United States or Guinea-Bissau ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The boy was nearly ten years younger than Anketam, but Anketam knew that his younger brother had more brains and ability, as far as paper work went, than he, himself, would ever have. Anketam noticed, without criticism, that Russat had grown soft with the years.
Basom had a tendency to do a sloppy job, and if it had showed up as bruised or poorly planted seedlings, Anketam would have seen to it that Basom got what was coming to him. But the section looked as good as anyone else's, so Anketam said nothing to Basom. Russat had come back after twenty days and reported that there was an awful lot of fuss in Chromdin, but nothing was really developing.
A big occasion." She nodded quickly, very pleased, and went over to get another cup. "What brings you up here, Russ?" Anketam asked. "I hope you didn't just decide to pick up a bottle of your Chief's brandy and then take off." He chuckled after he said it, but he was more serious than he let on. He actually worried about Russat at times.
But war? Why? "How'd it happen?" he asked. Russat sipped at his hot drink before answering. Behind him, Memi moved slowly around the cooker, pretending to be finishing the meal, pretending not to be listening. "Well, I don't have all the information," Russat said, pinching his little short beard between thumb and forefinger. "But I do know that the Chiefs didn't want the embassy in Chromdin."
The boy might just take it in his head to do something silly. Russat laughed and shook his head. "No, no. I'm not crazy, and I'm not stupid at least, I think not. No; I got to go up to Chromdin. My Chief is sending word that he's ready to supply goods for the war." Anketam frowned. He'd heard that there might be war, of course.
The English carles danced, not indeed around an altar, but around a bunt pole crowned with such flowers as were in season; and one of them, like the youth who in the Dionysiac dance masqueraded as the god, was decked out duly as Robin Hood 'with a magpye's plume to hys capp, we are told, and sometimes 'a russat bearde compos'd of horses hair. The most famous of the dances for Robin Hood was the 'pageant. Herein appeared, besides the hero himself and various tabours and pipers, a 'dysard' or fool, and Friar Tuck, and Maid Marian 'in a white kyrtele and her hair all unbrayded, but with blossoms thereyn. This 'pageant' was performed at Whitsun, at Easter, on New-Year's day, and on May-day.
"No," said Anketam. "I suppose not." "I understand they have been making all kinds of threats," Russat said. "Trying to tell everybody what to do. They think they run all of Creation, I guess. Anyway, they were told to pull out right after the last harvest. They refused to do it, and for a while nobody did anything. Then, last week, the President ordered the Army to throw 'em out bag and baggage.
Pour us something hot and get that bottle out of the cupboard!" Anketam pushed his brother back towards the chair and made him sit down, but Russat was protesting: "Now, wait a minute! Now, just you hold on, Ank! Don't be getting out your bottle just yet. I brought some real stuff! I mean, expensive stuff you can't get very easy.
There was a moment's hesitation, then a minute or two of handshaking and backslapping as the two brothers both tried to speak at the same time. Anketam heard himself repeating: "Yessir! By heaven, it's good to see you! Real good!" And Russat was saying: "Same here, Ank! And, gee, you're looking great. I mean, real great! Tough as ever, eh, Ank?" "Yeah, sure, tough as ever. Sit down, boy. Memi!
"Yeah," he said, walking toward the kitchen. "It's me." "We've got company," she said. "Guess who." "I don't claim to be much good at guessing," said Anketam. "I'll have to peek." He stopped at the door of the kitchen and grinned widely when he saw who the man was. "Russat! Well, by heaven, it's good to see you!"
Word Of The Day