nada the lily-第23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！



bore　me；　she　who　was　named　Mother　of　the　Heavens？〃



Then；　my　father；　I；　Mopo；　acted　wisely；　because　of　the　thought　which

my　good　spirit　gave　me；　for　I　cast　myself　upon　the　ground；　and　wailed

aloud　as　though　in　utter　grief。



〃Spare　my　ears；　Black　One！〃　I　wailed。　〃Tell　me　not　that　she　who　bore

thee　is　dead；　O　Lion　of　the　Zulu。　For　the　others；　what　is　it？　It　is　a

breath　of　wind；　it　is　a　drop　of　water；　but　this　trouble　is　as　the　gale

or　as　the　sea。〃



〃Cease；　my　servant；　cease！〃　said　the　mocking　voice　of　Chaka；　〃but　know

this；　thou　hast　done　well　to　grieve　aloud；　because　the　Mother　of　the

Heavens　is　no　more；　and　ill　wouldst　thou　have　done　to　grieve　because

the　fire　from　above　has　kissed　thy　gates。　For　hadst　thou　done　this

last　thing　or　left　the　first　undone；　I　should　have　known　that　thy

heart　was　wicked；　and　by　now　thou　wouldst　have　wept　indeedtears　of

blood；　Mopo。　It　is　well　for　thee；　then；　that　thou　hast　read　my　riddle

aright。〃



Now　I　saw　the　depths　of　the　pit　that　Chaka　had　dug　for　me；　and　blessed

my　Ehlose　who　had　put　into　my　heart　those　words　which　I　should　answer。

I　hoped　also　that　Chaka　would　now　let　me　go；　but　it　was　not　to　be；　for

this　was　but　the　beginning　of　my　trial。



〃Knowest　thou；　Mopo；〃　said　the　king；　〃that　as　my　mother　died　yonder　in

the　flames　of　thy　kraal　she　cried　out　strange　and　terrible　words　which

came　to　my　ears　through　the　singing　of　the　fire。　These　were　her　words：

that　thou；　Mopo；　and　thy　sister　Baleka；　and　thy　wives；　had　conspired

together　to　give　a　child　to　me　who　would　be　childless。　These　were　her

words；　the　words　that　came　to　me　through　the　singing　of　the　fire。　Tell

me　now；　Mopo；　where　are　those　children　that　thou　leddest　from　thy

kraal；　the　boy　with　the　lion　eyes　who　is　named　Umslopogaas；　and　the

girl　who　is　named　Nada？〃



〃Umslopogaas　is　dead　by　the　lion's　mouth；　O　king！〃　I　answered；　〃and

Nada　sits　in　the　Swazi　caves。〃　And　I　told　him　of　the　death　of

Umslopogaas　and　of　how　I　had　divorced　Macropha；　my　wife。



〃The　boy　with　the　lion　eyes　to　the　lion's　mouth！〃　said　Chaka。　〃Enough

of　him；　he　is　gone。　Nada　may　yet　be　sought　for　with　the　assegai　in　the

Swazi　caves；　enough　of　her。　Let　us　speak　of　this　song　that　my　mother

who；　alas！　is　dead；　Mopothis　song　she　sang　through　the　singing　of

the　flames。　Tell　me；　Mopo；　tell　me　now；　was　it　a　true　tale。〃



〃Nay；　O　king！　surely　the　Mother　of　the　Heavens　was　maddened　by　the

Heavens　when　she　sang　that　song；〃　I　answered。　〃I　know　nothing　of　it；　O

king。〃



〃Thou　knowest　naught　of　it；　Mopo？〃　said　the　king。　And　again　he　looked

at　me　terribly　through　the　reek　of　the　fire。　〃Thou　knowest　naught　of

it；　Mopo？　Surely　thou　art　a…cold；　thy　hands　shake　with　cold。　Nay；　man；

fear　notwarm　them；　warm　them；　Mopo。　See；　now；　plunge　that　hand　of

thine　into　the　heart　of　the　flame！〃　And　he　pointed　with　his　little

assegai；　the　assegai　handled　with　the　royal　wood；　to　where　the　fire

glowed　reddestay；　he　pointed　and　laughed。



Then；　my　father；　I　grew　cold　indeedyes；　I　grew　cold　who　soon　should

be　hot；　for　I　saw　the　purpose　of　Chaka。　He　would　put　me　to　the　trial

by　fire。



For　a　moment　I　sat　silent；　thinking。　Then　the　king　spoke　again　in　a

great　voice：　〃Nay；　Mopo；　be　not　so　backward；　shall　I　sit　warm　and　see

thee　suffer　cold？　What；　my　councillors；　rise；　take　the　hand　of　Mopo；

and　hold　it　to　the　flame；　that　his　heart　may　rejoice　in　the　warmth　of

the　flame　while　we　speak　together　of　this　matter　of　the　child　that

was；　so　my　mother　sang；　born　to　Baleka；　my　wife；　the　sister　of　Mopo；

my　servant。〃



〃There　is　little　need　for　that；　O　king；〃　I　answered；　being　made　bold

by　fear；　for　I　saw　that　if　I　did　nothing　death　would　swiftly　end　my

doubts。　Once；　indeed；　I　bethought　me　of　the　poison　that　I　bore；　and

was　minded　to　swallow　it　and　make　an　end；　but　the　desire　to　live　is

great；　and　keen　is　the　thirst　for　vengeance；　so　I　said　to　my　heart；

〃Not　yet　awhile；　I　will　endure　this　also；　afterwards；　if　need　be；　I

