the virgin of the sun-第34章
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Then she sprang from the prow of the /balsa/ to the shore; followed by
her two maidens; who dragged it further up the beach; and went forward
to talk with certain white…robed men in the crowd。 For a long while
she talked; turning now and again to point at me。 At length these men;
accompanied by a number of others; ran forward。 At first I thought
they meant mischief and grasped my sword…hilt; then; remembering what
Quilla had said; remained seated and silent。
Indeed; there was no cause for fear; for when the white…robed chiefs
or priests and their following were close to me; suddenly they
prostrated themselves and beat their heads upon the sand; from which I
learned that they; too; believed me to be a god。 Thereon I bowed to
them and; drawing my swordat the sight of which I saw them stare and
shiver; for to these people steel was unknownheld it straight up in
front of me in my right hand; the shield with the cognizance of the
three arrows being on my left arm。
Now all the men rose; and some of them of the humbler sort; creeping
to the /balsa/; suddenly seized it and lifted it on to their
shoulders; which; being but a light thing of reeds and blown…out
skins; they could do easily enough。 Then; preceded by the chiefs; they
advanced up the beach into the town; I still remaining seated in the
boat with Kari crouching behind me。 So strange was the business that
almost I laughed aloud; wondering what those grave merchants of the
Cheap whom I had known in London would think if they could see me
thus。
〃Kari;〃 I said; without turning my head; 〃what are they going to do
with us? Set us in yonder temple to be worshipped with nothing to
eat?〃
〃I think not; Master;〃 answered Kari; 〃since there the lady Quilla
could not come to speak with you if she would。 I think that they will
take you to the house of the king of this country where; I understand;
she is dwelling。〃
This; indeed; proved to be the case; for we were borne solemnly up the
main street of the town; that now was packed with thousands of people;
some of whom threw flowers before the feet of the bearers; bowing and
staring till I thought that their eyes would fall out; to a large;
flat…roofed house set in a walled courtyard。 Passing through the gates
the bearers placed the /balsa/ on the ground and fell back。 Then from
out of the door of the house appeared Quilla; accompanied by a tall;
stately looking man who wore a fine robe; and a woman of middle age
also gorgeously apparelled。
〃O Lord;〃 said Quilla; bowing; 〃behold my kinsman the /Caraca/〃 (which
is the name for a lesser sort of king) 〃of the Yuncas; named
Quismancu; and his wife; Mira。〃
〃Hail; Lord Risen from the Sea!〃 cried Quismancu。 〃Hail; White God
clothed in silver! Hail; /Hurachi/!〃
Why he called me 〃Hurachi〃 at the time I could not guess; but
afterwards I learned that it was because of the arrows painted on my
shield; /hurachi/ being their name for arrows。 At any rate;
thenceforth by this name of Hurachi I was known throughout the land;
though when addressed for the most part I was called 〃Lord…from…the…
Sea〃 or 〃God…of…the…Sea。〃
Then Quilla and the lady Mira came forward and; placing their hands
beneath my elbows; assisted me to climb out of that /balsa/; which I
think was the strangest way that ever a shipwrecked wanderer came to
land。
They led me into a large room with a flat roof that was being hastily
prepared for me by the hanging of beautiful broideries on the walls;
and sat me on a carven stool; where presently Quilla and other ladies
brought me food and a kind of intoxicating drink which they called
/chicha/; that after so many months of water drinking I found cheering
and pleasant to the taste。 This food; I noted; was served to me on
platters of gold and silver; and the cups also were of gold strangely
fashioned; by which I knew that I had come to a very rich land。
Afterwards I learned; however; that in it there was no money; all the
gold and silver that it produced being used for ornament or to
decorate the temples and the palaces of the /Incas/; as they called
their kings; and other great lords。
CHAPTER IV
THE ORACLE OF RIMAC
In this town of Quismancu I remained for seven days; going abroad but
little; for when I did so the people pressed about me and stared me
out of countenance。 There was a garden at the back of the hose
surrounded by a wall built of mud bricks。 Here for the most part I sat
and here the great ones of the place came to visit me; bringing me
offerings of robes and golden vessels and I know not what besides。 To
all of them I told the same storyor; rather; Kari told it for me
namely; that I had risen out of the sea and found him a hermit; named
Zapana; on the desert island。 What is more; they believed it and;
indeed; it was true; for had I not risen out of the sea?
From time to time Quilla came to see me also in this garden; bearing
gifts of flowers; and with her I talked alone。 She would sit upon a
low stool; considering me with her beautiful eyes; as though she would
search out my soul。 One day she said to me:
〃Tell me; Lord; are you a god or a man?〃
〃What is a god?〃 I asked。
〃A god is that which is adored and loved。〃
〃And is a man never adored and loved; Quilla? For instance; I
understand that you are to be married; and doubtless you adore and
love him who will be your husband。〃
She shivered a little and answered:
〃It is not so。 I hate him。〃
〃Then why are you going to marry him? Are you forced to do so;
Quilla?〃
〃No; Lord。 I marry him for my people's sake。 He desires me for my
inheritance and my beauty; and by my beauty I may lead him down that
road on which my people wish that he should go。〃
〃An old story; Quilla; but will you be happy thus?〃
〃No; Lord; I shall be very unhappy。 But what does it matter? I am only
a woman; and such is the lot of women。〃
〃Women; like gods and men; are also sometimes loved and adored;
Quilla。〃
She flushed at the words and answered:
〃Ah! if that were so life might be different。 But even if it were so
and I found the man who could love and adore even for a year; for me
it is now too late。 I am sworn away by an oath that may not be broken;
for to break it might bring death upon my people。〃
〃To whom are you sworn?〃
〃To the Child of the Sun; no less a man; to the god who will be Inca
of all this land。〃
〃And what is this god like?〃
〃They say that he is huge and swarthy; with a large mouth; and I know
that he has the heart of a brute。 He is cruel and false also; and he
counts his women by the score。 Yet his father; the Inca; loves him
more than any of his children; and ere long he will be king after
him。〃
〃And would you; who are sweet and lovely as the moon after which you
are named; give yourself body and soul to such a one?〃
Again she flushed。
〃Do my own ears hear the White…God…from…the…Sea call me sweet and
lovely as the moon? If so; I thank him; and pray him to remember that
the perfect and lovely are always chosen to be the sacrifice of gods。〃
〃But; Quilla; the sacrifice may be all in vain。 How long will you hold
the fancy of this loose…living prince?〃
〃Long enough to serve my purpose; Lordor; at least;〃 she added with
flashing eyes; 〃long enough to kill him if he will not go my country's
road。 Oh! ask me no more; for your words stir something in my breast;
a new spirit of which I never dreamed。 Had I heard them but three
moons gone; it might have been otherwise。 Why did you not appear
sooner from the sea; my lord Hurachi; be you god or man?〃
Then; with something like a sob; she rose; made obeisance; and fled
away。
That evening; when we were alone in my chamber where none could hear
us; I told Kari that Quilla was promised in marriage to a prince who
would be Inca of all the land。
〃Is it so?〃 said Kari。 〃Well; learn; Master; that this prince is my
brother; he whom I hate; he who has done me bitter wrong; he who stole
away my wife and poisoned me。 Urco is his name。 Does this lady Quilla
love him?〃
〃I think not。 I think that like you she hates him; yet will marry him
for reasons of policy。〃