No argument was of any avail. Kabba Rega replied, "You were my father's
friend and brother: your wife was the same. You drove back the
slave-hunters under Wat-el-Mek by hoisting your flag. Since you left us,
the slave-hunters have returned and ruined the country. My father is
dead; but Rionga is still alive. Now you are my father, and your wife is
my mother: will you allow your son's enemy to live?"
It was quite useless to attempt reason with this hardened young fellow,
who had not an idea of mercy in his disposition. As he had murdered his
own relatives by the foulest treachery, so he would of course destroy
any person who stood in his way. I therefore changed the conversation to
Abou Saood.
Kabba Rega and his sheiks all agreed that he had arrived here some time
ago in a very miserable plight, exceedingly dirty, and riding upon a
donkey. He was without baggage of any kind, and he introduced himself by
giving a present to Kabba Rega of an old, battered metal basin and jug,
in which he washed, together with a very old and worn-out small carpet,
upon which he was accustomed to sit. With these magnificent presents he
declared that he was "the son of a sultan, who had come to visit the
king of Unyoro."
Kabba Rega had replied that "he did not believe it, as he had heard that
he was simply a trader."
Reports had reached Unyoro that I had arrived at Gondokoro, and that I
was on my way to visit Kamrasi, and to explore the Albert N'yanza;
therefore Kabba Rega had questioned Abou Saood concerning me.
"Oh," Abou Saood replied, "that man whom we call 'the traveller'? Oh
yes, he was a very good fellow indeed; but he is dead. He died long ago.
The Pacha is a very different person; and I hope he will never be able
to reach this country. If he does, it will be a bad time for YOU."
"Indeed!" replied Kabba Rega. "I heard that the Pacha and the traveller,
the friend of my father, were the same person."
"You have been deceived," said Abou Saood. "The Pacha is not like the
traveller, or any other man. He is a monster with three separate heads,
in each of which are six eyes - three upon each side. Thus with
eighteen eyes he can see everything and every country at once. He has
three enormous mouths, which are furnished with teeth like those of a
crocodile, and he devours human flesh. He has already killed and eaten
the Bari people and destroyed their country. Should he arrive here, he
will pull you from the throne and seize your kingdom.
