the yellow god-第36节

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Then　all　three　of　them　climbed　to　the　dais；　the　priests　and　the
musicians　remaining　below。

〃Welcome；　Vernoon；〃　said　the　Asika　through　the　lips　of　the　mask；　which
to　Alan；　notwithstanding　the　dreadful　cruelty　of　its　expression；
looked　less　hateful　than　the　lovely；　tigerish　face　it　hid。　〃Welcome
and　be　seated　here　on　my　left　hand；　since　on　my　right　you　may　not　sit
as　yet。〃

He　bowed　and　took　the　chair　to　which　she　pointed；　while　her　husband
placed　himself　in　the　other　chair　upon　her　right；　and　Jeekie　stood
behind；　his　great　shape　towering　above　them　all。

〃This　is　a　festival　of　my　people；　Vernoon；〃　she　went　on；　〃such　a
festival　as　has　not　been　seen　for　years；　celebrated　because　Little
Bonsa　has　come　back　to　them。〃

〃What　is　to　happen？〃　he　asked　uneasily。　〃I　have　told　you；　Lady；　that
blood　is　/orunda/　to　me。　I　must　not　witness　it。〃

〃I　know；　be　not　afraid；〃　she　answered。　〃Sacrifice　there　must　be；　since
it　is　the　custom　and　we　may　not　defraud　the　gods；　but　you　shall　not
see　the　deed。　Judge　from　this；　Vernoon；　how　greatly　I　desire　to　please
you。〃

Now　Alan；　looking　about　him；　saw　that　immediately　beneath　the　dais　and
between　them　and　the　edge　of　the　water；　were　gathered　his　cannibal
friends；　the　Ogula；　and　Fahni　their　chief　who　had　rowed　him　to　Asiki…
land；　and　with　them　the　messengers　whom　they　had　sent　on　ahead。　Also
he　saw　that　their　arms　were　tied　behind　them　and　that　they　were
guarded　by　men　dressed　like　devils　and　armed　with　spears。

〃Ask　Fahni　why　he　and　his　people　are　bound；　Jeekie；〃　said　Alan；　〃and
why　have　they　not　returned　to　their　own　country。〃

Jeekie　obeyed；　putting　the　question　in　the　Ogula　language；　whereon　the
poor　men　turned　and　began　to　implore　Alan　to　save　their　lives；　Fahni
adding　that　he　had　been　told　they　were　to　be　killed　that　night。

〃Why　are　these　men　to　be　slain？〃　asked　Alan　of　the　Asika。

〃Because　I　have　learned　that　they　attacked　you　in　their　own　country；
Vernoon；〃　she　answered；　〃and　would　have　killed　you　had　it　not　been　for
Little　Bonsa。　It　is　therefore　right　that　they　should　die　as　an
offering　to　you。〃

〃I　refuse　the　offering　since　afterwards　they　dealt　well　with　me。　Set
them　free　and　let　them　return　to　their　own　land；　Asika。〃

〃That　cannot　be；〃　she　replied　coldly。　〃Here　they　are　and　here　they
remain。　Still；　their　lives　are　yours　to　take　or　to　spare；　so　keep　them
as　your　servants　if　you　will；〃　and　bending　down　she　issued　a　command
which　was　instantly　obeyed；　for　the　men　dressed　like　devils　cut　the
bonds　of　the　Ogula　and　brought　them　round　to　the　back　of　the　dais；
where　they　stood　blessing　Alan　loudly　in　their　own　tongue。

