the red one-第4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！



placed　in　Bassett's　hands　an　indubitable　white　man's　head。



Ancient　it　was　beyond　question；　white　it　was　as　the　blond　hair

attested。　　He　could　have　sworn　it　once　belonged　to　an　Englishman；

and　to　an　Englishman　of　long　before　by　token　of　the　heavy　gold

circlets　still　threaded　in　the　withered　ear…lobes。



〃Now　your　head　。　。　。　〃　the　devil…devil　doctor　began　on　his

favourite　topic。



〃I'll　tell　you　what；〃　Bassett　interrupted；　struck　by　a　new　idea。

〃When　I　die　I'll　let　you　have　my　head　to　cure；　if；　first；　you　take

me　to　look　upon　the　Red　One。〃



〃I　will　have　your　head　anyway　when　you　are　dead；〃　Ngurn　rejected

the　proposition。　　He　added；　with　the　brutal　frankness　of　the

savage：　　〃Besides；　you　have　not　long　to　live。　　You　are　almost　a

dead　man　now。　　You　will　grow　less　strong。　　In　not　many　months　I

shall　have　you　here　turning　and　turning　in　the　smoke。　　It　is

pleasant；　through　the　long　afternoons；　to　turn　the　head　of　one　you

have　known　as　well　as　I　know　you。　　And　I　shall　talk　to　you　and　tell

you　the　many　secrets　you　want　to　know。　　Which　will　not　matter；　for

you　will　be　dead。〃



〃Ngurn；〃　Bassett　threatened　in　sudden　anger。　　〃You　know　the　Baby

Thunder　in　the　Iron　that　is　mine。〃　　（This　was　in　reference　to　his

all…potent　and　all…awful　shotgun。）　　〃I　can　kill　you　any　time；　and

then　you　will　not　get　my　head。〃



〃Just　the　same；　will　Vngngn；　or　some　one　else　of　my　folk　get　it；〃

Ngurn　complacently　assured　him。　　〃And　just　the　same　will　it　turn

here　in　the　and　turn　devil…devil　house　in　the　smoke。　　The　quicker

you　slay　me　with　your　Baby　Thunder；　the　quicker　will　your　head　turn

in　the　smoke。〃



And　Bassett　knew　he　was　beaten　in　the　discussion。



What　was　the　Red　One？　…　Bassett　asked　himself　a　thousand　times　in

the　succeeding　week；　while　he　seemed　to　grow　stronger。　　What　was

the　source　of　the　wonderful　sound？　　What　was　this　Sun　Singer；　this

Star…Born　One；　this　mysterious　deity；　as　bestial…conducted　as　the

black　and　kinky…headed　and　monkey…like　human　beasts　who　worshipped

it；　and　whose　silver…sweet；　bull…mouthed　singing　and　commanding　he

had　heard　at　the　taboo　distance　for　so　long？



Ngurn　had　he　failed　to　bribe　with　the　inevitable　curing　of　his　head

when　he　was　dead。　　Vngngn；　imbecile　and　chief　that　he　was；　was　too

imbecilic；　too　much　under　the　sway　of　Ngurn；　to　be　considered。

Remained　Balatta；　who；　from　the　time　she　found　him　and　poked　his

blue　eyes　open　to　recrudescence　of　her　grotesque　female

hideousness；　had　continued　his　adorer。　　Woman　she　was；　and　he　had

long　known　that　the　only　way　to　win　from　her　treason　of　her　tribe

was　through　the　woman's　heart　of　her。



Bassett　was　a　fastidious　man。　　He　had　never　recovered　from　the

initial　horror　caused　by　Balatta's　female　awfulness。　　Back　in

England；　even　at　best　the　charm　of　woman；　to　him；　had　never　been

robust。　　Yet　now；　resolutely；　as　only　a　man　can　do　who　is　capable

of　martyring　himself　for　the　cause　of　science；　he　proceeded　to

violate　all　the　fineness　and　delicacy　of　his　nature　by　making　love

to　the　unthinkably　disgusting　bushwoman。



He　shuddered；　but　with　averted　face　hid　his　grimaces　and　swallowed

his　gorge　as　he　put　his　arm　around　her　dirt…crusted　shoulders　and

felt　the　contact　of　her　rancidoily　and　kinky　hair　with　his　neck　and

chin。　　But　he　nearly　screamed　when　she　succumbed　to　that　caress　so

at　the　very　first　of　the　courtship　and　mowed　and　gibbered　and

squealed　little；　queer；　pig…like　gurgly　noises　of　delight。　　It　was

too　much。　　And　the　next　he　did　in　the　singular　courtship　was　to

take　her　down　to　the　stream　and　give　her　a　vigorous　scrubbing。



From　then　on　he　devoted　himself　to　her　like　a　true　swain　as

frequently　and　for　as　long　at　a　time　as　his　will　could　override　his

repugnance。　　But　marriage；　which　she　ardently　suggested；　with　due

observance　of　tribal　custom；　he　balked　at。　　Fortunately；　taboo　rule

was　strong　in　the　tribe。　　Thus；　Ngurn　could　never　touch　bone；　or

flesh；　or　hide　of　crocodile。　　This　had　been　ordained　at　his　birth。

Vngngn　was　denied　ever　the　touch　of　woman。　　Such　pollution；　did　it

chance　to　occur；　could　be　purged　only　by　the　death　of　the　offending

female。　　It　had　happened　once；　since　Bassett's　arrival；　when　a　girl

of　nine；　running　in　play；　stumbled　and　fell　against　the　sacred

chief。　　And　the　girl…child　was　seen　no　more。　　In　whispers；　Balatta

told　Bassett　that　she　had　been　three　days　and　nights　in　dying

before　the　Red　One。　　As　for　Balatta；　the　breadfruit　was　taboo　to

