“Ask him why we were brought here, Akomo.”
The witch doctor, who evidently knew some English, broke in sneeringly, “You juju man, eh?” he asked Tom.
“Juju man? What’s that?”
“He means you do magic,” Akomo explained. “I think he heard you come to build highway.”
Tom was startled. “How could he know that?”
“Before you come, drums were telling the news -all the way to East Ngombia. They told how other white men tried to make big trail through jungle and could not. But now the Oba-the ruler in Princetown-he send for young white man who make strong juju. He build great machines that fly, and go under water, and he will make big trail.”
Tom grinned. “They can call it juju here, if they like. In America we call it science.”
The young inventor’s smile seemed to enrage the witch doctor. “White man’s juju no good in forest!” he ranted. “Uoshu and Sho-sho-go make jungle taboo!”
70 REPELATRON SKYWAY
The name of Uoshu-the devil god-caught Tom’s attention. Sho-sho-go, he guessed, must be another African deity.
A DUEL OF MAGIC 71
Meanwhile, the witch doctor continued to rave, in snatches of English mixed with his native dialect. Akomo explained uneasily that he was warn-72 REPELATRON SKYWAY
ing Tom not to try building a road through the jungle-or else the witch doctor would cast a terrible spell against them.
“If we do build a road, it will be for you and your people,” Tom stated. The young inventor tried to explain that the Wangurus would then be able to trade with other tribes and receive more food as well as goods. But this only provoked a fresh outburst from the witch doctor.
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