Then　the　ceremonies　began　with　a　kind　of　infernal　ballet。　On　the
smooth　space　between　them　and　the　water's　edge　appeared　male　and
female　bands　of　dancers　who　emerged　from　the　shadows。　For　the　most
part　they　were　dressed　up　like　animals　and　imitated　the　cries　of　the
beasts　that　they　represented；　although　some　of　them　wore　little　or　no
clothing。　To　the　sound　of　wild　music　of　horns　and　drums　these
creatures　danced　a　kind　of　insane　quadrille　which　seemed　to　suggest
everything　that　is　cruel　and　vile　upon　the　earth。　They　danced　and
danced　in　the　moonlight　till　the　madness　spread　from　them　to　the
thousands　who　were　gathered　upon　the　farther　side　of　the　water；　for
presently　all　of　these　began　to　dance　also。　Nor　did　it　stop　there；
since　at　length　the　Asika　rose　from　her　chair　upon　the　dais　and　joined
in　the　performance　with　the　Mungana　her　husband。　Even　Jeekie　began　to
prance　and　shout　behind；　so　that　at　last　Alan　and　the　Ogula　alone
remained　still　and　silent　in　the　midst　of　a　scene　and　a　noise　which
might　have　been　that　of　hell　let　loose。

Leaving　go　of　her　husband；　the　Asika　bounded　up　to　Alan　and　tried　to
drag　him　from　his　chair；　thrusting　her　gold　mask　against　his　mask。　He
refused　to　move　and　after　a　while　she　left　him　and　returned　to
Mungana。　Louder　and　louder　brayed　the　music　and　beat　the　drums；　wilder
and　wilder　grew　the　shrieks。　Individuals　fell　exhausted　and　were
thrown　into　the　water　where　they　sank　or　floated　away　on　the　slow
moving　stream；　as　part　of　some　inexplicable　play　that　was　being
enacted。

Then　suddenly　the　Asika　stood　still　and　threw　up　her　arms　and　they
fell　upon　their　faces　and　lay　as　though　they　were　dead。　A　third　time
she　threw　up　her　arms　and　they　rose　and　remained　so　silent　that　the
only　sound　to　be　heard　was　that　of　their　thick　breathing。　Then　she
spoke；　or　rather　screamed；　saying：

〃Little　Bonsa　has　come　back　again；　bringing　with　her　the　white　man
whom　she　led　away；〃　and　all　the　audience　answered；　〃Little　Bonsa　has
come　back　again。　Once　more　we　see　her　on　the　head　of　the　Asika　as　our
fathers　did。　Give　her　a　sacrifice。　Give　her　the　white　man。〃

〃Nay；〃　she　screamed　back；　〃the　white　man　is　mine。　I　name　him　as　the
next　Mungana。〃

〃Oho！〃　roared　the　audience；　〃Oho！　she　names　him　as　the　next　Mungana。
Good…bye；　old　Mungana！　Greeting；　new　Mungana！　When　will　be　the
marriage　feast？〃

〃Tell　us；　Mungana；　tell　us；〃　cried　the　Asika；　patting　her　wretched
husband　on　the　cheek。　〃Tell　us　when　you　mean　to　die；　as　you　are　bound
to　do。〃

〃On　the　night　of　the　second　full　moon　from　now；〃　he　answered　with　a
terrible　groan　that　seemed　to　be　wrung　out　of　his　heavy　heart；　〃on
that　night　my　soul　will　be　eaten　up　and　my　day　done。　But　till　then　I
am　lord　of　the　Asika；　and　if　she　forgets　it；　death　shall　be　her
portion；　according　to　the　ancient　law。〃

〃Yes；　yes；〃　shouted　the　multitude；　〃death　shall　be　her　portion；　and
her　lover　we　will　sacrifice。　Die　in　honour；　Mungana；　as　all　those　died
that　went　before　you。〃

〃Thank　Heaven！〃　muttered　Alan　to　himself；　〃I　am　safe　from　that　witch
for　the　next　two　months；〃　and　through　the　eye…holes　of　his　mask　he
contemplated　her　with　loathing　and　alarm。