her。　　For　which　Bassett　was　thankful。　　The　taboo　might　have　been

water。



For　himself；　he　fabricated　a　special　taboo。　　Only　could　he　marry；

he　explained；　when　the　Southern　Cross　rode　highest　in　the　sky。

Knowing　his　astronomy；　he　thus　gained　a　reprieve　of　nearly　nine

months；　and　he　was　confident　that　within　that　time　he　would　either

be　dead　or　escaped　to　the　coast　with　full　knowledge　of　the　Red　One

and　of　the　source　of　the　Red　One's　wonderful　voice。　　At　first　he

had　fancied　the　Red　One　to　be　some　colossal　statue；　like　Memnon；

rendered　vocal　under　certain　temperature　conditions　of　sunlight。

But　when；　after　a　war　raid；　a　batch　of　prisoners　was　brought　in　and

the　sacrifice　made　at　night；　in　the　midst　of　rain；　when　the　sun

could　play　no　part；　the　Red　One　had　been　more　vocal　than　usual；

Bassett　discarded　that　hypothesis。



In　company　with　Balatta；　sometimes　with　men　and　parties　of　women；

the　freedom　of　the　jungle　was　his　for　three　quadrants　of　the

compass。　　But　the　fourth　quadrant；　which　contained　the　Red　One's

abiding　place；　was　taboo。　　He　made　more　thorough　love　to　Balatta　…

also　saw　to　it　that　she　scrubbed　herself　more　frequently。　　Eternal

female　she　was；　capable　of　any　treason　for　the　sake　of　love。　　And；

though　the　sight　of　her　was　provocative　of　nausea　and　the　contact

of　her　provocative　of　despair；　although　he　could　not　escape　her

awfulness　in　his　dream…haunted　nightmares　of　her；　he　nevertheless

was　aware　of　the　cosmic　verity　of　sex　that　animated　her　and　that

made　her　own　life　of　less　value　than　the　happiness　of　her　lover

with　whom　she　hoped　to　mate。　　Juliet　or　Balatta？　　Where　was　the

intrinsic　difference？　　The　soft　and　tender　product　of　ultra…

civilization；　or　her　bestial　prototype　of　a　hundred　thousand　years

before　her？　…　there　was　no　difference。



Bassett　was　a　scientist　first；　a　humanist　afterward。　　In　the

jungle…heart　of　Guadalcanal　he　put　the　affair　to　the　test；　as　in

the　laboratory　he　would　have　put　to　the　test　any　chemical　reaction。

He　increased　his　feigned　ardour　for　the　bushwoman；　at　the　same　time

increasing　the　imperiousness　of　his　will　of　desire　over　her　to　be

led　to　look　upon　the　Red　One　face　to　face。　　It　was　the　old　story；

he　recognized；　that　the　woman　must　pay；　and　it　occurred　when　the

two　of　them；　one　day；　were　catching　the　unclassified　and　unnamed

little　black　fish；　an　inch　long；　half…eel　and　half…scaled；　rotund

with　salmon…golden　roe；　that　frequented　the　fresh　water；　and　that

were　esteemed；　raw　and　whole；　fresh　or　putrid；　a　perfect　delicacy。

Prone　in　the　muck　of　the　decaying　jungle…floor；　Balatta　threw

herself；　clutching　his　ankles　with　her　hands　kissing　his　feet　and

making　slubbery　noises　that　chilled　his　backbone　up　and　down　again。

She　begged　him　to　kill　her　rather　than　exact　this　ultimate　love…

payment。　　She　told　him　of　the　penalty　of　breaking　the　taboo　of　the

Red　One　…　a　week　of　torture；　living；　the　details　of　which　she

yammered　out　from　her　face　in　the　mire　until　he　realized　that　he

was　yet　a　tyro　in　knowledge　of　the　frightfulness　the　human　was

capable　of　wreaking　on　the　human。



Yet　did　Bassett　insist　on　having　his　man's　will　satisfied；　at　the

woman's　risk；　that　he　might　solve　the　mystery　of　the　Red　One's

singing；　though　she　should　die　long　and　horribly　and　screaming。

And　Balatta；　being　mere　woman；　yielded。　　She　led　him　into　the

forbidden　quadrant。　　An　abrupt　mountain；　shouldering　in　from　the

north　to　meet　a　similar　intrusion　from　the　south；　tormented　the

stream　in　which　they　had　fished　into　a　deep　and　gloomy　gorge。

After　a　mile　along　the　gorge；　the　way　plunged　sharply　upward　until

they　crossed　a　saddle　of　raw　limestone　which　attracted　his

geologist's　eye。　　Still　climbing；　although　he　paused　often　from

sheer　physical　weakness；　they　scaled　forest…clad　heights　until　they

emerged　on　a　naked　mesa　or　tableland。　　Bassett　recognized　the　stuff

of　its　composition　as　black　volcanic　sand；　and　knew　that　a　pocket

magnet　could　have　captured　a　full　load　of　the　sharply　angular

grains　he　trod　upon。



And　then　holding　Balatta　by　the　hand　and　leading　her　onward；　he

came　to　it　…　a　tremendous　pit；　obviously　artificial；　in　the　heart

of　the　plateau。　　Old　history；　the　South　Seas　Sailing　Directions；

scores　of　remembered　data　and　connotations　swift　and　furious；

surged　through　his　brain。　　It　was　Mendana　who　had　discovered　the

islands　and　named　them　Solomon's；　believing　that　he　had　found　that

monarch's　fabled　mines。　　They　had　laughed　at　the　old　navigator's

child…like　credulity；