nada the lily-第44章

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and　he　feared　greatly　to　appear　before　him　who　was　called　the

Slaughterer；　and　who　sat　twenty　days'　journey　to　the　north；　beneath

the　shadow　of　the　Witch　Mountain。



〃Begone；〃　said　the　king；　〃and　stand　before　me　on　the　thirtieth　day

from　now　with　the　answer　of　this　boy　with　an　axe！　If　thou　standest　not

before　me；　then　some　shall　come　to　seek　thee　and　the　boy　with　an　axe

also。〃



So　Masilo　turned　and　fled　swiftly　to　do　the　bidding　of　the　king；　and

Chaka　spoke　no　more　of　that　matter。　But　I　wondered　in　my　heart　who

this　young　man　with　an　axe　might　be；　for　I　thought　that　he　had　dealt

with　Jikiza　and　with　the　sons　of　Jikiza　as　Umslopogaas　would　have

dealt　with　them　had　he　come　to　the　years　of　his　manhood。　But　I　also

said　nothing　of　the　matter。



Now　on　this　day　also　there　came　to　me　news　that　my　wife　Macropha　and

my　daughter　Nada　were　dead　among　their　people　in　Swaziland。　It　was

said　that　the　men　of　the　chief　of　the　Halakazi　tribe　had　fallen　on

their　kraal　and　put　all　in　it　to　the　assegai；　and　among　them　Macropha

and　Nada。　I　heard　the　news；　but　I　wept　no　tear；　for；　my　father；　I　was

so　lost　in　sorrows　that　nothing　could　move　me　any　more。







CHAPTER　XX



MOPO　BARGAINS　WITH　THE　PRINCES



Eight…and…twenty　days　went　by；　my　father；　and　on　the　nine…and…

twentieth　it　befell　that　Chaka；　having　dreamed　a　dream　in　his　troubled

sleep；　summoned　before　him　certain　women　of　the　kraal；　to　the　number

of　a　hundred　or　more。　Some　of　these　were　his　women；　whom　he　named　his

〃sisters；〃　and　some　were　maidens　not　yet　given　in　marriage；　but　all

were　young　and　fair。　Now　what　this　dream　of　Chaka　may　have　been　I　do

not　know；　or　have　forgotten；　for　in　those　days　he　dreamed　many　dreams；

and　all　his　dreams　led　to　one　end；　the　death　of　men。　He　sat　in　front

of　his　hut　scowling；　and　I　was　with　him。　To　the　left　of　him　were

gathered　the　girls　and　women；　and　their　knees　were　weak　with　fear。　One

by　one　they　were　led　before　him；　and　stood　before　him　with　bowed

heads。　Then　he　would　bid　them　be　of　good　cheer；　and　speak　softly　to

them；　and　in　the　end　would　ask　them　this　question：　〃Hast　thou；　my

sister；　a　cat　in　thy　hut？〃



Now；　some　would　say　that　they　had　a　cat；　and　some　would　say　that　they

had　none；　and　some　would　stand　still　and　make　no　answer；　being　dumb

with　fear。　But；　whatever　they　said；　the　end　was　the　same；　for　the　king

would　sigh　gently　and　say：　〃Fare　thee　well；　my　sister；　it　is

unfortunate　for　thee　that　there　is　a　cat　in　thy　hut；〃　or　〃that　there

is　no　cat　in　thy　hut；〃　or　〃that　thou　canst　not　tell　me　whether　there

be　a　cat　in　thy　hut　or　no。〃



Then　the　woman　would　be　taken　by　the　slayers；　dragged　without　the

kraal；　and　their　end　was　swift。　So　it　went　on　for　the　most　part　of

that　day；　till　sixty…and…two　women　and　girls　had　been　slaughtered。　But

at　last　a　maiden　was　brought　before　the　king；　and　to　this　one　her

snake　had　given　a　ready　wit；　for　when　Chaka　asked　her　whether　or　no

there　was　a　cat　in　her　hut；　she　answered；　saying　that　she　did　not

know；　〃but　that　there　was　a　half　a　cat　upon　her；〃　and　she　pointed　to　a

cat's…skin　which　was　bound　about　her　loins。



Then　the　king　laughed；　and　clapped　his　hands；　saying　that　at　length

his　dream　was　answered；　and　he　killed　no　more　that　day　nor　ever　again

save　once　only。



That　evening　my　heart　was　heavy　within　me；　and　I　cried　in　my　heart；

〃How　long？〃nor　might　I　rest。　So　I　wandered　out　from　the　kraal　that

was　named　Duguza　to　the　great　cleft　in　the　mountains　yonder；　and　sat

down　upon　a　rock　high　up　in　the　cleft；　so　that　I　could　see　the　wide

lands　rolling　to　the　north　and　the　south；　to　my　right　and　to　my　left。

Now；　the　day　was　drawing　towards　the　night；　and　the　air　was　very

still；　for　the　heat　was　great　and　a　tempest　was　gathering；　as　I；　who

am　a　Heaven…Herd；　knew　well。　The　sun　sank　redly；　flooding　the　land

with　blood；　it　was　as　though　all　the　blood　that　Chaka　had　shed　flowed

about　the　land　which　Chaka　ruled。　Then　from　the　womb　of　the　night

