nada the lily-第17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！



the　king's；　and　what　war　spared　that　the　witch…doctors　took。



The　morning　dawned　heavily；　and　before　it　was　well　light　the　heralds

were　out　summoning　all　to　the　king's　Ingomboco。　Men　came　by　hundreds；

carrying　short　sticks　onlyfor　to　be　seen　armed　was　deathand　seated

themselves　in　the　great　circle　before　the　gates　of　the　royal　house。

Oh！　their　looks　were　sad；　and　they　had　little　stomach　for　eating　that

morning；　they　who　were　food　for　death。　They　seated　themselves；　then

round　them　on　the　outside　of　the　circle　gathered　knots　of　warriors；

chosen　men；　great　and　fierce；　armed　with　kerries　only。　These　were　the

slayers。



When　all　was　ready；　the　king　came　out；　followed　by　his　indunas　and　by

me。　As　he　appeared；　wrapped　in　the　kaross　of　tiger…skins　and　towering

a　head　higher　than　any　man　there；　all　the　multitudeand　it　was　many

as　the　game　on　the　hillscast　themselves　to　earth；　and　from　every　lip

sharp　and　sudden　went　up　the　royal　salute　of　Bayete。　But　Chaka　took　no

note；　his　brow　was　cloudy　as　a　mountain…top。　He　cast　one　glance　at　the

people　and　one　at　the　slayers；　and　wherever　his　eye　fell　men　turned

grey　with　fear。　Then　he　stalked　on；　and　sat　himself　upon　a　stool　to

the　north　of　the　great　ring　looking　toward　the　open　space。



For　awhile　there　was　silence；　then　from　the　gates　of　the　women's

quarters　came　a　band　of　maidens　arrayed　in　their　beaded　dancing…

dresses；　and　carrying　green　branches　in　their　hands。　As　they　came；

they　clapped　their　hands　and　sang　softly：



　　　　We　are　the　heralds　of　the　king's　feast。　Ai！　Ai！

　　　　　　Vultures　shall　eat　it。　Ah！　Ah！

　　　　It　is　goodit　is　good　to　die　for　the　king！



They　ceased；　and　ranged　themselves　in　a　body　behind　us。　Then　Chaka

held　up　his　hand；　and　there　was　a　patter　of　running　feet。　Presently

from　behind　the　royal　huts　appeared　the　great　company　of　the　Abangoma；

the　witch…doctorsmen　to　the　right　and　women　to　the　left。　In　the　left

hand　of　each　was　the　tail　of　a　vilderbeeste；　in　the　right　a　bundle　of

assegais　and　a　little　shield。　They　were　awful　to　see；　and　the　bones

about　them　rattled　as　they　ran；　the　bladders　and　the　snake…skins

floated　in　the　air　behind　them；　their　faces　shone　with　the　fat　of

anointing；　their　eyes　started　like　the　eyes　of　fishes；　and　their　lips

twitched　hungrily　as　they　glared　round　the　death…ring。　Ha！　ha！　little

did　those　evil　children　guess　who　should　be　the　slayers　and　who　should

be　the　slain　before　that　sun　sank！



On　they　came；　like　a　grey　company　of　the　dead。　On　they　came　in　silence

broken　only　by　the　patter　of　their　feet　and　the　dry　rattling　of　their

bony　necklets；　till　they　stood　in　long　ranks　before　the　Black　One。

Awhile　they　stood　thus；　then　suddenly　every　one　of　them　thrust　forward

the　little　shield　in　his　hand；　and　with　a　single　voice　they　cried；

〃Hail；　Father！〃



〃Hail；　my　children！〃　answered　Chaka。



〃What　seekest　thou；　Father？〃　they　cried　again。　〃Blood？〃



〃The　blood　of　the　guilty；〃　he　answered。



They　turned　and　spoke　each　to　each；　the　company　of　the　men　spoke　to

the　company　of　the　women。



〃The　Lion　of　the　Zulu　seeks　blood。〃



〃He　shall　be　fed！〃　screamed　the　women。



〃The　Lion　of　the　Zulu　smells　blood。〃



〃He　shall　see　it！〃　screamed　the　women。



〃His　eyes　search　out　the　wizards。〃



〃He　shall　count　their　dead！〃　screamed　the　women。



〃Peace！〃　cried　Chaka。　〃Waste　not　the　hours　in　talk；　but　to　the　work。

Hearken！　Wizards　have　bewitched　me！　Wizards　have　dared　to　smite　blood

upon　the　gateways　of　the　king。　Dig　in　the　burrows　of　the　earth　and

find　them；　ye　rats！　Fly　through　the　paths　of　the　air　and　find　them；　ye

vultures！　Smell　at　the　gates　of　the　people　and　name　them；　ye　jackals！

ye　hunters　in　the　night！　Drag　them　from　the　caves　if　they　be　hidden；

from　the　distance　if　they　be　fled；　from　the　graves　if　they　be　dead。　To

the　work！　to　the　work！　Show　them　to　me　truly；　and　your　gifts　shall　be

great；　and　for　them；　if　they　be　a　nation；　they　shall　be　slain。　Now

