child of storm-第8节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


you　that；　since　you　know　it；　as　I　do　well　enough；　having　learned　it　in
other　days；　the　days　of　Dingaan；　Macumazahn。　　All　your　future；　also；　a
very　strange　future；〃　and　he　scanned　the　stone　with　interest。　　〃Yes；
yes；　a　wonderful　life；　and　a　noble　death　far　away。　　But　of　these　matters
you　have　not　asked　me；　and　therefore　I　may　not　tell　them　even　if　I
wished；　nor　would　you　believe　if　I　did。　　It　is　of　your　hunting　trip　that
you　have　asked　me；　and　my　answer　is　that　if　you　seek　your　own　comfort
you　will　do　well　not　to　go。　　A　pool　in　a　dry　river…bed；　a　buffalo　bull
with　the　tip　of　one　horn　shattered。　　Yourself　and　the　bull　in　the　pool。　
Saduko；　yonder；　also　in　the　pool；　and　a　little　half…bred　man　with　a　gun
jumping　about　upon　the　bank。　　Then　a　litter　made　of　boughs　and　you　in
it；　and　the　father　of　Mameena　walking　lamely　at　your　side。　　Then　a　hut
and　you　in　it；　and　the　maiden　called　Mameena　sitting　at　your　side。

〃Macumazahn；　your　spirit　has　written　on　this　stone　that　you　should
beware　of　Mameena；　since　she　is　more　dangerous　than　any　buffalo。　　If　you
are　wise　you　will　not　go　out　hunting　with　Umbezi；　although　it　is　true
that　hunt　will　not　cost　you　your　life。　　There；　away；　Stone；　and　take
your　writings　with　you！〃　and　as　he　spoke　he　jerked　his　arm　and　I　heard
something　whiz　past　my　face。

Next　he　spat　out　the　black　stone　and　examined　it　in　similar　fashion。

〃Your　expedition　will　be　successful；　Son　of　Matiwane；〃　he　said。　
〃Together　with　Macumazahn　you　will　win　many　cattle　at　the　cost　of　sundry
lives。　　But　for　the　restwell；　you　did　not　ask　me　of　it；　did　you？　
Also；　I　have　told　you　something　of　that　story　before　to…day。　　Away；
Stone！〃　and　the　black　pebble　followed　the　white　out　into　the　surrounding
gloom。

We　sat　quite　still　until　the　dwarf　broke　the　deep　silence　with　one　of
his　great　laughs。

〃My　witchcraft　is　done；〃　he　said。　　〃A　poor　tale；　was　it　not？　　Well；　hunt
for　those　stones　to…morrow　and　read　the　rest　of　it　if　you　can。　　Why　did
you　not　ask　me　to　tell　you　everything　while　I　was　about　it；　White　Man？　
It　would　have　interested　you　more；　but　now　it　has　all　gone　from　me　back
into　your　spirit　with　the　stones。　　Saduko；　get　you　to　sleep。　
Macumazahn；　you　who　are　a　Watcher…by…Night；　come　and　sit　with　me　awhile
in　my　hut；　and　we　will　talk　of　other　things。　　All　this　business　of　the
stones　is　nothing　more　than　a　Kafir　trick；　is　it；　Macumazahn？　　When　you
meet　the　buffalo　with　the　split　horn　in　the　pool　of　a　dried　river；
remember　it　is　but　a　cheating　trick；　and　now　come　into　my　hut　and　drink
a　kamba　＇bowl＇　of　beer　and　let　us　talk　of　other　things　more
interesting。〃

So　he　took　me　into　the　hut；　which　was　a　fine　one；　very　well　lighted　by　a
fire　in　its　centre；　and　gave　me　Kafir　beer　to　drink；　that　I　swallowed
gratefully；　for　my　throat　was　dry　and　still　felt　as　though　it　had　been
scraped。

〃Who　are　you；　Father？〃　I　asked　point…blank　when　I　had　taken　my　seat　upon
a　low　stool；　with　my　back　resting　against　the　wall　of　the　hut；　and　lit
my　pipe。

He　lifted　his　big　head　from　the　pile　of　karosses　on　which　he　was　lying
and　peered　at　me　across　the　fire。

