nada the lily-第13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！



not　die　alone！〃



〃I　swear；　Mother　of　the　Heavens；〃　I　answered。



〃It　is　well；　son　of　Makedama。〃



〃It　is　well；　my　brother；〃　said　Baleka。　〃Now　go　and　do　that　which　must

be　done　swiftly；　for　my　sorrow　is　upon　me。　Go；　knowing　that　if　you

fail　I　will　be　pitiless；　for　I　will　bring　you　to　your　death；　yes；　even

if　my　own　death　is　the　price！〃



So　I　went。　〃Whither　to　you　go？〃　asked　the　guard　at　the　gate。



〃I　go　to　bring　my　medicines；　men　of　the　king；〃　I　answered。



So　I　said；　but；　oh！　my　heart　was　heavy；　and　this　was　my　planto　fly

far　from　Zululand。　I　could　not；　and　I　dared　not　do　this　thing。　What？

should　I　kill　my　own　child　that　its　life　might　be　given　for　the　life

of　the　babe　of　Baleka？　And　should　I　lift　up　my　will　against　the　will

of　the　king；　saving　the　child　to　look　upon　the　sun　which　he　had　doomed

to　darkness？　Nay；　I　would　fly；　leaving　all；　and　seek　out　some　far

tribe　where　I　might　begin　to　live　again。　Here　I　could　not　live；　here

in　the　shadow　of　Chaka　was　nothing　but　death。



I　reached　my　own　huts；　there　to　find　that　my　wife　Macropha　was

delivered　of　twins。　I　sent　away　all　in　the　hut　except　my　other　wife；

Anadi；　she　who　eight　days　gone　had　born　me　a　son。　The　second　of　the

twins　was　born；　it　was　a　boy；　born　dead。　The　first　was　a　girl；　she　who

lived　to　be　Nada　the　Beautiful；　Nada　the　Lily。　Then　a　thought　came

into　my　heart。　Here　was　a　path　to　run　on。



〃Give　me　the　boy；〃　I　said　to　Anadi。　〃He　is　not　dead。　Give　him　to　me

that　I　may　take　him　outside　the　kraal　and　wake　him　to　life　by　my

medicine。〃



〃It　is　of　no　usethe　child　is　dead；〃　said　Anadi。



〃Give　him　to　me；　woman！〃　I　said　fiercely。　And　she　gave　me　the　body。



Then　I　took　him　and　wrapped　him　up　in　my　bundle　of　medicines；　and

outside　of　all　I　rolled　a　mat　of　plaited　grass。



〃Suffer　none　to　enter　the　hut　till　I　return；〃　I　said；　〃and　speak　no

word　of　the　child　that　seems　to　be　dead。　If　you　allow　any　to　enter；　or

if　you　speak　a　word；　then　my　medicine　will　not　work　and　the　babe　will

be　dead　indeed。〃



So　I　went；　leaving　the　women　wondering；　for　it　is　not　our　custom　to

save　both　when　twins　are　born；　but　I　ran　swiftly　to　the　gates　of　the

Emposeni。



〃I　bring　the　medicines；　men　of　the　king！〃　I　said　to　the　guards。




〃Pass　in；〃　they　answered。



I　passed　through　the　gates　and　into　the　hut　of　Baleka。　Unandi　was

alone　in　the　hut　with　my　sister。



〃The　child　is　born；〃　said　the　mother　of　the　king。　〃Look　at　him；　Mopo；

son　of　Makedama！〃



I　looked。　He　was　a　great　child　with　large　black　eyes　like　the　eyes　of

Chaka　the　king；　and　Unandi；　too；　looked　at　me。　〃Where　is　it？〃　she

whispered。



I　loosed　the　mat　and　drew　the　dead　child　from　the　medicines；　glancing

round　fearfully　as　I　did　so。



〃Give　me　the　living　babe；〃　I　whispered　back。



They　gave　it　to　me　and　I　took　of　a　drug　that　I　knew　and　rubbed　it　on

the　tongue　of　the　child。　Now　this　drug　has　the　power　to　make　the

tongue　it　touches　dumb　for　awhile。　Then　I　wrapped　up　the　child　in　my

medicines　and　again　bound　the　mat　about　the　bundle。　But　round　the

throat　of　the　still…born　babe　I　tied　a　string　of　fibre　as　though　I　had

strangled　it；　and　wrapped　it　loosely　in　a　piece　of　matting。



Now　for　the　first　time　I　spoke　to　Baleka：　〃Woman；〃　I　said；　〃and　thou

also；　Mother　of　the　Heavens；　I　have　done　your　wish；　but　know　that

before　all　is　finished　this　deed　shall　bring　about　the　death　of　many。

Be　secret　as　the　grave；　for　the　grave　yawns　for　you　both。〃



I　went　again；　bearing　the　mat　containing　the　dead　child　in　my　right

hand。　But　the　bundle　of　medicines　that　held　the　living　one　I　fastened

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！　T