At　the　moment；　indeed；　she　was　not　a　pleasing　spectacle；　for　in　the
heat　and　excitement　of　her　mad　dance　she　had　cast　off　her　gold　breast…
plate　or　stomacher；　leaving　herself　naked　except　for　her　kirtle　and
the　thin；　gold…spangled　robe　upon　her　shoulders　over　which　streamed
her　black；　disordered　hair。　Contrasting　strangely　in　the　silver
moonlight　with　her　glistening；　copper…coloured　body；　the　mask　of
Little　Bonsa　on　her　head　glared　round　with　its　fixed　crystal　eyes　and
fiendish　smile　as　she　turned　her　long　neck　from　side　to　side。　Seen
thus　she　scarcely　looked　human；　and　Alan's　heart　was　filled　with　pity
for　the　poor　bedizened　wretch　she　named　her　husband；　who　had　just　been
forced　to　announce　the　date　of　his　own　suicide。

Soon；　however；　he　forgot　it；　for　a　new　act　in　the　drama　had　begun。　Two
priests　clad　in　horns　and　tails　leapt　on　to　the　dais　and　at　a　signal
unlaced　the　mask　of　Little　Bonsa。　Now　the　Asika　lifted　it　from　her
streaming　face　and　held　it　on　high；　then　she　lowered　it　to　the　level
of　her　breast；　and　holding　it　in　both　hands；　walked　to　the　edge　of　the
dais；　whereon　priests；　disguised　as　fiends；　began　to　leap　at　it；
striving　to　reach　it　with　their　fingers　and　snatch　it　from　her　grasp。
One　by　one　they　leapt　with　the　most　desperate　energy；　each　man　being
allowed　to　make　three　attempts；　and　Alan　noted　that　this　novel　jumping
competition　was　watched　with　the　deepest　interest　by　all　the　audience；
at　the　time　he　knew　not　why。

The　first　two　were　evidently　elderly　men　who　failed　to　come　anywhere
near　the　mark。　Their　failure　was　received　with　shouts　of　derision。
They　sank　exhausted　to　the　ground　and　from　the　motion　of　his　body　Alan
could　see　that　one　of　them　was　weeping；　while　the　other　remained
sullenly　silent。　Then　a　younger　man　advanced　and　at　the　third　try
almost　grasped　the　fetish。　Indeed　he　would　have　grasped　it　had　he　not
met　with　foul　play；　for　the　Asika；　seeing　that　he　was　about　to
succeed；　lifted　it　an　inch　or　two；　so　that　he　also　missed　and　with　a
groan　joined　the　band　of　the　defeated。　Next　appeared　a　fourth　priest；
even　more　horribly　arrayed　than　those　before　him；　but　Alan　noticed
that　his　mask　was　of　the　lightest；　and　that　his　garments　consisted
chiefly　of　paint；　the　main　idea　of　his　make…up　being　that　of　a
skeleton。　He　was　a　thin　active　fellow；　and　all　the　watching　thousands
greeted　him　with　a　shout。　For　a　few　seconds　he　stood　back　gazing　at
the　mask　as　a　wolf　might　at　an　unapproachable　bone。　Then　suddenly　he
ran　forward　and　sprang　into　the　air。　Such　an　amazing　jump　Alan　had
never　seen　before。　So　high　was　it　indeed　that　his　head　came　level　with
that　of　the　fetish；　which　he　snatched　with　both　hands　tearing　it　from
Asika's　grasp。　Coming　to　the　ground　again　with　a　thud；　he　began　to
caper　to　and　fro；　kissing　the　mask；　while　the　audience　shouted：

〃Little　Bonsa　has　chosen。　What　fate　for　the　fallen？　Ask　her；　priest？〃

The　man　stopped　his　capering　and　held　the　mouth　of　Little　Bonsa　to　his
ear；　nodding　from　time　to　time　as　though　she　were　speaking　to　him　and
he　heard　what　she　said。　Then　he　passed　round　the　dais　where　Alan　could
not　see　him；　and　presently　reappeared　holding　Little　Bonsa　in　his
right　hand　and　in　his　left　a　great　gold　cup。　A　silence　fell　upon　the
place。　He　advanced　to　the　first　man　who　had　jumped　and　offered　him　the
cup。　He　turned　his　head　away；　but　a　thousand　voices　thundered　〃Drink！〃
Then　he　took　it　and　drank；　passing　it　to　a　compani