great　shapes　of　cloud　rose　up　and　stood　before　the　sun；　and　he　crowned

them　with　his　glory；　and　in　their　hearts　the　lightning　quivered　like　a

blood　of　fire。　The　shadow　of　their　wings　fell　upon　the　mountain　and

the　plains；　and　beneath　their　wings　was　silence。　Slowly　the　sun　sank；

and　the　shapes　of　cloud　gathered　together　like　a　host　at　the　word　of

its　captain；　and　the　flicker　of　the　lightning　was　as　the　flash　of　the

spears　of　a　host。　I　looked；　and　my　heart　grew　afraid。　The　lightning

died　away；　the　silence　deepened　and　deepened　till　I　could　hear　it；　no

leaf　moved；　no　bird　called；　the　world　seemed　deadI　alone　lived　in

the　dead　world。



Now；　of　a　sudden；　my　father；　a　bright　star　fell　from　the　height　of

heaven　and　lit　upon　the　crest　of　the　storm；　and　as　it　lit　the　storm

burst。　The　grey　air　shivered；　a　moan　ran　about　the　rocks　and　died

away；　then　an　icy　breath　burst　from　the　lips　of　the　tempest　and　rushed

across　the　earth。　It　caught　the　falling　star　and　drove　it　on　towards

me；　a　rushing　globe　of　fire；　and　as　it　came　the　star　grew　and　took

shape；　and　the　shape　it　took　was　the　shape　of　a　woman。　I　knew　her　now；

my　father；　while　she　was　yet　far　off　I　knew　herthe　Inkosazana　who

came　as　she　had　promised；　riding　down　the　storm。　On　she　swept；　borne

forward　by　the　blast；　and　oh！　she　was　terrible　to　see；　for　her　garment

was　the　lightning；　lightnings　shone　from　her　wide　eyes　and　lightnings

were　in　her　streaming　hair；　while　in　her　hand　was　a　spear　of　fire；　and

she　shook　it　as　she　came。　Now　she　was　at　the　mouth　of　the　pass；　before

her　was　stillness；　behind　her　beat　the　wings　of　the　storm；　the　thunder

roared；　the　rain　hissed　like　snakes；　she　rushed　on　past　me；　and　as　she

passed　she　turned　her　awful　eyes　upon　me；　withering　me。　She　was　there！

she　was　gone！　but　she　spoke　no　word；　only　shook　her　flaming　spear。　Yet

it　seemed　to　me　that　the　storm　spoke；　that　the　rocks　cried　aloud；　that

the　rain　hissed　out　a　word　in　my　ear；　and　the　word　was：



〃Smite；　Mopo！〃



I　heard　it　in　my　heart；　or　with　my　ears；　what　does　it　matter？　Then　I

turned　to　look；　through　the　rush　of　the　tempest　and　the　reek　of　the

rain；　still　I　could　see　her　sweeping　forward　high　in　air。　Now　the

kraal　Duguza　was　beneath　her　feet；　and　the　flaming　spear　fell　from　her

hand　upon　the　kraal　and　fire　leaped　up　in　answer。



Then　she　passed　on　over　the　edge　of　the　world；　seeking　her　own　place。

Thus；　my　father；　for　the　third　and　last　time　did　my　eyes　see　the

Inkosazana…y…Zulu；　or　mayhap　my　heart　dreamed　that　I　saw　her。　Soon　I

shall　see　her　again；　but　it　will　not　be　here。



For　a　while　I　sat　there　in　the　cleft；　then　I　rose　and　fought　my　way

through　the　fury　of　the　storm　back　to　the　kraal　Duguza。　As　I　drew　near

the　kraal　I　heard　cries　of　fear　coming　through　the　roaring　of　the　wind

and　the　hiss　of　the　rain。　I　entered　and　asked　one　of　the　matter；　and

it　was　told　me　that　fire　from　above　had　fallen　on　the　hut　of　the　king

as　he　lay　sleeping；　and　all　the　roof　of　the　hut　was　burned　away；　but

that　the　rain　had　put　out　the　fire。



Then　I　went　on　till　I　came　to　the　front　of　the　great　hut；　and　I　saw　by

the　light　of　the　moon；　which　now　shone　out　in　the　heavens；　that　there

before　it　stood　Chaka；　shaking　with　fear；　and　the　water　of　the　rain

was　running　down　him；　while　he　stared　at　the　great　hut；　of　which　all

the　thatch　was　burned。



I　saluted　the　king；　asking　him　what　evil　thing　had　happened。　Seeing

me；　he　seized　me　by　the　arm；　and　clung　to　me　as；　when　the　slayers　are

at　hand；　a　child　clings　to　his　father；　drawing　me　after　him　into　a

small　hut　that　was　near。



〃What　evil　thing　has　befallen；　O　King？〃　I　said　again；　when　light　had

been　made。



〃Little　have　I　known　of　fear；　Mopo；〃　said　Chaka；　〃yet　I　am　afraid　now；

ay；　as　much　afraid　as　when　once　on　a　bygone　night　the　dead　hand　of

Baleka　summoned　something　that　walked　upon　the　faces　of　the　dead。〃



〃And　what　fearest　thou；　O　King；　who　art　the　lord　of　all　the　earth？〃



Now　Chaka　leaned　forward　and　whispered　to　me：　〃Hearken；　Mopo；　I　ha