nada the lily-第49章

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things　could　not　win　the　maid。　This　was　his　command；　that　a　great　impi

should　be　gathered　and　sent　to　Swaziland　against　the　Halakazi　tribe；

to　destroy　them　and　seize　the　maid。　But　when　the　matter　came　on　to　be

discussed　with　the　indunas　in　the　presence　of　the　king；　at　the

Amapakati　or　council；　I；　as　chief　of　the　indunas；　spoke　against　it；

saying　that　the　tribe　of　the　Halakazi　were　great　and　strong；　and　that

war　with　them　would　mean　war　with　the　Swazis　also；　moreover；　they　had

their　dwelling　in　caves　which　were　had　to　win。　Also；　I　said；　that　this

was　no　time　to　send　impis　to　seek　a　single　girl；　for　few　years　had

gone　by　since　the　Black　One　fell；　and　foes　were　many；　and　the　soldiers

of　the　land　had　waxed　few　with　slaughter；　half　of　them　having　perished

in　the　marshes　of　the　Limpopo。　Now；　time　must　be　given　them　to　grow　up

again；　for　to…day　they　were　as　a　little　child；　or　like　a　man　wasted

with　hunger。　Maids　were　many；　let　the　king　take　them　and　satisfy　his

heart；　but　let　him　make　no　war　for　this　one。



Thus　I　spoke　boldly　in　the　face　of　the　king；　as　none　had　dared　to

speak　before　Chaka；　and　courage　passed　from　me　to　the　hearts　of　the

other　indunas　and　generals；　and　they　echoed　my　words；　for　they　knew

that；　of　all　follies；　to　begin　a　new　war　with　the　Swazi　people　would

be　the　greatest。



Dingaan　listened；　and　his　brow　grew　dark；　yet　he　was　not　so　firmly

seated　on　the　throne　that　he　dared　put　away　our　words；　for　still　there

were　many　in　the　land　who　loved　the　memory　of　Chaka；　and　remembered

that　Dingaan　had　murdered　him　and　Umhlangana　also。　For　now　that　Chaka

was　dead；　people　forgot　how　evilly　he　had　dealt　with　them；　and

remembered　only　that　he　was　a　great　man；　who　had　made　the　Zulu　people

out　of　nothing；　as　a　smith　fashions　a　bright　spear　from　a　lump　of

iron。　Also；　though　they　had　changed　masters；　yet　their　burden　was　not

lessened；　for；　as　Chaka　slew；　so　Dingaan　slew　also；　and　as　Chaka

oppressed；　so　did　Dingaan　oppress。　Therefore　Dingaan　yielded　to　the

voice　of　his　indunas　and　no　impi　was　sent　against　the　Halakazi　to　seek

the　maid　that　was　named　the　Lily。　But　still　he　hankered　for　her　in　his

heart；　and　from　that　hour　he　hated　me　because　I　had　crossed　his　will

and　robbed　him　of　his　desire。



Now；　my　father；　there　is　this　to　be　told：　though　I　did　not　know　it

then；　the　maid　who　was　named　the　Lily　was　no　other　than　my　daughter

Nada。　The　thought；　indeed；　came　into　my　mind；　that　none　but　Nada　could

be　so　fair。　Yet　I　knew　for　certain　that　Nada　and　her　mother　Macropha

were　dead；　for　he　who　brought　me　the　news　of　their　death　had　seen

their　bodies　locked　in　each　other's　arms；　killed；　as　it　were；　by　the

same　spear。　Yet；　as　it　chanced；　he　was　wrong；　for　though　Macropha

indeed　was　killed；　it　was　another　maid　who　lay　in　blood　beside　her；

for　the　people　whither　I　had　sent　Macropha　and　Nada　were　tributary　to

the　Halakazi　tribe；　and　that　chief　of　the　Halakazi　who　sat　in　the

place　of　Galazi　the　Wolf　had　quarrelled　with　them；　and　fallen　on　them

by　night　and　eaten　them　up。



As　I　learned　afterwards；　the　cause　of　their　destruction；　as　in　later

days　it　was　the　cause　of　the　slaying　of　the　Halakazi；　was　the　beauty

of　Nada　and　nothing　else；　for　the　fame　of　her　loveliness　had　gone

about　the　land；　and　the　old　chief　of　the　Halakazi　had　commanded　that

the　girl　should　be　sent　to　his　kraal　to　live　there；　that　her　beauty

might　shine　upon　his　place　like　the　sun；　and　that；　if　so　she　willed；

she　should　choose　a　husband　from　the　great　men　of　the　Halakazi。　But

the　headmen　of　the　kraal　refused；　for　none　who　had　looked　on　her　would

suffer　their　eyes　to　lose　sight　of　Nada　the　Lily；　though　there　was

this　fate　about　the　maid　that　none　strove　to　wed　her　against　her　will。

Many；　indeed；　asked　her　in　marriage；　both　there　and　among　the　Halakazi

people；　but　ever　she　shook　her　head　and　said；　〃Nay；　I　would　wed　no

man；〃　and　it　was　enough。



For　it　was　the　saying　among　men；　that　it　was　better　that　she　should

