she-第39章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


proved　to　me　that　these　daises　must　have　been　used　as　
altars；　probably　for　the　celebration　of　religious　
ceremonies；　and　more　especially　of　rites　connected　
with　the　interment　of　the　dead。　On　either　side　of　this　
dais　were　passages　leading；　Billali　informed　me；　to　
other　caves　full　of　dead　bodies。　〃Indeed；〃　he　added；　
〃the　whole　mountain　is　full　of　dead；　and　nearly　all　of　
them　are　perfect。〃

In　front　of　the　dais　were　gathered　a　great　number　of　
people　of　both　sexes；　who　stood　staring　about　in　their　
peculiar　gloomy　fashion；　which　would　have　reduced　Mark　
Tapley　himself　to　misery　in　about　five　minutes。　On　the　
dais　was　a　rude　chair　of　black　wood　inlaid　with　ivory；　
having　a　seat　made　of　grass　fibre；　and　a　footstool　
formed　of　a　wooden　slab　attached　to　the　framework　of　
the　chair。

Suddenly　there　was　a　cry　of　〃　_i_　Hiya！　Hiya！　_i_　〃　（〃　
_i_　She　_i_　！　_i_　She　_i_　！〃）；　and　thereupon　the　
entire　crowd　of　spectators　instantly　precipitated　
itself　upon　the　ground；　and　lay　still　as　though　it　
were　individually　and　collectively　stricken　dead；　
leaving　me　standing　there　like　some　solitary　survivor　
of　a　massacre。　As　it　did　so　a　long　string　of　guards　
began　to　defile　from　a　passage　to　the　left；　and　ranged　
themselves　on　either　side　of　the　dais。　Then　followed　
about　a　score　of　male　mutes；　then　as　many　women　mutes　
bearing　lamps；　and　then　a　tall；　white　figure；　swatbed　
from　head　to　foot；　in　whom　I　recognized　_i_　She　_i_　
herself。　_i_　She　_i_　mounted　the　dais　and　sat…down　
upon　the　chair；　and　spoke　to　me　in　Greek。　I　suppose　
because　she　did　not　wish　those　present　to　understand　
what　she　said。

〃Come　hither；　O　Holly；〃　she　said；　〃and　sit　thou　at　my　
feet；　and　see　me　do　justice　on　those　who　would　have　
slain　thee。　Forgive　me　if　my　Greek　doth　halt　like　a　
lame　man；　it　is　so　long　since　I　have　heard　the　sound　
of　it　that　my　tongue　is　stiff；　and　will　not　bend　
rightly　to　the　words。〃

I　bowed；　and；　mounting　the　dais；　sat　down　at　her　feet。

〃How　didst　thou　sleep；　my　Holly？〃　she　asked。

〃I　slept　not　well；　O　Ayesha！〃　I　answered　with　perfect　
truth；　and　with　an　inward　fear　that　perhaps　she　knew　
how　I　had　passed　the　heart　of　the　night。

〃So；〃　she　said；　with　a　little　laugh；　〃I；　too；　have。　
not　slept　well。　Lest　night　I　had　dreams；　and；　methinks　
that　thou　didst　call　them　to　me；　O　Holly。〃

〃Of　what　didst　thou　dream；　Ayesha？〃　I　asked；　
indifferently。

〃I　dreamed；〃　she　answered；　quickly；　〃of　one　I　hate　and　
one　I　love；〃　and　then；　as　though　to　turn　the　
conversation；　she　addressed　the　captain　of　her　guard　
in　Arabic：　〃Let　the　men　be　brought　before　me。〃

The　captain　bowed　low；　for　the　guard　and　her　
attendants　did　not　prostrate　themselves；　but　had　
remained　standing；　and　departed　with　his　underlings　
down　a　passage　to　the　right。

Then　came　a　silence。　_i_　She　_i_　leaned　her　swathed　
head　upon　her　hand　and　appeared　to　be　lost　in　thought；　
while　the　multitude　before　her　continued　to　grovel　
upon　their　stomachs；　only　screwing　their　heads　round　a　
little　so　as　to　get　a　view　of　us　with　one　eye。　It　
seemed　that　their　queen　so　rarely　appeared　in　public　
that　they　were　willing　to　undergo　this　inconvenience；　
and　even　graver　risks；　to　have　the　opportunity　of　
looking　on　her；　or　rather　on　her　garments；　for　no　
living　man　there　except　myself　had　ever　seen　her　face。　
At　last　we　caught　sight　of　the　waving　of　lights；　and　
heard　the　tramp　of　men　coming　along　the　passage；　and　
in　filed　the　guard；　and　with　them　the　survivors　of　our　
would…be　murderers　to　the　number　of　twenty　or　more；　on　
whose　countenances　the　natural　expression　of　
sullenness　struggled　with　the　terror　that　evidently　
filled　their　savage　hearts。　They　were　ranged　in　front　
of　the　dais；　and　would　have　cast　themselves　down　on　
the　floor　of　the　cave　like　the　spectators；　but　_i_　She　
_i_　stopped　them。

