nada the lily(百合娜达)-第47章

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to　the　ears　of　the　King　Dingaan　that　there　lived　in　Swaziland　among
the　Halakazi　tribe　a　girl　of　the　most　wonderful　beauty；　who　was　named
the　Lily；　and　whose　skin　was　whiter　than　are　the　skins　of　our　people；
and　he　desired　greatly　to　have　this　girl　to　wife。　So　Dingaan　sent　an
embassy　to　the　chief　of　the　Halakazi；　demanding　that　the　girl　should
be　given　to　him。　At　the　end　of　a　month　the　embassy　returned　again；　and
told　the　king　that　they　had　found　nothing　but　hard　words　at　the　kraal
of　the　Halakazi；　and　had　been　driven　thence　with　scorn　and　blows。

This　was　the　message　of　the　chief　of　the　Halakazi　to　Dingaan；　king　of
the　Zulus：　That　the　maid　who　was　named　the　Lily；　was；　indeed；　the
wonder　of　the　earth；　and　as　yet　unwed；　for　she　had　found　no　man　upon
whom　she　looked　with　favour；　and　she　was　held　in　such　love　by　this
people　that　it　was　not　their　wish　to　force　any　husband　on　her。
Moreover；　the　chief　said　that　he　and　his　people　defied　Dingaan　and　the
Zulus；　as　their　fathers　had　defied　Chaka　before　him；　and　spat　upon　his
name；　and　that　no　maid　of　theirs　should　go　to　be　the　wife　of　a　Zulu
dog。

Then　the　chief　of　the　Halakazi　caused　the　maid　who　was　named　the　Lily
to　be　led　before　the　messengers　of　Dingaan；　and　they　found　her
wonderfully　fair；　for　so　they　said：　she　was　tall　as　a　reed；　and　her
grace　was　the　grace　of　a　reed　that　is　shaken　in　the　wind。　Moreover；
her　hair　curled；　and　hung　upon　her　shoulders；　her　eyes　were　large　and
brown；　and　soft　as　a　buck's；　her　colour　was　the　colour　of　rich　cream；
her　smile　was　like　a　ripple　on　the　waters；　and　when　she　spoke　her
voice　was　low　and　sweeter　than　the　sound　of　an　instrument　of　music。
They　said　also　that　the　girl　wished　to　speak　with　them；　but　the　chief
forbade　it；　and　caused　her　to　be　led　thence　with　all　honour。

Now；　when　Dingaan　heard　this　message　he　grew　mad　as　a　lion　in　a　net；
for　he　desired　this　maid　above　everything；　and　yet　he　who　had　all
things　could　not　win　the　maid。　This　was　his　command；　that　a　great　impi
should　be　gathered　and　sent　to　Swaziland　against　the　Halakazi　tribe；
to　destroy　them　and　seize　the　maid。　But　when　the　matter　came　on　to　be
discussed　with　the　indunas　in　the　presence　of　the　king；　at　the
Amapakati　or　council；　I；　as　chief　of　the　indunas；　spoke　against　it；
saying　that　the　tribe　of　the　Halakazi　were　great　and　strong；　and　that
war　with　them　would　mean　war　with　the　Swazis　also；　moreover；　they　had
their　dwelling　in　caves　which　were　had　to　win。　Also；　I　said；　that　this
was　no　time　to　send　impis　to　seek　a　single　girl；　for　few　years　had
gone　by　since　the　Black　One　fell；　and　foes　were　many；　and　the　soldiers
of　the　land　had　waxed　few　with　slaughter；　half　of　them　having　perished
in　the　marshes　of　the　Limpopo。　Now；　time　must　be　given　them　to　grow　up
again；　for　to…day　they　were　as　a　little　child；　or　like　a　man　wasted
with　hunger。　Maids　were　many；　let　the　king　take　them　and　satisfy　his
heart；　but　let　him　make　no　war　for　this　one。

Thus　I　spoke　boldly　in　the　face　of　the　king；　as　none　had　dared　to
speak　before　Chaka；　and　courage　passed　from　me　to　the　hearts　of　the
other　indunas　and　generals；　and　they　echoed　my　words；　for　they　knew
that；　of　all　follies；　to　begin　a　new　war　with　the　Swazi　people　would
be　the　greatest。

Dingaan　listened；　and　his　brow　grew　dark；　yet　he　was　not　so　firmly
seated　on　the　throne　that　he　dared　put　away　our　words；　for　still　there
were　many　in　the　land　who　loved　the　memory　of　Chaka；　and　remembered
that　Dingaan　had　murdered　him　and　Umhlangana　also。　For　now　that　Chaka
was　dead；　people　forgot　how　evilly　he　had　dealt　with　them；　and
remembered　only　that　he　was　a　great　man；　who　had　made　the　Zulu　people
out　of　nothing；　as　a　smith　fashions　a　bright　spear　from　a　lump　of
iron。　Also；　though　they　had　changed　masters；　yet　their　burden　was　not
lessened；　for；　as　Chaka　slew；　so　Dingaan　slew　also；　and　as　Chaka
oppressed；　so　did　Dingaan　oppress。　Therefore　Dingaan　yielded　to　the
voice　of　his　indunas　and　no　impi　was　sent　against　the　Halakazi　to　seek
the　maid　that　was　named　the　Lily。　But　still　he　hankered　for　her　in　his
heart；　and　from　that　hour　he　hated　me　because　I　had　crossed　his　will
and　robbed　him　of　his　desire。