remain　unmarried；　and　all　should　look　on　her；　than　that　she　should

pass　from　their　sight　into　the　house　of　a　husband；　since　they　held

that　her　beauty　was　given　to　be　a　joy　to　all；　like　the　beauty　of　the

dawn　and　of　the　evening。　Yet　this　beauty　of　Nada's　was　a　dreadful

thing；　and　the　mother　of　much　death；　as　shall　be　told；　and　because　of

her　beauty　and　the　great　love　she　bore；　she；　the　Lily　herself；　must

wither；　and　the　cup　of　my　sorrows　must　be　filled　to　overflowing；　and

the　heart　of　Umslopogaas　the　Slaughterer；　son　of　Chaka　the　king；　must

become　desolate　as　the　black　plain　when　fire　has　swept　it。　So　it　was

ordained；　my　father；　and　so　it　befell；　seeing　that　thus　all　men；　white

and　black；　seek　that　which　is　beautiful；　and　when　at　last　they　find

it；　then　it　passes　swiftly　away；　or；　perchance；　it　is　their　death。　For

great　joy　and　great　beauty　are　winged；　nor　will　they　sojourn　long　upon

the　earth。　They　come　down　like　eagles　out　of　the　sky；　and　into　the　sky

they　return　again　swiftly。



Thus　then　it　came　about；　my　father；　that　I；　Mopo；　believing　my

daughter　Nada　to　be　dead；　little　guessed　that　it　was　she　who　was　named

the　Lily　in　the　kraals　of　the　Halakazi；　and　whom　Dingaan　the　king

desired　for　a　wife。



Now　after　I　had　thwarted　him　in　this　matter　of　the　sending　of　an　impi

to　pluck　the　Lily　from　the　gardens　of　the　Halakazi；　Dingaan　learned　to

hate　me。　Also　I　was　in　his　secrets；　and　with　me　he　had　killed　his

brother　Chaka　and　his　brother　Umhlangana；　and　it　was　I　who　held　him

back　from　the　slaying　of　his　brother　Panda　also；　and；　therefore；　he

hated　me；　as　is　the　fashion　of　small…hearted　men　with　those　who　have

lifted　them　up。　Yet　he　did　not　dare　to　do　away　with　me；　for　my　voice

was　loud　in　the　land；　and　when　I　spoke　the　people　listened。　Therefore；

in　the　end；　he　cast　about　for　some　way　to　be　rid　of　me　for　a　while；

till　he　should　grow　strong　enough　to　kill　me。



〃Mopo；〃　said　the　king　to　me　one　day　as　I　sat　before　him　in　council

with　others　of　the　indunas　and　generals；　〃mindest　thou　of　the　last

words　of　the　Great　Elephant；　who　is　dead？〃　This　he　said　meaning　Chaka

his　brother；　only　he　did　not　name　him；　for　now　the　name　of　Chaka　was

blonipa　in　the　land；　as　is　the　custom　with　the　names　of　dead　kings

that　is；　my　father；　it　was　not　lawful　that　it　should　pass　the　lips。



〃I　remember　the　words；　O　King；〃　I　answered。　〃They　were　ominous　words；

for　this　was　their　burden：　that　you　and　your　house　should　not　sit　long

in　the　throne　of　kings；　but　that　the　white　men　should　take　away　your

royalty　and　divide　your　territories。　Such　was　the　prophecy　of　the　Lion

of　the　Zulu；　why　speak　of　it？　Once　before　I　heard　him　prophecy；　and

his　words　were　fulfilled。　May　the　omen　be　an　egg　without　meat；　may　it

never　become　fledged；　may　that　bird　never　perch　upon　your　roof；　O

King！〃



Now　Dingaan　trembled　with　fear；　for　the　words　of　Chaka　were　in　his

mind　by　night　and　by　day；　then　he　grew　angry　and　bit　his　lip；

saying：



〃Thou　fool；　Mopo！　canst　thou　not　hear　a　raven　croak　at　the　gates　of　a

kraal　but　thou　must　needs　go　tell　those　who　dwell　within　that　he　waits

to　pick　their　eyes？　Such　criers　of　ill　to　come　may　well　find　ill　at

hand；　Mopo。〃　He　ceased；　looked　on　me　threateningly　awhile；　and　went

on：　〃I　did　not　speak　of　those　words　rolling　by　chance　from　a　tongue

half　loosed　by　death；　but　of　others　that　told　of　a　certain　Bulalio；　of

a　Slaughterer　who　rules　the　People　of　the　Axe　and　dwells　beneath　the

shadow　of　the　Ghost　Mountain　far　away　to　the　north　yonder。　Surely　I

heard　them　all　as　I　sat　beneath　the　shade　of　the　reed…fence　before

ever　I　came　to　save　him　who　was　my　brother　from　the　spear　of　Masilo；

the　murderer；　whose　spear　stole　away　the　life　of　a　king？〃



〃I　remember　those　words　also；　O　King！〃　I　said。　〃Is　it　the　will　of　the

king　that　an　impi　should　be　gathered　to　eat　up　this　upstart？　Such　was

the　command　of　the　one　who　is　gone；　given；　as　it　were；　with　his　last

breath。〃



〃Nay；　Mopo；　that　is　not　my　will。　If　no　impi　can　be　found　by　thee　to

wipe