〃Nay；〃　she　said；　in　her　softest　voice；　I　pray　you　
stand。　Perchance　time　will　soon　be　when　ye　shall　weary　
of　being　stretched　out；〃　she　laughed；　melodiously。　I　
saw　a　cringe　of　terror　run　along　the　of　the　poor；　
doomed　wretches；　wicked　villains　as　they　were；　I　felt　
for　them。　Some　minutes；　perhaps　two　or　three；　passed　
before　anything　occurred；　during　which　_i_　She　_i_　
apppeared　from　the　movement　of　her　head；　of　course；　we　
could　not　see　her　face；　to　be　slowly　and　carefully　
examining　each　delinquent。　At　last　she　spoke；　
addressing　herself　to　me；　in　a　quiet　and　deliberate　
tone。

〃Dost　thou；　O　my　guest；　who　art　known　in　thine　own　
country　by　the　name　of　the　Prickly　Tree；　recognize　
these　men？〃

〃Ay；　O　queen；　nearly　all　of　them；〃　I　said；　and　I　saw　
them　glower　at　me　as　I　said　it。

〃Then　tell　to　me；　and　this　great　company；　the　tale　
whereof　I　have　heard。〃

Thus　adjured；　I；　in　as　few　words　as　I　could；　related　
the　history　of　the　cannibal　feast；　and　of　the　
attempted　torture　of　our　poor　servant。　The　narrative　
was　received　in　perfect　silence；　both　by　the　accused　
and　by　the　audience；　and　also　by　_i_　She　_i_　herself。　
When　I　had　done；　Ayesha　called　upon　Billali　by　name；　
and；　lifting　his　head　from　the　ground；　but　without　
rising；　the　old　man　confirmed　my　story。　No　further　
evidence　was　taken。

〃Ye　have　heard；〃　said　_i_　She　_i_　；　at　length；　in　a　
cold；　clear　voice；　very　different　from　her　usual　
tonesindeed；　it　was　one　of　the　most　remarkable　
things　about　this　extraordinary　creature　that　her　
voice　had　the　power　of　suiting　itself　in　a　wonderful　
manner　to　the　mood　of　the　moment。　〃What　have　ye　to　
say；　ye　rebellions　children；　why　vengeance　should　not　
be　done　upon　you？〃

For　some　time　there　was　no　answer；　but　at　last　one　of　
the　men；　a　fine；　broad…chested　fellow；　well　on　in　
middle　life；　with　deep…graven　features　and　an　eye　like　
a　hawk's；　spoke；　and　said　that　the　orders　that　they　
had　received　were　not　to　harm　the　white　men；　nothing　
was　said　of　their　black　servant；　so；　egged　on　thereto　
by　a　woman　who　was　now　dead；　they　proceeded　to　try　to　
hot…pot　him　after　the　ancient　and　honorable　custom　of　
their　country；　with　a　view　of　eating　him　in　due　
course。　As　for　the　attack　upon　ourselves；　it　was　made　
in　an　access　of　sudden　fury；　and　they　deeply　regretted　
it。　He　ended　by　humbly　praying　that　mercy　might　be　
extended　to　them；　or；　at　least；　that　they　might　be　
banished　into　the　swamps；　to　live　or　die　as　it　might　
chance；　but　I　saw　it　written　on　his　face　that　he　had　
but　little　hope　of　mercy。

Then　came　a　pause；　and　the　most　intense　silence　
reigned　over　the　whole　scene；　which；　illuminated　as　it　
was　by　the　flicker　of　the　lamps　striking　out　broad　
patterns　of　light　and　shadow　upon　the　rocky　walls；　was　
as　strange　as　any　I　ever　saw；　even　in　that　unholy　
land。　Upon　the　ground　before　the　dais　were　stretched　
scores　of　the　corpselike　forms　of　the　spectators；　till　
at　last　the　long　lines　of　them　were　lost　in　the　gloomy　
background。　Before　this　outstretched　audience　were　the　
knots　of　evil…doers；　trying　to　cover　up　their　natural　
terrors　with　a　brave　appearance　of　unconcern。　On　the　
right　and　left　stood　the　silent　guards；　robed　in　white　
and　armed　with　great　spears　and　daggers；　and　men　and　
women　mutes　watching　with　hard；　curious　eyes。　Then；　
seated　in　her　barbaric　chair　above　them　all；　with　
myself　at　her　feet；　was　the　veiled　white　woman；　whose　
loveliness　and　awesome　power　seemed　to　visibly　shine　
about　her　like　a　halo；　or　rather　like　the　glow　from　
some　unseen　light。　Never　have　I　seen　her　veiled　shape　
look　more　terrible　than　it　did　in　that　space；　while　
she　gathered　herself　up　for　vengeance。

At　last　it　came。

〃Dogs　and　serpents；〃　_i_　She　_i_　began；　in　a　low　voice　
that　gradually　gathered　power　as　she　went　on　till　the　
place　rang　with　it。　〃Eaters　of　human　flesh；　two　things　
have　ye　done。　First；　ye　have　attacked　these　strangers；　
being　white　men；　and　would　have　slain　their　servant；　
and　for　that　alone　death　is　your　reward。　But　that　is　
not　all。　Ye　have　dared　to　disobey　me。　Did　I　not　send　
my　word　unto　you　by　Billali；　my　servant；　and　the　
father　of　your　household？　Did　I　not　bid　you　to　
hospitably　entertain　these　strangers；　whom　now　ye　have　
striven　to　slay；　and　whom；　had　not　they　been　brave　and　
strong　beyond　the　strength　of　men；　ye　would　cruelly　
have　murder