nada the lily-第42章

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taken　vengeance　for　me。〃



〃I　swear　it；　my　sister。〃



〃Swear　to　me　that　when　the　vengeance　is　done　you　will　seek　out　my　son

Umslopogaas　if　he　still　lives；　and　bless　him　in　my　name。〃



〃I　swear　it；　my　sister。〃



〃Fare　you　well；　Mopo！　We　have　always　loved　each　other　much；　and　now

all　fades；　and　it　seems　to　me　that　once　more　we　are　little　children

playing　about　the　kraals　of　the　Langeni。　So　may　we　play　again　in

another　land！　Now；　Mopo〃and　she　looked　at　me　steadily；　and　with

great　eyes〃I　am　weary。　I　would　join　the　spirits　of　my　people。　I　hear

them　calling　in　my　ears。　It　is　finished。〃



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For　the　rest；　I　will　not　tell　it　to　you；　my　father。







CHAPTER　XIX



MASILO　COMES　TO　THE　KRAAL　DUGUZA



That　night　the　curse　of　Baleka　fell　upon　Chaka；　and　he　slept　ill。　So

ill　did　he　sleep　that　he　summoned　me　to　him；　bidding　me　walk　abroad

with　him。　I　went；　and　we　walked　alone　and　in　silence；　Chaka　leading

the　way　and　I　following　after　him。　Now　I　saw　that　his　feet　led　him

towards　the　U'Donga…lu…ka…Tatiyana；　that　place　where　all　my　people　lay

dead；　and　with　them　Baleka；　my　sister。　We　climbed　the　slope　of　the

hill　slowly；　and　came　to　the　mouth　of　the　cleft；　to　that　same　spot

where　Chaka　had　stood　when　the　people　fell　over　the　lips　of　the　rock

like　water。　Then　there　had　been　noise　and　crying；　now　there　was

silence；　for　the　night　was　very　still。　The　moon　was　full　also；　and

lighted　up　the　dead　who　lay　near　to　us；　so　that　I　could　see　them　all；

yes；　I　could　see　even　the　face　of　Baleka；　my　sisterthey　had　thrown

her　into　the　midst　of　the　dead。　Never　had　it　looked　so　beautiful　as　in

this　hour；　and　yet　as　I　gazed　I　grew　afraid。　Only　the　far　end　of　the

donga　was　hid　in　shadow。



〃Thou　wouldst　not　have　won　thy　bet　now；　Mopo；　my　servant；〃　said　Chaka。

〃See；　they　have　sunk　together！　The　donga　is　not　full　by　the　length　of

a　stabbing…spear。〃



I　did　not　answer；　but　at　the　sound　of　the　king's　voice　jackals　stirred

and　slunk　away。



Presently　he　spoke　again；　laughing　loudly　as　he　spoke：　〃Thou　shouldst

sleep　well　this　night；　my　mother；　for　I　have　sent　many　to　hush　thee　to

rest。　Ah；　people　of　the　Langeni　tribe；　you　forgot；　but　I　remembered！

You　forgot　how　a　woman　and　a　boy　came　to　you　seeking　food　and　shelter；

and　you　would　give　them　noneno；　not　a　gourd　of　milk。　What　did　I

promise　you　on　that　day；　people　of　the　Langeni　tribe？　Did　I　not

promise　you　that　for　every　drop　the　gourd　I　craved　would　hold　I　would

take　the　life　of　a　man？　And　have　I　not　kept　my　promise？　Do　not　men　lie

here　more　in　number　than　the　drops　of　water　in　a　gourd；　and　with　them

woman　and　children　countless　as　the　leaves？　O　people　of　the　Langeni

tribe；　who　refused　me　milk　when　I　was　little；　having　grown　great；　I　am

avenged　upon　you！　Having　grown　great！　Ah！　who　is　there　so　great　as　I？

The　earth　shakes　beneath　my　feet；　when　I　speak　the　people　tremble；

when　I　frown　they　diethey　die　in　thousands。　I　have　grown　great；　and

great　I　shall　remain！　The　land　is　mine；　far　as　the　feet　of　man　can

travel　the　land　is　mine；　and　mine　are　those　who　dwell　in　it。　And　I

shall　grow　greater　yetgreater；　ever　greater。　Is　it　thy　face；　Baleka；

that　stares　upon　me　from　among　the　faces　of　the　thousands　whom　I　have

slain？　Thou　didst　promise　me　that　I　should　sleep　ill　henceforth。

Baleka；　I　fear　thee　notat　the　least；　thou　sleepest　sound。　Tell　me；

Balekarise　from　thy　sleep　and　tell　me　whom　there　is　that　I　should

fear！〃and　suddenly　he　ceased　the　ravings　of　his　pride。



Now；　my　father；　while　Chaka　the　king　spoke　thus；　it　came　into　my　mind

to　make　an　end　of　things　and　kill　him；　for　my　heart　was　made　with　rage

and　the　thirst　of　vengeance。　Already　I　stood　behind　him；　already　the

stick　in　my　hand　was　lifted　to　strike　out　his　brains；　when　I　stopped

also；　for　I　saw　something。　There；　in　the　midst　of　the　dead；　I　saw　an

arm　stir。　It　stirred；　it　lifted　itself；　it　beckoned　towards　the　shadow