begin。　Begin　by　companies　of　ten；　for　you　are　many；　and　all　must　be

finished　ere　the　sun　sink。〃



〃It　shall　be　finished；　Father；〃　they　answered。



Then　ten　of　the　women　stood　forward；　and　at　their　head　was　the　most

famous　witch…doctress　of　that　dayan　aged　woman　named　Nobela；　a　woman

to　whose　eyes　the　darkness　was　no　evil；　whose　scent　was　keen　as　a

dog's；　who　heard　the　voices　of　the　dead　as　they　cried　in　the　night；

and　spoke　truly　of　what　she　heard。　All　the　other　Isanusis；　male　and

female；　sat　down　in　a　half…moon　facing　the　king；　but　this　woman　drew

forward；　and　with　her　came　nine　of　her　sisterhood。　They　turned　east

and　west；　north　and　south；　searching　the　heavens；　they　turned　east　and

west；　north　and　south；　searching　the　earth；　they　turned　east　and　west；

north　and　south；　searching　the　hears　of　men。　Then　they　crept　round　and

round　the　great　ring　like　cats；　then　they　threw　themselves　upon　the

earth　and　smelt　it。　And　all　the　time　there　was　silence；　silence　deep

as　midnight；　and　in　it　men　hearkened　to　the　beating　of　their　hearts；

only　now　and　again　the　vultures　shrieked　in　the　trees。



At　length　Nobela　spoke：



〃Do　you　smell　him；　sisters？〃



〃We　smell　him；〃　they　answered。



〃Does　he　sit　in　the　east；　sisters？〃



〃He　sits　in　the　east；〃　they　answered。



〃Is　he　the　son　of　a　stranger；　sisters？〃



〃He　is　the　son　of　a　stranger。〃



Then　they　crept　nearer；　crept　on　their　hands　and　knees；　till　they　were

within　ten　paces　of　where　I　sat　among　the　indunas　near　to　the　king。

The　indunas　looked　on　each　other　and　grew　grey　with　fear；　and　for　me；

my　father；　my　knees　were　loosened　and　my　marrow　turned　to　water　in　my

bones。　For　I　knew　well　who　was　that　son　of　a　stranger　of　whom　they

spoke。　It　was　I；　my　father；　I　who　was　about　to　be　smelt　out；　and　if　I

was　smelt　out　I　should　be　killed　with　all　my　house；　for　the　king's

oath　would　scarcely　avail　me　against　the　witch…doctors。　I　looked　at

the　fierce　faces　of　the　Isanusis　before　me；　as　they　crept；　crept　like

snakes。　I　glanced　behind　and　saw　the　slayers　grasping　their　kerries

for　the　deed　of　death；　and　I　say　I　felt　like　one　for　whom　the

bitterness　is　overpast。　Then　I　remembered　the　words　which　the　king　and

I　had　whispered　together　of　the　cause　for　which　this　Ingomboco　was

set；　and　hope　crept　back　to　me　like　the　first　gleam　of　the　dawn　upon　a

stormy　night。　Still　I　did　not　hope　overmuch；　for　it　well　might　happen

that　the　king　had　but　set　a　trap　to　catch　me。



Now　they　were　quite　near　and　halted。



〃Have　we　dreamed　falsely；　sisters？〃　asked　Nobela；　the　aged。



〃What　we　dreamed　in　the　night　we　see　in　the　day；〃　they　answered。



〃Shall　I　whisper　his　name　in　your　ears；　sisters？〃



They　lifted　their　heads　from　the　ground　like　snakes　and　nodded；　and　as

they　nodded　the　necklets　of　bones　rattled　on　their　skinny　necks。　Then

they　drew　their　heads　to　a　circle；　and　Nobela　thrust　hers　into　the

centre　of　the　circle　and　said　a　word。



〃Ha！　ha！〃　they　laughed；　〃we　hear　you！　His　is　the　name。　Let　him　be

named　by　it　in　the　face　of　Heaven；　him　and　all　his　house；　then　let　him

hear　no　other　name　forever！〃



And　suddenly　they　sprang　up　and　rushed　towards　me；　Nobela；　the　aged

Isanusi；　at　their　head。　They　leaped　at　me；　pointing　to　me　with　the

tails　of　the　vilderbeestes　in　their　hands。　Then　Nobela　switched　me　in

the　face　with　the　tail　of　the　beast；　and　cried　aloud：



〃Greeting；　Mopo；　son　of　Makedama！　Thou　art　the　man　who　smotest　blood

on　the　door…posts　of　the　king　to　bewitch　the　king。　Let　thy　house　be

stamped　flat！〃



I　saw　her　come；　I　felt　the　blow　on　my　face　as　a　man　feels　in　a　dream。

I　heard　the　feet　of　the　slayers　as　they　bounded　forward　to　hale　me　to

the　dreadful　death；　but　my　tongue　clave　to　the　roof　of　my　mouthI

could　not　say　a　word。　I　glanced　at　the　king；　and；　as　I　did　so；　I

thought　that　I　heard　him　mutter：　〃Near　the　mark；　not　in　it。〃



Then　he　held　up　his　spear；　and　all　was　silence。　The　slayers　stopped　in

their　stride；　the　witch…doctors　stood　with　outstretched　arms；　the

world　of