child of storm-第57章

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which　of　these　two　tells　them　I　cannot　say。　　Well；　if　the　woman　left　the
man　by　his　own　wish；　and　that　his　ends　might　be　furthered；　as　he　says；
he　had　put　her　away；　and　therefore　the　fault；　if　any；　is　his；　not　hers。　
So　that　charge　is　ended。　　Now；　woman；　what　have　you　to　tell　us　of　the
witchcraft　which　it　is　said　you　practised　upon　the　Prince　who　is　gone；
thereby　causing　him　to　make　war　in　the　land？〃

〃Little　that　you　would　wish　to　hear；　O　King；　or　that　it　would　be　seemly
for　me　to　speak；〃　she　answered；　drooping　her　head　modestly。　　〃The　only
witchcraft　that　ever　I　practised　upon　Umbelazi　lies　here〃and　she
touched　her　beautiful　eyes〃and　here〃and　she　touched　her　curving
lips〃and　in　this　poor　shape　of　mine　which　some　have　thought　so　fair。　
As　for　the　war；　what　had　I　to　do　with　war；　who　never　spoke　to　Umbelazi；
who　was　so　dear　to　me〃and　she　looked　up　with　tears　running　down　her
face〃save　of　love？　　O　King；　is　there　a　man　among　you　all　who　would
fear　the　witcheries　of　such　a　one　as　I；　and　because　the　Heavens　made　me
beautiful　with　the　beauty　that　men　must　follow；　am　I　also　to　be　killed
as　a　sorceress？〃

Now；　to　this　argument　neither　Panda　nor　anyone　else　seemed　to　find　an
answer；　especially　as　it　was　well　known　that　Umbelazi　had　cherished　his
ambition　to　the　succession　long　before　he　met　Mameena。　　So　that　charge
was　dropped；　and　the　first　and　greatest　of　the　three　proceeded　with；
namely；　that　it　was　she；　Mameena；　and　not　her　husband；　Masapo；　who　had
murdered　Nandie's　child。

When　this　accusation　was　made　against　her；　for　the　first　time　I　saw　a
little　shade　of　trouble　flit　across　Mameena's　soft　eyes。

〃Surely；　O　King；〃　she　said；　〃that　matter　was　settled　long　ago；　when　the
Ndwande；　Zikali；　the　great　Nyanga；　smelt　out　Masapo　the　wizard；　he　who
was　my　husband；　and　brought　him　to　his　death　for　this　crime。　　Must　I
then　be　tried　for　it　again？〃

〃Not　so；　woman；〃　answered　Panda。　　〃All　that　Zikali　smelt　out　was　the
poison　that　wrought　the　crime；　and　as　some　of　that　poison　was　found　upon
Masapo；　he　was　killed　as　a　wizard。　　Yet　it　may　be　that　it　was　not　he　who
used　the　poison。〃

〃Then　surely　the　King　should　have　thought　of　that　before　he　died；〃
murmured　Mameena。　　〃But　I　forget：　It　is　known　that　Masapo　was　always
hostile　to　the　House　of　Senzangakona。〃

To　this　remark　Panda　made　no　answer；　perhaps　because　it　was
unanswerable；　even　in　a　land　where　it　was　customary　to　kill　the　supposed
wizard　first　and　inquire　as　to　his　actual　guilt　afterwards；　or　not　at
all。　　Or　perhaps　he　thought　it　politic　to　ignore　the　suggestion　that　he
had　been　inspired　by　personal　enmity。　　Only；　he　looked　at　his　daughter；
Nandie；　who　rose　and　said：

〃Have　I　leave　to　call　a　witness　on　this　matter　of　the　poison；　my
Father？〃

Panda　nodded；　whereon　Nandie　said　to　one　of　the　councillors：

〃Be　pleased　to　summon　my　woman；　Nahana；　who　waits　without。〃

The　man　went；　and　presently　returned　with　an　elderly　female　who；　it
appeared；　had　been　Nandie's　nurse；　and；　never　having　married；　owing　to
some　physical　defect；　had　always　remained　in　her　service；　a　person　well
known　and　much　respected　in　her　humble　walk　of　life。

〃Nahana；〃　said　Nandie；　〃you　are　brought　here　that　you　may　repeat　to　the
King　and　his　council　a　tale　which　you　told　to　me　as　to　the　coming　of　a
certain　woman　into　my　hut　before　the　death　of　my　first…born　son；　and
what　she　did　there。　　Say　first；　is　this　woman　present　here？〃

〃Aye；　Inkosazana；〃　answered　Nahana；　〃yonder　she　sits。　　Who　could　mistake
her？〃　and　she　pointed　to　Mameena；　who　was　listening　to　every　word
intently；　as　a　dog　listens　at　the　mouth　of　an　ant…bear　hole　when　the
beast　is　stirring　beneath。

〃Then　what　of　the　woman　and　her　deeds？〃　asked　Panda。

〃Only　this；　O　King。　　Two　nights　before　the　child　that　is　dead　was　taken
ill；　I　saw　Mameena　creep　into　the　hut　of　the　lady　Nandie；　I　who　was
asleep　alone　in　a　corner　of　the　big　hut　out　of　reach　of　the　light　of　the
fire。　　At　the　time　the　lady　Nandie　was　away　from　the　hut　with　her　son。　
Knowing　the　woman　for　Mameena；　the　wife　of　Masapo；　who　was　on　friendly
terms　with　the　Inkosazana；　whom　I　supposed　she　had　come　to　visit；　I　did
not　declare　myself；　nor　did　I　take　any　particular　note　when　I　saw　her
sprinkle　a　little　mat　upon　which　the　babe；　Saduko's　son；　was　wont　to　be
laid；　with　some　medicine；　because　I　had　heard　her　promise　to　the
Inkosazana　a　powder　which　she　said　would　drive　away　insects。　　Only；　when
I　saw　her　throw　some　of　this　powder　into　the　vessel　of　warm　water　that
stood　by　the　fire；　to　be　used　for　the　washing　of　the　child；　and　place
something；　muttering　certain　words　that　I　could　not　catch；　in　the　straw
of　the　doorway；　I　thought　it　strange；　and　was　about　to　question　her　when
she　left　the　hut。　　As　it　happened；　O　King；　but　a　little　while
afterwards；　before　one　could　count　ten　tens　indeed；　a　messenger　came　to
the　hut　to　tell　me　that　my　old　mother　lay　dying　at　her　kraal　four　days'
journey　from　Nodwengu；　and　prayed　to　see　me　before　she　died。　　Then　I
forgot　all　about　Mameena　and　the　powder；　and；　running　out　to　seek　the
Princess　Nandie；　I　craved　her　leave　to　go　with　the　messenger　to　my
mother's　kraal；　which　she　granted　to　me；　saying　that　I　need　not　return
until　my　mother　was　buried。

〃So　I　went。　　But；　oh！　my　mother　took　long　to　die。　　Whole　moons　passed
before　I　shut　her　eyes；　and　all　this　while　she　would　not　let　me　go；　nor；
indeed；　did　I　wish　to　leave　her　whom　I　loved。　　At　length　it　was　over；
and　then　came　the　days　of　mourning；　and　after　those　some　more　days　of
rest；　and　after　them　again　the　days　of　the　division　of　the　cattle；　so
that　in　the　end　six　moons　or　more　had　gone　by　before　I　returned　to　the
service　of　the　Princess　Nandie；　and　found　that　Mameena　was　now　the
second　wife　of　the　lord　Saduko。　　Also　I　found　that　the　child　of　the　lady
Nandie　was　dead；　and　that　Masapo；　the　first　husband　of　Mameena；　had　been
smelt　out　and　killed　as　the　murderer　of　the　child。　　But　as　all　these
things　were　over　and　done　with；　and　as　Mameena　was　very　kind　to　me；
giving　me　gifts　and　sparing　me　tasks；　and　as　I　saw　that　Saduko　my　lord
loved　her　much；　it　never　came　into　my　head　to　say　anything　of　the　matter
of　the　powder　that　I　saw　her　sprinkle　on　the　mat。

〃After　she　had　run　away　with　the　Prince　who　is　dead；　however；　I　did　tell
the　lady　Nandie。　　Moreover；　the　lady　Nandie；　in　my　presence；　searched　in
the　straw　of　the　doorway　of　the　hut　and　found　there；　wrapped　in　soft
hide；　certain　medicines　such　as　the　Nyangas　sell；　wherewith　those　who
consult　them　can　bewitch　their　enemies；　or　cause　those　whom　they　desire
to　love　them　or　to　hate　their　wives　or　husbands。　　That　is　all　I　know　of
the　story；　O　King。〃

〃Do　my　ears　hear　a　true　tale；　Nandie？〃　asked　Panda。　　〃Or　is　this　woman　a
liar　like　others？〃

〃I　think　not；　my　Father；　see；　here　is　the　muti　＇medicine＇　which　Nahana
and　I　found　hid　in　the　doorway　of　the　hut　that　I　have　kept　unopened　till
this　day。〃

And　she　laid　on　the　ground　a　little　leather　bag；　very　neatly　sewn　with
sinews；　and　fastened　round　its　neck　with　a　fibre　string。

Panda　directed　one　of　the　councillors　to　open　the　bag；　which　the　man　did
unwillingly　enough；　since　evidently　he　feared　its　evil　influence；
pouring　out　its　contents　on　to　the　back　of　a　hide　shield；　which　was　then
carried　round　so　that　we　might　all　look　at　them。　　These；　so　far　as　I
could　see；　consisted　of　some　withered　roots；　a　small　piece　of　human
thigh　bone；　such　as　might　have　come　from　the　skeleton　of　an　infant；　that
had　a　little　stopper　of　wood　in　its　orifice；　and　what　I　took　to　be　the
fang　of　a　snake。

Panda　looked　at　them　and　shrank　away；　saying：

〃Come　hither；　Zikali　the　Old；　you　who　are　skilled　in　magic；　and　tell　us
what　is　this　medicine。〃

Then　Zikali　rose　from　the　corner　where　he　had　been　sitting　so　silently；
and　waddled　heavily　across　the　open　space　to　where　the　shield　lay　in
front　of　the　King。　　As　he　passed　Mameena；　she　bent　down　over　the　dwarf
and　began　to　whisper　to　him　swiftly；　but　he　placed　his　hands　upon　his
big　head；　covering　up　his　ears；　as　I　suppose；　that　he　might　not　hear　her
words。

〃What　have　I　to　do　with　this　matter；　O　King？〃　he　asked。

〃Much；　it　seems；　O　Opener…of…Roads；〃　said　Panda　sternly；　〃seeing　that
you　were　the　d