which　hid　the　head　of　the　cleft　and　the　piled…up　corpses　that　lay

there；　and　it　seemed　to　me　that　the　arm　was　the　arm　of　Baleka。

Perchance　it　was　not　her　arm；　perchance　it　was　but　the　arm　of　one　who

yet　lived　among　the　thousands　of　the　dead；　say　you；　my　father！　At　the

least；　the　arm　rose　at　her　side；　and　was　ringed　with　such　bracelets　as

Baleka　wore；　and　it　beckoned　from　her　side；　though　her　cold　face

changed　not　at　all。　Thrice　the　arm　rose；　thrice　it　stood　awhile　in

air；　thrice　it　beckoned　with　crooked　finger；　as　though　it　summoned

something　from　the　depths　of　the　shadow；　and　from　the　multitudes　of

the　dead。　Then　it　fell　down；　and　in　the　utter　silence　I　heard　its　fall

and　a　clank　of　brazen　bracelets。　And　as　it　fell　there　rose　from　the

shadow　a　sound　of　singing；　of　singing　wild　and　sweet；　such　as　I　had

never　heard。　The　words　of　that　song　came　to　me　then；　my　father；　but

afterwards　they　passed　from　me；　and　I　remember　them　no　more。　Only　I

know　this；　that　the　song　was　of　the　making　of　Things；　and　of　the

beginning　and　the　end　of　Peoples。　It　told　of　how　the　black　folk　grew；

and　of　how　the　white　folk　should　eat　them　up；　and　wherefore　they　were

and　wherefore　they　should　cease　to　be。　It　told　of　Evil　and　of　Good；　of

Woman　and　of　Man；　and　of　how　these　war　against　each　other；　and　why　it

is　that　they　war；　and　what　are　the　ends　of　the　struggle。　It　told　also

of　the　people　of　the　Zulu；　and　it　spoke　of　a　place　of　a　Little　Hand

where　they　should　conquer；　and　of　a　place　where　a　White　Hand　should

prevail　against　them；　and　how　they　shall　melt　away　beneath　the　shadow

of　the　White　Hand　and　be　forgotten；　passing　to　a　land　where　things　do

not　die；　but　live　on　forever；　the　Good　with　the　Good；　the　Evil　with

the　Evil。　It　told　of　Life　and　of　Death；　of　Joy　and　of　Sorrow；　of　Time

and　of　that　sea　in　which　Time　is　but　a　floating　leaf；　and　of　why　all

these　things　are。　Many　names　also　came　into　the　song；　and　I　knew　but　a

few　of　them；　yet　my　own　was　there；　and　the　name　of　Baleka　and　the　name

of　Umslopogaas；　and　the　name　of　Chaka　the　Lion。　But　a　little　while　did

the　voice　sing；　yet　all　this　was　in　the　songay；　and　much　more；　but

the　meaning　of　the　song　is　gone　from　me；　though　I　knew　it　once；　and

shall　know　it　again　when　all　is　done。　The　voice　in　the　shadow　sang　on

till　the　whole　place　was　full　of　the　sound　of　its　singing；　and　even

the　dead　seemed　to　listen。　Chaka　heard　it　and　shook　with　fear；　but　his

ears　were　deaf　to　its　burden；　though　mine　were　open。



The　voice　came　nearer；　and　now　in　the　shadow　there　was　a　faint　glow　of

light；　like　the　glow　that　gathers　on　the　six…days'　dead。　Slowly　it

drew　nearer；　through　the　shadow；　and　as　it　came　I　saw　that　the　shape

of　the　light　was　the　shape　of　a　woman。　Now　I　could　see　it　well；　and　I

knew　the　face　of　glory。　My　father；　it　was　the　face　of　the　Inkosazana…

y…Zulu；　the　Queen　of　Heaven！　She　came　towards　us　very　slowly；　gliding

down　the　gulf　that　was　full　of　dead；　and　the　path　she　trod　was　paved

with　the　dead；　and　as　she　came　it　seemed　to　me　that　shadows　rose　from

the　dead；　following　her；　the　Queen　of　the　Deadthousands　upon

thousands　of　them。　And；　ah！　her　glory；　my　fatherthe　glory　of　her

hair　of　molten　goldof　her　eyes；　that　were　as　the　noonday　skythe

flash　of　her　arms　and　breast；　that　were　like　the　driven　snow；　when　it

glows　in　the　sunset。　Her　beauty　was　awful　to　look　on；　but　I　am　glad　to

have　lived　to　see　it　as　it　shone　and　changed　in　the　shifting　robe　of

light　which　was　her　garment。



Now　she　drew　near　to　us；　and　Chaka　sank　upon　the　earth；　huddled　up　in

fear；　hiding　his　face　in　his　hands；　but　I　was　not　afraid；　my　father

only　the　wicked　need　fear　to　look　on　the　Queen　of　Heaven。　Nay；　I　was

not　afraid：　I　stood　upright　and　gazed　upon　her　glory　face　to　face。　In

her　hand　she　held　a　little　spear　hafted　with　the　royal　wood：　it　was

the　shadow　of　the　spear　that　Chaka　held　in　his　hand；　the　same　with

which　he　had　slain　his　mother　and　wherewith　he　should　himself　be

slain。　Now　she　ceased　her　singing；　and　stood　before　the　crouching　king

and　before　me；　who