nada the lily-第21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！



〃Not　yet　awhile；　I　will　endure　this　also；　afterwards；　if　need　be；　I

can　die。〃



〃I　thank　the　king　for　his　graciousness；　and　I　will　warm　me　at　the

fire。　Speak　on；　O　king；　while　I　warm　myself；　and　thou　shalt　hear　true

words；〃　I　said　boldly。



Then；　my　father；　I　stretched　out　my　left　hand　and　plunged　it　into　the

firenot　into　the　hottest　of　the　fire；　but　where　the　smoke　leapt　from

the　flame。　Now　my　flesh　was　wet　with　the　sweat　of　fear；　and　for　a

little　moment　the　flames　curled　round　it　and　did　not　burn　me。　But　I

knew　that　the　torment　was　to　come。



For　a　short　while　Chaka　watched　me；　smiling。　Then　he　spoke　slowly；

that　the　fire　might　find　time　to　do　its　work。



〃Say；　then；　Mopo；　thou　knowest　nothing　of　this　matter　of　the　birth　of

a　son　to　thy　sister　Baleka？〃



〃I　know　this　only；　O　king！〃　I　answered；　〃that　a　son　was　born　in　past

years　to　thy　wife　Baleka；　that　I　killed　the　child　in　obedience　to　thy

word；　and　laid　its　body　before　thee。〃



Now；　my　father；　the　steam　from　my　flesh　had　been　drawn　from　my　hand　by

the　heat；　and　the　flame　got　hold　of　me　and　ate　into　my　flesh；　and　its

torment　was　great。　But　of　this　I　showed　no　sign　upon　my　face；　for　I

knew　well　that　if　I　showed　sign　or　uttered　cry；　then；　having　failed　in

the　trial；　death　would　be　my　portion。



Then　the　king　spoke　again；　〃Dost　thou　swear　by　my　head；　Mopo；　that　no

son　of　mine　was　suckled　in　thy　kraals？〃



〃I　swear　it；　O　king！　I　swear　it　by　thy　head；〃　I　answered。



And　now；　my　father；　the　agony　of　the　fire　was　such　as　may　not　be　told。

I　felt　my　eyes　start　forward　in　their　sockets；　my　blood　seemed　to　boil

within　me；　it　rushed　into　my　head；　and　down　my　face　their　ran　two

tears　of　blood。　But　yet　I　held　my　hand　in　the　fire　and　made　no　sign；

while　the　king　and　his　councillors　watched　me　curiously。　Still；　for　a

moment　Chaka　said　nothing；　and　that　moment　seemed　to　me　as　all　the

years　of　my　life。



〃Ah！〃　he　said　at　length；　〃I　see　that　thou　growest　warm；　Mopo！　Withdraw

thy　hand　from　the　flame。　I　am　answered；　thou　hast　passed　the　trial；

thy　heart　is　clean；　for　had　there　been　lies　in　it　the　fire　had　given

them　tongue；　and　thou　hadst　cried　aloud；　making　thy　last　music；　Mopo！〃



Now　I　took　my　hand　from　the　flame；　and　for　awhile　the　torment　left　me。



〃It　is　well；　O　king；〃　I　said　calmly。　〃Fire　has　no　power　of　hurt　on

those　whose　heart　is　pure。〃



But　as　I　spoke　I　looked　at　my　left　hand。　It　was　black；　my　father

black　as　a　charred　stick；　and　the　nails　were　gone　from　the　twisted

fingers。　Look　at　it　now；　my　father；　you　can　see；　though　my　eyes　are

blind。　The　hand　is　white；　like　yoursit　is　white　and　dead　and

shrivelled。　These　are　the　marks　of　the　fire　in　Chaka's　hutthe　fire

that　kissed　me　many；　many　years　ago；　I　have　had　but　little　use　of　that

hand　since　this　night　of　torment。　But　my　right　arm　yet　remained　to　me；

my　father；　and；　ah！　I　used　it。



〃It　seems　that　Nobela；　the　doctress；　who　is　dead；　lied　when　she

prophesied　evil　on　me　from　thee；　Mopo；〃　said　Chaka　again。　〃It　seems

that　thou　art　innocent　of　this　offence；　and　that　Baleka；　thy　sister；

is　innocent；　and　that　the　song　which　the　Mother　of　the　Heavens　sang

through　the　singing　flames　was　no　true　song。　It　is　well　for　thee；

Mopo；　for　in　such　a　matter　my　oath　had　not　helped　thee。　But　my　mother

is　deaddead　in　the　flames　with　thy　wives　and　children；　Mopo；　and　in

this　there　is　witchcraft。　We　will　have　a　mourning；　Mopo；　thou　and　I；

such　a　mourning　as　has　not　been　seen　in　Zululand；　for　all　the　people

on　the　earth　shall　weep　at　it。　And　there　shall　be　a　'smelling　out'　at

this　mourning；　Mopo。　But　we　will　summon　no　witch…doctors；　thou　and　I

will　be　witch…doctors；　and　ourselves　shall　smell　out　those　who　have

brought　these　woes　upon　us。　What！　shall　my　mother　die　unavenged；　she

who　bore　me　and　has　perished　by　witchcraft；　and　shall　thy　wives　and

children　die　unavengedthou　being　innocent？　Go　forth；　Mopo；　my

