nada the lily(百合娜达)-第13章

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across　my　shoulders。　I　passed　out　of　the　Emposeni；　and；　as　I　went；　I
held　up　the　bundle　in　my　right　hand　to　the　guards；　showing　them　that
which　was　in　it；　but　saying　nothing。

〃It　is　good；〃　they　said；　nodding。

But　now　ill…fortune　found　me；　for　just　outside　the　Emposeni　I　met
three　of　the　king's　messengers。

〃Greeting；　son　of　Makedama！〃　they　said。　〃The　king　summons　you　to　the
Intunkulu〃that　is　the　royal　house；　my　father。

〃Good！〃　I　answered。　〃I　will　come　now；　but　first　I　would　run　to　my　own
place　to　see　how　it　goes　with　Macropha；　my　wife。　Here　is　that　which
the　king　seeks；〃　and　I　showed　them　the　dead　child。　〃Take　it　to　him　if
you　will。〃

〃That　is　not　the　king's　command；　Mopo；〃　they　answered。　〃His　word　is
that　you　should　stand　before　him　at　once。〃

Now　my　heart　turned　to　water　in　my　breast。　Kings　have　many　ears。　Could
he　have　heard？　And　how　dared　I　go　before　the　Lion　bearing　his　living
child　hidden　on　my　back？　Yet　to　waver　was　to　be　lost；　to　show　fear　was
to　be　lost；　to　disobey　was　to　be　lost。

〃Good！　I　come；〃　I　answered。　And　we　walked　to　the　gate　of　the
Intunkulu。

It　was　sundown。　Chaka　was　sitting　in　the　little　courtyard　in　front　of
his　hut。　I　went　down　on　my　knees　before　him　and　gave　the　royal　salute；
Bayete；　and　so　I　stayed。

〃Rise；　son　of　Makedama！〃　he　said。

〃I　cannot　rise；　Lion　of　the　Zulu；〃　I　answered；　〃I　cannot　rise；　having
royal　blood　on　my　hands；　till　the　king　has　pardoned　me。〃

〃Where　is　it？〃　he　asked。

I　pointed　to　the　mat　in　my　hand。

〃Let　me　look　at　it。〃

Then　I　undid　the　mat；　and　he　looked　on　the　child；　and　laughed　aloud。

〃He　might　have　been　a　king；〃　he　said；　as　he　bade　a　councillor　take　it
away。　〃Mopo；　thou　hast　slain　one　who　might　have　been　a　king。　Art　thou
not　afraid？〃

〃No；　Black　One；〃　I　answered；　〃the　child　is　killed　by　order　of　one　who
is　a　king。〃

〃Sit　down；　and　let　us　talk；〃　said　Chaka；　for　his　mood　was　idle。　〃To…
morrow　thou　shalt　have　five　oxen　for　this　deed；　thou　shalt　choose　them
from　the　royal　herd。〃

〃The　king　is　good；　he　sees　that　my　belt　is　drawn　tight；　he　satisfies
my　hunger。　Will　the　king　suffer　that　I　go？　My　wife　is　in　labour　and　I
would　visit　her。〃

〃Nay；　stay　awhile；　say　how　it　is　with　Baleka；　my　sister　and　thine？〃

〃It　is　well。〃

〃Did　she　weep　when　you　took　the　babe　from　her？〃

〃Nay；　she　wept　not。　She　said；　'My　lord's　will　is　my　will。'〃

〃Good！　Had　she　wept　she　had　been　slain　also。　Who　was　with　her？〃

〃The　Mother　of　the　Heavens。〃

The　brow　of　Chaka　darkened。　〃Unandi；　my　mother；　what　did　she　there？　My
myself　I　swear；　though　she　is　my　motherif　I　thought〃and　he　ceased。

Thee　was　a　silence；　then　he　spoke　again。　〃Say；　what　is　in　that　mat？〃
and　he　pointed　with　his　little　assegai　at　the　bundle　on　my　shoulders。

〃Medicine；　king。〃

〃Thou　dost　carry　enough　to　doctor　an　impi。　Undo　the　mat　and　let　me
look　at　it。〃

Now；　my　father；　I　tell　you　that　the　marrow　melted　in　my　bones　with
terror；　for　if　I　undid　the　mat　I　feared　he　must　see　the　child　and
then〃

〃It　is　tagati；　it　is　bewitched；　O　king。　It　is　not　wise　to　look　on
medicine。〃

〃Open！〃　he　answered　angrily。　〃What？　may　I　not　look　at　that　which　I　am
forced　to　swallowI；　who　am　the　first　of　doctors？〃

〃Death　is　the　king's　medicine；〃　I　answered；　lifting　the　bundle；　and
laying　it　as　far　from　him　in　the　shadow　of　the　fence　as　I　dared。　Then
I　bent　over　it；　slowly　undoing　the　rimpis　with　which　it　was　tied；
while　the　sweat　of　terror　ran　down　by　face　blinding　me　like　tears。
What　would　I　do　if　he　saw　the　child？　What　if　the　child　awoke　and
cried？　I　would　snatch　the　assegai　from　his　hand　and　stab　him！　Yes；　I
would　kill　the　king　and　then　kill　myself！　Now　the　mat　was　unrolled。
Inside　were　the　brown　leaves　and　roots　of　medicine；　beneath　them　was
the　senseless　bade　wrapped　in　dead　moss。

〃Ugly　stuff；〃　said　the　king；　taking　snuff。　〃Now　see；　Mopo；　what　a　good
aim　I　have！　This　for　thy　medicine！〃　And　he　lifted　his　assegai　to　throw
it　through　the　bundle。　But　as　he　threw；　my　snake　put　it　into　the
king's　heart　to　sneeze；　and　thus　it　came　to　pass　that　the　assegai　only
pierced　the　outer　leaves　of　the　medicine；　and　did　not　touch　the　child。

〃May　the　heavens　bless　the　king！〃　I　said；　according　to　custom。

〃Thanks　to　thee；　Mopo；　it　is　a　good　omen；〃　he　answered。　〃And　now；
begone！　Take　my　advice：　kill　thy　children；　as　I　kill　mine；　lest　they
live　to　worry　thee。　The　whelps　of　lions　are　best　drowned。〃

I　did　up　the　bundle　fastfast；　though　my　hands　trembled。　Oh！　what　if
the　child　should　wake　and　cry。　It　was　done；　I　rose　and　saluted　the
king。　Then　I　doubled　myself　up　and　passed　from　before　him。　Scarcely
was　I　outside　the　gates　of　the　Intunkulu　when　the　infant　began　to
squeak　in　the　bundle。　If　it　had　been　one　minute　before！

〃What；〃　said　a　soldier；　as　I　passed；　〃have　you　got　a　puppy　hidden
under　your　moocha；＇1＇　Mopo？〃

＇1＇　Girdle　composed　of　skin　and　tails　of　oxen。…ED。

I　made　no　answer；　but　hurried　on　till　I　came　to　my　huts。　I　entered；
there　were　my　two　wives　alone。

〃I　have　recovered　the　child；　women；〃　I　said；　as　I　undid　the　bundle。

Anadi　took　him　and　looked　at　him。

〃The　boy　seems　bigger　than　he　was；〃　she　said。

〃The　breath　of　life　has　come　into　him　and　puffed　him　out；〃　I　answered。

〃His　eyes　are　not　as　his　eyes　were；〃　she　said　again。　〃Now　they　are　big
and　black；　like　the　eyes　of　the　king。〃

〃My　spirit　looked　upon　his　eyes　and　made　them　beautiful；〃　I　answered。

〃This　child　has　a　birth…mark　on　his　thigh；〃　she　said　a　third　time。
〃That　which　I　gave　you　had　no　mark。〃

〃I　laid　my　medicine　there；〃　I　answered。

〃It　is　not　the　same　child；〃　she　said　sullenly。　〃It　is　a　changeling　who
will　lay　ill…luck　at　our　doors。〃

Then　I　rose　up　in　my　rage　and　cursed　her　heavily；　for　I　saw　that　if
she　was　not　stopped　this　woman's　tongue　would　bring　us　all　to　ruin。

〃Peace；　witch！〃　I　cried。　〃How　dare　you　to　speak　thus　from　a　lying
heart？　Do　you　wish　to　draw　down　a　curse　upon　our　roof？　Would　you　make
us　all　food　for　the　king's　spear？　Say　such　words　again；　and　you　shall
sit　within　the　circlethe　Ingomboco　shall　know　you　for　a　witch！〃

So　I　stormed　on；　threatening　to　bring　her　to　death；　till　at　length　she
grew　fearful；　and　fell　at　my　feet　praying　for　mercy　and　forgiveness。
But　I　was　much　afraid　because　of　this　woman's　tongue；　and　not　without
reason。



CHAPTER　VII

UMSLOPOGAAS　ANSWERS　THE　KING

Now　the　years　went　on；　and　this　matter　slept。　Nothing　more　was　heard
of　it；　but　still　it　only　slept；　and；　my　father；　I　feared　greatly　for
the　hour　when　it　should　awake。　For　the　secret　was　known　by　two　women
Unandi；　Mother　of　the　Heavens；　and　Baleka；　my　sister；　wife　of　the
king；　and　by　two　moreMacropha　and　Anadi；　my　wivesit　was　guessed
at。　How；　then；　should　it　remain　a　secret　forever？　Moreover；　it　came
about　that　Unandi　and　Baleka　could　not　restrain　their　fondness　for
this　child　who　was　called　my　son　and　named　Umslopogaas；　but　who　was
the　son　of　Chaka；　the　king；　and　of　the　Baleka；　and　the　grandson　of
Unandi。　So　it　happened　that　very　often　one　or　the　other　of　them　would
come　into　my　hut；　making　pretence　to　visit　my　wives；　and　take　the　boy
upon　her　lap　and　fondle　it。　In　vain　did　I　pray　them　to　forbear。　Love
pulled　at　their　heart…strings　more　heavily　than　my　words；　and　still
they　came。　This　was　the　end　of　itthat　Chaka　saw　the　child　sitting　on
the　knee　of　Unandi；　his　mother。

〃What　does　my　mother　with　that　brat　of　thine；　Mopo？〃　he　asked　of　me。
〃Cannot　she　kiss　me；　if　she　will　find　a　child　to　kiss？〃　And　he　laughed
like　a　wolf。

I　said　that　I　did　not　know；　and　the　matter　passed　over　for　awhile。　But
after　that　Chaka　caused　his　mother　to　be　watched。　Now　the　boy
Umslopogaas　grew　great　and　strong；　there　was　no　such　lad　of　his　years
for　a　day's　journey　round。　But　from　a　babe　he　was　somewhat　surly；　of
few　words；　and　like　his　father；　Chaka；　afraid　of　nothing。　In　all　the
world　there　were　but　two　people　whom　he　lovedthese　were　I；　Mopo；　who
was　called　his　father；　and　Nada；　she　who　was　said　to　be　his　twin
sister。

Now　it　must　be　told　of　Nada　that　as　the　boy　Umslopogaas　was　the
strongest　and　bravest　of　children；　so　the　girl　Nada　was　the　gentlest
and　most　fair。　Of　a　truth；　my　father；　I　believe　that　her　blood　was　not
all　Zulu；　though　this　I　cannot　say　for