marie-第58章

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kill　you？　　Indeed；　when　I　told　him　that　my　spies　said　that　you　were　to

ride　with　the　Boers；　as　I　had　requested　that　you　should　be　their　Tongue；

he　answered　that　unless　I　promised　to　give　you　to　the　vultures；　he　would

warn　them　against　coming。　　So；　since　I　wanted　them　to　come　as　I　had

arranged　with　him；　I　promised。〃



〃Is　it　so；　O　king？〃　I　asked。　　〃And　pray　why　does　this　Two…faces；　whom　we

name　Pereira；　desire　that　I　should　be　killed？〃



〃Ow！〃　chuckled　the　obese　old　ruffian；　〃cannot　you　with　all　your

cleverness　guess　that；　O　Macumazahn？　　Perhaps　it　is　he　who　needs　the

tall　white　maiden；　and　not　I。　　Perhaps　if　he　does　certain　things　for　me；

I　have　promised　her　to　him　in　payment。　　And　perhaps；〃　he　added；　laughing

quite　loud；　〃I　shall　trick　him　after　all；　keeping　her　for　myself；　and

paying　him　in　another　way；　for　can　a　cheat　grumble　if　he　is

out…cheated？〃



I　answered　that　I　was　an　honest　man；　and　knew　nothing　about　cheats；　or

at　what　they　could　or　could　not　grumble。



〃Yes；　Macumazahn；〃　replied　Dingaan　quite　genially。　　〃That　is　where　you

and　I　are　alike。　　We　are　both　honest；　quite　honest；　and　therefore

friends；　which　I　can　never　be　with　these　Amaboona；　who；　as　you　and

others　have　told　me；　are　traitors。　　We　play　our　game　in　the　light；　like

men；　and　who　wins；　wins；　and　who　loses；　loses。　　Now　hear　me；　Macumazahn；

and　remember　what　I　say。　　Whatever　happens　to　others；　whatever　you　may

see；　you　are　safe　while　I　live。　　Dingaan　has　spoken。　　Whether　I　get　the

tall　white　girl；　or　do　not　get　her；　still　_you_　are　safe；　it　is　on　my

head；〃　and　he　touched　the　gum…ring　in　his　hair。



〃And　why　should　I　be　safe　if　others　are　unsafe；　O　king？〃　I　asked。



〃Oh！　if　you　would　know　that；　ask　a　certain　ancient　prophet　named　Zikali；

who　was　in　this　land　in　the　days　of　Senzangacona；　my　father；　and　before

thenthat　is；　if　you　can　find　him。　　Also；　I　like　you；　who　are　not　a

flat…faced　fool　like　these　Amaboona；　but　have　a　brain　that　turns　in　and

out　through　difficulties；　as　a　snake　does　through　reeds；　and　it　would　be

a　pity　to　kill　one　who　can　shoot　birds　wheeling　high　above　him　in　the

air；　which　no　one　else　can　do。　　So　whatever　you　see　and　whatever　you

hear；　remember　that　you　are　safe；　and　shall　go　safely　from　this　land；　or

stay　safely　in　it　if　you　will；　to　be　my　voice　to　speak　with　the　Sons　of

George。



〃Now　return　to　the　commandant；　and　say　to　him　that　my　heart　is　his

heart；　and　that　I　am　very　pleased　to　see　him　here。　　To…morrow；　and

perhaps　the　next　day；　I　will　show　him　some　of　the　dances　of　my　people；

and　after　that　I　will　sign　the　writing；　giving　him　all　the　land　he　asks

and　everything　else　he　may　desire；　more　than　he　can　wish；　indeed。　　Hamba

gachle；　Macumazahn；〃　and；　rising　with　surprising　quickness　from　his

chair；　which　was　cut　out　of　a　single　block　of　wood；　he　turned　and

vanished　through　the　little　opening　in　the　reed　fence　behind　him　that

led　to　his　private　huts。



As　I　was　being　conducted　back　to　the　Boer　camp　by　Kambula；　who　was

waiting　for　me　outside　the　gate　of　the　labyrinth　which　is　called

isiklohlo；　I　met　Thomas　Halstead；　who　was　lounging　about；　I　think　in

order　to　speak　with　me。　　Halting；　I　asked　him　straight　out　what　the

king's　intentions　were　towards　the　Boers。



〃Don't　know；〃　he　answered；　shrugging　his　shoulders；　〃but　he　seems　so

sweet　on　them　that　I　think　he　must　be　up　to　mischief。　　He　is　wonderfully

fond　of　you；　too；　for　I　heard　him　give　orders　that　the　word　was　to　be

passed　through　all　the　regiments　that　if　anyone　so　much　as　hurt　you；　he

should　be　killed　at　once。　　Also；　you　were　pointed　out　to　the　soldiers

when　you　rode　in　with　the　rest；　that　they　might　all　of　them　know　you。〃



〃That's　good　for　me　as　far　as　it　goes；〃　I　replied。　　〃But　I　don't　know

why　I　should　need　special　protection　above　others；　unless　there　is

someone　who　wants　to　harm　me。〃



〃There　is　that；　Allan　Quatermain。　　The　indunas　tell　me　that　the