Now；　my　father；　there　is　this　to　be　told：　though　I　did　not　know　it
then；　the　maid　who　was　named　the　Lily　was　no　other　than　my　daughter
Nada。　The　thought；　indeed；　came　into　my　mind；　that　none　but　Nada　could
be　so　fair。　Yet　I　knew　for　certain　that　Nada　and　her　mother　Macropha
were　dead；　for　he　who　brought　me　the　news　of　their　death　had　seen
their　bodies　locked　in　each　other's　arms；　killed；　as　it　were；　by　the
same　spear。　Yet；　as　it　chanced；　he　was　wrong；　for　though　Macropha
indeed　was　killed；　it　was　another　maid　who　lay　in　blood　beside　her；
for　the　people　whither　I　had　sent　Macropha　and　Nada　were　tributary　to
the　Halakazi　tribe；　and　that　chief　of　the　Halakazi　who　sat　in　the
place　of　Galazi　the　Wolf　had　quarrelled　with　them；　and　fallen　on　them
by　night　and　eaten　them　up。

As　I　learned　afterwards；　the　cause　of　their　destruction；　as　in　later
days　it　was　the　cause　of　the　slaying　of　the　Halakazi；　was　the　beauty
of　Nada　and　nothing　else；　for　the　fame　of　her　loveliness　had　gone
about　the　land；　and　the　old　chief　of　the　Halakazi　had　commanded　that
the　girl　should　be　sent　to　his　kraal　to　live　there；　that　her　beauty
might　shine　upon　his　place　like　the　sun；　and　that；　if　so　she　willed；
she　should　choose　a　husband　from　the　great　men　of　the　Halakazi。　But
the　headmen　of　the　kraal　refused；　for　none　who　had　looked　on　her　would
suffer　their　eyes　to　lose　sight　of　Nada　the　Lily；　though　there　was
this　fate　about　the　maid　that　none　strove　to　wed　her　against　her　will。
Many；　indeed；　asked　her　in　marriage；　both　there　and　among　the　Halakazi
people；　but　ever　she　shook　her　head　and　said；　〃Nay；　I　would　wed　no
man；〃　and　it　was　enough。

For　it　was　the　saying　among　men；　that　it　was　better　that　she　should
remain　unmarried；　and　all　should　look　on　her；　than　that　she　should
pass　from　their　sight　into　the　house　of　a　husband；　since　they　held
that　her　beauty　was　given　to　be　a　joy　to　all；　like　the　beauty　of　the
dawn　and　of　the　evening。　Yet　this　beauty　of　Nada's　was　a　dreadful
thing；　and　the　mother　of　much　death；　as　shall　be　told；　and　because　of
her　beauty　and　the　great　love　she　bore；　she；　the　Lily　herself；　must
wither；　and　the　cup　of　my　sorrows　must　be　filled　to　overflowing；　and
the　heart　of　Umslopogaas　the　Slaughterer；　son　of　Chaka　the　king；　must
become　desolate　as　the　black　plain　when　fire　has　swept　it。　So　it　was
ordained；　my　father；　and　so　it　befell；　seeing　that　thus　all　men；　white
and　black；　seek　that　which　is　beautiful；　and　when　at　last　they　find
it；　then　it　passes　swiftly　away；　or；　perchance；　it　is　their　death。　For
great　joy　and　great　beauty　are　winged；　nor　will　they　sojourn　long　upon
the　earth。　They　come　down　like　eagles　out　of　the　sky；　and　into　the　sky
they　return　again　swiftly。

Thus　then　it　came　about；　my　father；　that　I；　Mopo；　believing　my
daughter　Nada　to　be　dead；　little　guessed　that　it　was　she　who　was　named
the　Lily　in　the　kraals　of　the　Halakazi；　and　whom　Dingaan　the　king
desired　for　a　wife。

Now　after　I　had　thwarted　him　in　this　matter　of　the　sending　of　an　impi
to　pluck　the　Lily　from　the　gardens　of　the　Halakazi；　Dingaan　learned　to
hate　me。　Also　I　was　in　his　secrets；　and　with　me　he　had　killed　his
brother　Chaka　and　his　brother　Umhlangana；　and　it　was　I　who　held　him
back　from　the　slaying　of　his　brother　Panda　also；　and；　therefore；　he
hated　me；　as　is　the　fashion　of　small…hearted　men　with　those　who　have
lifted　them　up。　Yet　he　did　not　dare　to　do　away　with　me；　for　my　voice
was　loud　in　the　land；　and　when　I　spoke　the　people　listened。　Therefore；
in　the　end；　he　cast　about　for　some　way　to　be　rid　of　me　for　a　while；
till　he　should　grow　strong　enough　to　kill　me。

〃Mopo；〃　said　the　king　to　me　one　day　as　I　sat　before　him　in　council
with　others　of　the　indunas　and　generals；　〃mindest　thou　of　the　last
words　of　the　Great　Elephant；　who　is　dead？〃　This　he　said　meaning　Chaka
his　brother；　only　he　did　not　name　him；　for　now　the　name　of　Chaka　was
blonipa　in　the　land；　as　is　the　custom　with　the　names　of　dead　kings
that　is；　my　father；　it　was　not　lawful　that　it　should　pass　the　lips。

〃I　remember　the　words；　O　Ki