can　die。〃



〃I　thank　the　king　for　his　graciousness；　and　I　will　warm　me　at　the

fire。　Speak　on；　O　king；　while　I　warm　myself；　and　thou　shalt　hear　true

words；〃　I　said　boldly。



Then；　my　father；　I　stretched　out　my　left　hand　and　plunged　it　into　the

firenot　into　the　hottest　of　the　fire；　but　where　the　smoke　leapt　from

the　flame。　Now　my　flesh　was　wet　with　the　sweat　of　fear；　and　for　a

little　moment　the　flames　curled　round　it　and　did　not　burn　me。　But　I

knew　that　the　torment　was　to　come。



For　a　short　while　Chaka　watched　me；　smiling。　Then　he　spoke　slowly；

that　the　fire　might　find　time　to　do　its　work。



〃Say；　then；　Mopo；　thou　knowest　nothing　of　this　matter　of　the　birth　of

a　son　to　thy　sister　Baleka？〃



〃I　know　this　only；　O　king！〃　I　answered；　〃that　a　son　was　born　in　past

years　to　thy　wife　Baleka；　that　I　killed　the　child　in　obedience　to　thy

word；　and　laid　its　body　before　thee。〃



Now；　my　father；　the　steam　from　my　flesh　had　been　drawn　from　my　hand　by

the　heat；　and　the　flame　got　hold　of　me　and　ate　into　my　flesh；　and　its

torment　was　great。　But　of　this　I　showed　no　sign　upon　my　face；　for　I

knew　well　that　if　I　showed　sign　or　uttered　cry；　then；　having　failed　in

the　trial；　death　would　be　my　portion。



Then　the　king　spoke　again；　〃Dost　thou　swear　by　my　head；　Mopo；　that　no

son　of　mine　was　suckled　in　thy　kraals？〃



〃I　swear　it；　O　king！　I　swear　it　by　thy　head；〃　I　answered。



And　now；　my　father；　the　agony　of　the　fire　was　such　as　may　not　be　told。

I　felt　my　eyes　start　forward　in　their　sockets；　my　blood　seemed　to　boil

within　me；　it　rushed　into　my　head；　and　down　my　face　their　ran　two

tears　of　blood。　But　yet　I　held　my　hand　in　the　fire　and　made　no　sign；

while　the　king　and　his　councillors　watched　me　curiously。　Still；　for　a

moment　Chaka　said　nothing；　and　that　moment　seemed　to　me　as　all　the

years　of　my　life。



〃Ah！〃　he　said　at　length；　〃I　see　that　thou　growest　warm；　Mopo！　Withdraw

thy　hand　from　the　flame。　I　am　answered；　thou　hast　passed　the　trial；

thy　heart　is　clean；　for　had　there　been　lies　in　it　the　fire　had　given

them　tongue；　and　thou　hadst　cried　aloud；　making　thy　last　music；　Mopo！〃



Now　I　took　my　hand　from　the　flame；　and　for　awhile　the　torment　left　me。



〃It　is　well；　O　king；〃　I　said　calmly。　〃Fire　has　no　power　of　hurt　on

those　whose　heart　is　pure。〃



But　as　I　spoke　I　looked　at　my　left　hand。　It　was　black；　my　father

black　as　a　charred　stick；　and　the　nails　were　gone　from　the　twisted

fingers。　Look　at　it　now；　my　father；　you　can　see；　though　my　eyes　are

blind。　The　hand　is　white；　like　yoursit　is　white　and　dead　and

shrivelled。　These　are　the　marks　of　the　fire　in　Chaka's　hutthe　fire

that　kissed　me　many；　many　years　ago；　I　have　had　but　little　use　of　that

hand　since　this　night　of　torment。　But　my　right　arm　yet　remained　to　me；

my　father；　and；　ah！　I　used　it。



〃It　seems　that　Nobela；　the　doctress；　who　is　dead；　lied　when　she

prophesied　evil　on　me　from　thee；　Mopo；〃　said　Chaka　again。　〃It　seems

that　thou　art　innocent　of　this　offence；　and　that　Baleka；　thy　sister；

is　innocent；　and　that　the　song　which　the　Mother　of　the　Heavens　sang

through　the　singing　flames　was　no　true　song。　It　is　well　for　thee；

Mopo；　for　in　such　a　matter　my　oath　had　not　helped　thee。　But　my　mother

is　deaddead　in　the　flames　with　thy　wives　and　children；　Mopo；　and　in

this　there　is　witchcraft。　We　will　have　a　mourning；　Mopo；　thou　and　I；

such　a　mourning　as　has　not　been　seen　in　Zululand；　for　all　the　people

on　the　earth　shall　weep　at　it。　And　there　shall　be　a　'smelling　out'　at

this　mourning；　Mopo。　But　we　will　summon　no　witch…doctors；　thou　and　I

will　be　witch…doctors；　and　ourselves　shall　smell　out　those　who　have

brought　these　woes　upon　us。　What！　shall　my　mother　die　unavenged；　she

who　bore　me　and　has　perished　by　witchcraft；　and　shall　thy　wives　and

children　die　unavengedthou　being　innocent？　Go　forth；　Mopo；　my

faithful　servant；　whom　I　have　honoured　with　the　warmth　of　my　fire；　go

forth！〃　And　once　again　he　stared　at　me　through　the　reek　of　the　flame；

and　pointed　with　his　assegai　to　the　door　of　the