good…looking　Portugee；　whom　they　call　'Two…faces；'　asks　the　king　to　kill

you　every　time　he　sees　him。　　Indeed；　I've　heard　him　myself。〃



〃That's　kind　of　him；〃　I　answered；　〃but；　then；　Hernan　Pereira　and　I　never

got　on。　　Tell　me　what　is　he　talking　about　to　the　king　when　he　isn't

asking　him　to　kill　me。〃



〃Don't　know；〃　he　said　again。　　〃Something　dirty；　I'll　be　bound。　　One　may

be　sure　of　that　by　the　native　name　they　have　given　him。　　I　think；

however；〃　he　added　in　a　whisper；　〃that　he　has　had　a　lot　to　do　with　the

Boers　being　allowed　to　come　here　at　all　in　order　to　get　their　treaty

signed。　　At　least；　one　day　when　I　was　interpreting　and　Dingaan　swore

that　he　would　not　give　them　more　land　than　was　enough　to　bury　them　in；

Pereira　told　him　that　it　didn't　matter　what　he　signed；　as　'what　was

written　with　the　pen　could　be　scratched　out　with　the　spear。'〃



〃Indeed！　　And　what　did　the　king　say　to　that？〃



〃Oh！　he　laughed　and　said　it　was　true；　and　that　he　would　give　the　Boer

commission　all　their　people　wanted　and　something　over　for　themselves。　

But　don't　you　repeat　that；　Quatermain；　for　if　you　do；　and　it　gets　to　the

ear　of　Dingaan；　I　shall　certainly　be　killed。　　And；　I　say；　you're　a　good

fellow；　and　I　won　a　big　bet　on　you　over　that　vulture　shooting；　so　I　will

give　you　a　bit　of　advice；　which　you　will　be　wise　to　take。　　You　get　out

of　this　country　as　soon　as　you　can；　and　go　to　look　after　that　pretty

Miss　Marais；　whom　you　are　sweet　on。　　Dingaan　wants　her；　and　what　Dingaan

wants　he　gets　in　this　part　of　the　world。〃



Then；　without　waiting　to　be　thanked；　he　turned　and　disappeared　among　a

crowd　of　Zulus；　who　were　following　us　from　curiosity；　leaving　me

wondering　whether　or　no　Dingaan　was　right　when　he　called　this　young　man

a　liar。　　His　story　seemed　to　tally　so　well　with　that　told　by　the　king

himself；　that　on　the　whole　I　thought　he　was　not。



Just　after　I　had　passed　the　main　gateway　of　the　great　town；　where；　his

office　done；　Kambula　saluted　and　left　me；　I　saw　two　white　men　engaged　in

earnest　conversation　beneath　one　of　the　milk　trees　which；　as　I　think　I

have　already　mentioned；　grow；　or　grew；　there。　　They　were　Henri　Marais

and　his　nephew。　　Catching　sight　of　me；　Marais　walked　off；　but　Pereira

advanced　and　spoke　to　me；　although；　warned　perhaps　by　what　had　happened

to　him　in　the　case　of　Retief；　I　am　glad　to　say　he　did　not　offer　me　his

hand。



〃Good　day　to　you；　Allan；〃　he　said　effusively。　　〃I　have　just　heard　from

my　uncle　that　I　have　to　congratulate　you；　about　Marie　I　mean；　and；

believe　me；　I　do　so　with　all　my　heart。〃



Now；　as　he　spoke　these　words；　remembering　what　I　had　just　heard；　my

blood　boiled　in　me；　but　I　thought　it　wise　to　control　myself；　and

therefore　only　answered：



〃Thank　you。〃



〃Of　course；〃　he　went　on；　〃we　have　both　striven　for　this　prize；　but　as　it

has　pleased　God　that　you　should　win　it；　why；　I　am　not　one　to　bear

malice。〃



〃I　am　glad　to　hear　it；〃　I　replied。　　〃I　thought　that　perhaps　you　might

be。　　Now　tell　me；　to　change　the　subject；　how　long　will　Dingaan　keep　us

here？〃



〃Oh！　two　or　three　days　at　most。　　You　see；　Allan；　luckily　I　have　been

able　to　persuade　him　to　sign　the　treaty　about　the　land　without　further

trouble。　　So　as　soon　as　that　is　done；　you　can　all　go　home。〃



〃The　commandant　will　be　very　grateful　to　you；〃　I　said。　　〃But　what　are

you　going　to　do？〃



〃I　do　not　know；　Allan。　　You　see；　I　am　not　a　lucky　fellow　like　yourself


with　a　wife　waiting　for　me。　　I　think　that　perhaps　I　shall　stop　here　a

while。　　I　see　a　way　of　making　a　great　deal　of　money　out　of　these　Zulus；

and　having　lost　everything　upon　that　Delagoa　Bay　trek；　I　want　money。〃



〃We　all　do；〃　I　answered；　〃especially　if　we　are　starting　in　life。　　So

when　it　is　convenient　to　you　to　settle　your　debts　I　shall　be　glad。〃



〃Oh！　have　no　fear；〃　he　exclaimed　with　a　sudden　lighting　up　of　his　dark

face；　〃I　will　pay　you　what　I　owe　you；　every　farthing；　with　good　interest

thrown　in。〃



〃The　king　has　just　told　me　that　is　you　intention；〃　I　remarked　quietly；

looking　him　full　in　the　eyes。　　Then　I　walk