After preliminaries, Birnier inquired after Zalu Zako and informed Bakahenzie that he had journeyed expressly to see him. Bakahenzie ignored the question and began to talk about Eyes-in-the-hands, demanding to know whether Birnier was his brother.
“Nay,” said Birnier, “Eyes-in-the-hands is not of the same tribe as Moonspirit,” for he sedulously followed up the title which Mungongo had given him. “Eyes-in-the-hands comes from a country twelve moons distant from my country.”
Marufa squatting beside him grunted; Bakahenzie took snuff nonchalantly as if he did not believe a word.
“Eyes-in-the-hands is a mighty magician in his own country,” said Bakahenzie in the form of an assertion.
“The magic of Eyes-in-the-hands to the magic of Moonspirit,” stated Birnier, “is as water to the beer of the banana.”
“Eyes-in-the-hands,” remarked Bakahenzie indifferently, “hath magic to make the souls of man to be seen by all.”
“Those are but the souls of the belly and body, but Moonspirit can enchant so that the spirit of the head of man be seen at night,” boasted Birnier, wondering what trick of zu Pfeiffer’s had produced the effect.
“Eyes-in-the-hands,” insisted Bakahenzie, “hath [pg 164] a spirit in a piece of a tree which cries or laughs, sings or talks to his magic.”
“Moonspirit,” retorted Birnier (thinking “Gramophone, but I can go one better, my friend”), “hath also a spirit in a piece of tree who will speak words of wisdom unto thee in thine own tongue, who will repeat that which is said unto him in thy tongue or in my tongue, who will speak words of wisdom even unto thee.”
Bakahenzie seemed outmatched in the boasting tournament. He tapped snuff woodenly. Marufa scratched his skinny ribs thoughtfully. Then Bakahenzie remarked: