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第44章

nada the lily(百合娜达)-第44章

小说: nada the lily(百合娜达) 字数: 每页4000字

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kill me; and die。 Chaka the king slept and dreamed that he lay dead;
and that one of you; the princes; wore his royal kaross。〃

〃Who wore the royal kaross?〃 asked Dingaan; eagerly; and both looked
up; waiting on my words。

〃The Prince Umhlangana wore itin the dream of ChakaO Dingaan;
shoot of a royal stock!〃 I answered slowly; taking snuff as I spoke;
and watching the two of them over the edge of my snuff…spoon。

Now Dingaan scowled heavily at Umhlangana; but the face of Umhlangana
was as the morning sky。

〃Chaka dreamed this also;〃 I went on: 〃that one of you; the princes;
held his royal spear。〃

〃Who held the royal spear?〃 asked Umhlangana。

〃The Prince Dingaan held itin the dream of ChakaO Umhlangana;
sprung from the root of kings!and it dripped blood。〃

Now the face of Umhlangana grew dark as night; but that of Dingaan
brightened like the dawn。

〃Chaka dreamed this also: that I; Mopo; your dog; who am not worthy 
to be mentioned with such names; came up and gave the royal salute;
even the Bayete。〃

〃To whom didst thou give the Bayete; O Mopo; son of Makedama?〃 asked
both of the princes as with one breath; waiting on my words。

〃I gave it to both of you; O twin stars of the morning; princes of the
Zuluin the dream of Chaka I gave it to both of you。〃

Now the princes looked this way and that; and were silent; not knowing
what to say; for these princes hated each other; though adversity and
fear had brought them to one bed。

〃But what avails it to talk thus; ye lords of the land;〃 I went on;
〃seeing that; both of you; ye are already as dead men; and that
vultures which are hungry to…night to…morrow shall be filled with meat
of the best? Chaka the king is now a Doctor of Dreams; and to clear
away such a dream as this he has a purging medicine。〃

Now the brows of these brothers grew black indeed; for they saw that
their fate was on them。

〃These are the words of Chaka the king; O ye bulls who lead the herd!
All are doomed; ye twain and I; and many another man who loves us。 In
the great kraal beyond the river there sits a regiment: it is summoned
and thengood…night! Have ye any words to say to those yet left
upon the earth? Perhaps it will be given to me to live a little while
after ye are gone; and I may bring them to their ears。〃

〃Can we not rise up now and fall upon Chaka?〃 asked Dingaan。

〃It is not possible;〃 I said; 〃the king is guarded。〃

〃Hast thou no plan; Mopo?〃 groaned Umhlangana。 〃Methinks thou hast a
plan to save us。〃

〃And if I have a plan; ye Princes; what shall be my reward? It must be
great; for I am weary of life; and I will not use my wisdom for a
little thing。〃

Now both the princes offered me good things; each of them promising
more than the other; as two young men who are rivals promise to the
father of a girl whom both would wed。 I listened; saying always that
it was not enough; till in the end both of them swore by their heads;
and by the bones of Senzangacona; their father; and by many other
things; that I should be the first man in the land; after them; its
kings; and should command the impis of the land; if I would but show
them a way to kill Chaka and become kings。 Then; when they had done
swearing; I spoke; weighing my words:

〃In the great kraal beyond the river; O ye Princes; there sit; not one
regiment but two。 One is named the Slayers and loves Chaka the king;
who has done well by them; giving them cattle and wives。 The other is
named the Bees; and that regiment is hungry and longs for cattle and
girls; moreover; of that regiment the Prince Umhlangana is the
general; and it loves him。 Now this is my planto summon the Bees in
the name of Umhlangana; not the Slayers in the name of Chaka。 Bend
forward; O Princes; that I may whisper in your ears。〃

So they bent forward; and I whispered awhile of the death of a king;
and the sons of Senzangacona nodded their heads as one man in answer。
Then I rose up; and crept from the hut as I had entered it; and
rousing certain trusty messengers; I dispatched them; running swiftly
through the night。



CHAPTER XXI

THE DEATH OF CHAKA

Now; on the morrow; two hours before midday; Chaka came from the hut
where he had sat through the night; and moved to a little kraal
surrounded by a fence that was some fifty paces distant from the hut。
For it was my duty; day by day; to choose that place where the king
should sit to hear the counsel of his indunas; and give judgment on
those whom he would kill; and to…day I had chosen this place。 Chaka
went alone from his hut to the kraal; and; for my own reasons; I
accompanied him; walking after him。 As we went the king glanced back
at me over his shoulder; and said in a low voice:

〃Is all prepared; Mopo?〃

〃All is prepared; Black One;〃 I answered。 〃The regiment of the Slayers
will be here by noon。〃

〃Where are the princes; Mopo?〃 asked the king again。

〃The princes sit with their wives in the houses of their women; O
King;〃 I answered; 〃they drink beer and sleep in the laps of their
wives。〃

Chaka smiled grimly; 〃For the last time; Mopo!〃

〃For the last time; O King。〃

We came to the kraal; and Chaka sat down in the shade of the reed
fence; upon an ox…hide that was brayed soft。 Near to him stood a girl
holding a gourd of beer; there were also present the old chief
Inguazonca; brother of Unandi; Mother of the Heavens; and the chief
Umxamama; whom Chaka loved。 When we had sat a little while in the
kraal; certain men came in bearing cranes' feathers; which the king
had sent them to gather a month's journey from the kraal Duguza; and
they were admitted before the king。 These men had been away long upon
their errand; and Chaka was angry with them。 Now the leader of the men
was an old captain of Chaka's; who had fought under him in many
battles; but whose service was done; because his right hand had been
shorn away by the blow of an axe。 He was a great man and very brave。

Chaka asked the man why he had been so long in finding the feathers;
and he answered that the birds had flown from that part of the country
whither he was sent; and he must wait there till they returned; that
he might snare them。

〃Thou shouldst have followed the cranes; yes; if they flew through the
sunset; thou disobedient dog!〃 said the king。 〃Let him be taken away;
and all those who were with him。〃

Now some of the men prayed a little for mercy; but the captain did but
salute the king; calling him 〃Father;〃 and craving a boon before he
died。

〃What wouldst thou?〃 asked Chaka。

〃My father;〃 said the man; 〃I would ask thee two things。 I have fought
many times at thy side in battle while we both were young; nor did I
ever turn my back upon the foe。 The blow that shore the hand from off
this arm was aimed at thy head; O King; I stayed it with my naked arm。
It is nothing; at thy will I live; and at thy will I die。 Who am I
that I should question the word of the king? Yet I would ask this;
that thou wilt withdraw the kaross from about thee; O King; that for
the last time my eyes may feast themselves upon the body of him whom;
above all men; I love。〃

〃Thou art long…winded;〃 said the king; 〃what more?〃

〃This; my father; that I may bid farewell to my son; he is a little
child; so high; O King;〃 and he held his hand above his knee。

〃Thy first boon is granted;〃 said the king; slipping the kaross from
his shoulders and showing the great breast beneath。 〃For the second it
shall be granted also; for I will not willingly divide the father and
the son。 Bring the boy here; thou shalt bid him farewell; then thou
shalt slay him with thine own hand ere thou thyself art slain; it will
be good sport to see。〃

Now the man turned grey beneath the blackness of his skin; and
trembled a little as he murmured; 〃The king's will is the will of his
servant; let the child be brought。〃

But I looked at Chaka and saw that the tears were running down his
face; and that he only spoke thus to try the captain who loved him to
the last。

〃Let the man go;〃 said the king; 〃him and those with him。〃

So they went glad at heart; and praising the king。

I have told you this; my father; though it has not to do with my
story; because

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