered audibly. “Anyway, the Grey Mist has anchored, and I have confirmed my consignment of gin, sugar, checked calicoes and medicines is on board. Tomorrow, I will break camp and head for the Bang’anja kingdom.