〃My　name　is　Zikali；　which　means　'Weapons；'　White　Man。　　You　know　as　much
as　that；　don't　you？〃　he　answered。　　〃My　father　'went　down'　so　long　ago
that　his　does　not　matter。　　I　am　a　dwarf；　very　ugly；　with　some　learning；
as　we　of　the　Black　House　understand　it；　and　very　old。　　Is　there　anything
else　you　would　like　to　learn？〃

〃Yes；　Zikali；　how　old？〃

〃There；　there；　Macumazahn；　as　you　know；　we　poor　Kafirs　cannot　count　very
well。　　How　old？　　Well；　when　I　was　young　I　came　down　towards　the　coast
from　the　Great　River；　you　call　it　the　Zambesi；　I　think；　with　Undwandwe；
who　lived　in　the　north　in　those　days。　　They　have　forgotten　it　now
because　it　is　some　time　ago；　and　if　I　could　write　I　would　set　down　the
history　of　that　march；　for　we　fought　some　great　battles　with　the　people
who　used　to　live　in　this　country。　　Afterwards　I　was　the　friend　of　the
Father　of　the　Zulus；　he　whom　they　still　call　Inkoosi　Umkuluthe　mighty
chiefyou　may　have　heard　tell　of　him。　　I　carved　that　stool　on　which　you
sit　for　him　and　he　left　it　back　to　me　when　he　died。〃

〃Inkoosi　Umkulu！〃　I　exclaimed。　　〃Why；　they　say　he　lived　hundreds　of
years　ago。〃

〃Do　they；　Macumazahn？　　If　so；　have　I　not　told　you　that　we　black　people
cannot　count　as　well　as　you　do？　　Really　it　was　only　the　other　day。　
Anyhow；　after　his　death　the　Zulus　began　to　maltreat　us　Undwandwe　and　the
Quabies　and　the　Tetwas　with　usyou　may　remember　that　they　called　us　the
Amatefula；　making　a　mock　of　us。　　So　I　quarrelled　with　the　Zulus　and
especially　with　Chaka；　he　whom　they　named　'Uhlanya'　＇the　Mad　One＇。　　You
see；　Macumazahn；　it　pleased　him　to　laugh　at　me　because　I　am　not　as　other
men　are。　　He　gave　me　a　name　which　means
'The…thing…which…should…never…have…been…born。'　　I　will　not　speak　that
name；　it　is　secret　to　me；　it　may　not　pass　my　lips。　　Yet　at　times　he
sought　my　wisdom；　and　I　paid　him　back　for　his　names；　for　I　gave　him　very
ill　counsel；　and　he　took　it；　and　I　brought　him　to　his　death；　although
none　ever　saw　my　finger　in　that　business。　　But　when　he　was　dead　at　the
hands　of　his　brothers　Dingaan　and　Umhlangana　and　of　Umbopa；　Umbopa　who
also　had　a　score　to　settle　with　him；　and　his　body　was　cast　out　of　the
kraal　like　that　of　an　evil…doer；　why　I；　who　because　I　was　a　dwarf　was
not　sent　with　the　_men_　against　Sotshangana；　went　and　sat　on　it　at　night
and　laughed　thus；〃　and　he　broke　into　one　of　his　hideous　peals　of
merriment。

〃I　laughed　thrice：　once　for　my　wives　whom　he　had　taken；　once　for　my
children　whom　he　had　slain；　and　once　for　the　mocking　name　that　he　had
given　me。　　Then　I　became　the　counsellor　of　Dingaan；　whom　I　hated　worse
than　I　had　hated　Chaka；　for　he　was　Chaka　again　without　his　greatness；
and　you　know　the　end　of　Dingaan；　for　you　had　a　share　in　that　war；　and　of
Umhlangana；　his　brother　and　fellow…murderer；　whom　I　counselled　Dingaan
to　slay。　　This　I　did　through　the　lips　of　the　old　Princess　Menkabayi；
Jama's　daughter；　Senzangakona's　sister；　the　Oracle　before　whom　all　men
bowed；　causing　her　to　say　that　'This　land　of　the　Zulus　cannot　be　ruled
by　a　crimson　assegai。'　　For；　Macumazahn；　it　was　Umhlangana　who　first
struck　Chaka　with　the　spear。　　Now　Panda　reigns；　the　last　of　the　sons　of
Senzangakona；　my　enemy；　Panda　the　Fool；　and　I　hold　my　hand　from　Panda
because　he　tried　to　save　the　life　of　a　child　of　mine　whom　Chaka　slew。　
But　Panda　has　sons　who　are　as　Chaka　was；　and　against　them　I　work　as　I
worked　against　those　who　went　before　them。〃

〃Why？〃　I　asked。

〃Why？　　Oh！　if　I　were　to　tell　you　_all_　my　story　you　would　understand
why；　Macumazahn。　　Well；　perhaps　I　will　one　day。〃　　（Here　I　may　state　that
as　a　matter　of　fact　he　did；　and　a　very　wonderful　tale　it　is；　but　as　it
has　nothing　to　do　with　this　history　I　will　not　write　it　here。）

〃I　dare　say；〃　I　answered。　　〃Chaka　and　Dingaan　and　Umhlangana　and　the
others　were　not　nice　people。　　But　another　question。　　Why　do　you　tell　me
all　this；　O　Zikali；　seeing　that　were　I　but　to　repeat　it　to　a
talking…bird　you　would　be　smelt　out　and　a　single　moon　would　not　die
before　you　do？〃

〃Oh！　I　should　be　smelt　out　and　killed　before　one　moon　dies；　should　I？　
Then　I　wonder　that　this　has　not　happened　during　all　the　moons　that　are
gone。　　Well；　I　tell　the　story　to　you；　Macumazahn；　who　have　had　so　much
to　do　with　the　tale　of　the　Zulus　since　the　days　of　Dingaan；　because　I
wish　that　someone　should　know　it　and　perhaps　write　it　down　when
everything　is　finished。　　Because；　too；　I　have　just　been　reading　your
spirit　and　see　that　it　is　still　a　white　spirit；　and　that　you　will　not
whisper　it　to　a　'talking…bird。'〃

Now　I　leant　forward　and　looked　at　him。

〃What　is　the　end　at　which　you　aim；　O　Zikali？〃　I　asked。　　〃You　are　not　one
who　beats　the　air　with　a　stick；　on　whom　do　you　wish　the　stick　to　fall　at
last？〃

〃On　whom？〃　he　answered　in　a　new　voice；　a　low；　hissing　voice。　　〃Why；　on
these　proud　Zulus；　this　little　family　of　men　who　call　themselves　the
'People　of　Heaven；'　and　swallow　other　tribes　as　the　great　tree…snake
swallows　kids　and　small　bucks；　and　when　it　is　fat　with　them　cries　to　the
world；　'See　how　big　I　am！　　Everything　is　inside　of　me。'　　I　am　a　Ndwande；
one　of　those　peoples　whom　it　pleases　the　Zulus　to　call　'Amatefula'poor
hangers…on　who　talk　with　an　accent；　nothing　but　bush　swine。　　Therefore　I
would　see　the　swine　tusk　the　hunter。　　Or；　if　that　may　not　be；　I　would
see　the　black　hunter　laid　low　by　the　rhinoceros；　the　white　rhinoceros　of
your　race；　Macumazahn；　yes；　even　if　it　sets　its　foot　upon　the　Ndwande
boar　as　well。　　There；　I　have　told　you；　and　this　is　the　reason　that　I
live　so　long；　for　I　will　not　die　until　these　things　have　come　to　pass；
as　come　to　pass　they　will。　　What　did　Chaka；　Senzangakona's　son；　say　when
the　little　red　assegai；　the　assegai　with　which　he　slew　his　mother；　aye
and　others；　some　of　whom　were　near　to　me；　was　in　his　liver？　　What　did　he
say　to　Mbopa　and　the　princes？　　Did　he　not　say　that　he　heard　the　feet　of
a　great　white　people　running；　of　a　people　who　should　stamp　the　Zulus
flat？　　Well；　I；　'The…thing…who…should…not…have…been…born；'　live　on　until
that　day　comes；　and　when　it　comes　I　think　that　you　and　I；　Macumazahn；
shall　not　be　far　apart；　and　that　is