faithful　servant；　whom　I　have　honoured　with　the　warmth　of　my　fire；　go

forth！〃　And　once　again　he　stared　at　me　through　the　reek　of　the　flame；

and　pointed　with　his　assegai　to　the　door　of　the　hut。







CHAPTER　XI



THE　COUNSEL　OF　BALEKA



I　rose；　I　praised　the　king　with　a　loud　voice；　and　I　went　from　the

Intunkulu；　the　house　of　the　king。　I　walked　slowly　through　the　gates；

but　when　I　was　without　the　gates　the　anguish　that　took　me　because　of

my　burnt　hand　was　more　than　I　could　bear。　I　ran　to　and　fro　groaning

till　I　came　to　the　hut　of　one　whom　I　knew。　There　I　found　fat；　and

having　plunged　my　hand　in　the　fat；　I　wrapped　it　round　with　a　skin　and

passed　out　again；　for　I　could　not　stay　still。　I　went　to　and　fro；　till

at　length　I　reached　the　spot　where　my　huts　had　been。　The　outer　fence

of　the　huts　still　stood；　the　fire　had　not　caught　it。　I　passed　through

the　fence；　there　within　were　the　ashes　of　the　burnt　hutsthey　lay

ankle…deep。　I　walked　in　among　the　ashes；　my　feet　struck　upon　things

that　were　sharp。　The　moon　was　bright；　and　I　looked；　they　were　the

blackened　bones　of　my　wives　and　children。　I　flung　myself　down　in　the

ashes　in　bitterness　of　heart；　I　covered　myself　over　with　the　ashes　of

my　kraal　and　with　the　bones　of　my　wives　and　children。　Yes；　my　father；

there　I　lay；　and　on　me　were　the　ashes；　and　among　the　ashes　were　the

bones。　Thus；　then；　did　I　lie　for　the　last　time　in　my　kraal；　and　was

sheltered　from　the　frost　of　the　night　by　the　dust　of　those　to　whom　I

had　given　life。　Such　were　the　things　that　befell　us　in　the　days　of

Chaka；　my　father；　yes；　not　to　me　alone；　but　to　many　another　also。



I　lay　among　the　ashes　and　groaned　with　the　pain　of　my　burn；　and

groaned　also　from　the　desolation　of　my　heart。　Why　had　I　not　tasted　the

poison；　there　in　the　hut　of　Chaka；　and　before　the　eyes　of　Chaka？　Why

did　I　not　taste　it　now　and　make　an　end？　Nay；　I　had　endured　the　agony；

I　would　not　give　him　this　last　triumph　over　me。　Now；　having　passed　the

fire；　once　more　I　should　be　great　in　the　land；　and　I　would　become

great。　Yes；　I　would　bear　my　sorrows；　and　become　great；　that　in　a　day

to　be　I　might　wreak　vengeance　on　the　king。　Ah！　my　father；　there；　as　I

rolled　among　the　ashes；　I　prayed　to　the　Amatongo；　to　the　ghosts　of　my

ancestors。　I　prayed　to　my　Ehlose；　to　the　spirit　that　watches　meay；

and　I　even　dared　to　pray　to　the　Umkulunkulu；　the　great　soul　of　the

world；　who　moves　through　the　heavens　and　the　earth　unseen　and　unheard。

And　thus　I　prayed；　that　I　might　yet　live　to　kill　Chaka　as　he　had

killed　those　who　were　dear　to　me。　And　while　I　prayed　I　slept；　or；　if　I

did　not　sleep；　the　light　of　thought　went　out　of　me；　and　I　became　as

one　dead。　Then　there　came　a　vision　to　me；　a　vision　that　was　sent　in

answer　to　my　prayer；　or；　perchance；　it　was　a　madness　born　of　my

sorrows。　For；　my　father；　it　seemed　to　me　that　I　stood　upon　the　bank　of

a　great　and　wide　river。　It　was　gloomy　there；　the　light　lay　low　upon

the　face　of　the　river；　but　far　away　on　the　farther　side　was　a　glow

like　the　glow　of　a　stormy　dawn；　and　in　the　glow　I　saw　a　mighty　bed　of

reeds　that　swayed　about　in　the　breath　of　dawn；　and　out　of　the　reeds

came　men　and　women　and　children；　by　hundreds　and　thousands；　and

plunged　into　the　waters　of　the　river　and　were　buffeted　about　by　them。

Now；　my　father；　all　the　people　that　I　saw　in　the　water　were　black

people；　and　all　those　who　were　torn　out　of　the　reeds　were　blackthey

wee　none　of　them　white　like　your　people；　my　father；　for　this　vision

was　a　vision　of　the　Zulu　race；　who　alone　are　〃torn　out　of　the　reeds。〃

Now；　I　saw　that　of　those　who　swam　in　the　river　some　passed　over　very

quickly　and　some　stood　still；　as　it　were；　still　in　the　wateras　in

life；　my　father；　some　die　soon　and　some　live　for　many　years。　And　I　saw

the　countless　faces　of　those　in　the　water；　among　them　were　many　that　I

knew。　There；　my　father；　I　saw　the　face　of　Chaka；　and　near　him　was　my

own　face；　there；　too；　I　saw　the　face　of　Dingaan；　the　prince；　his

brother；　and　the　face　of　the　boy　Umslopogaas　and　the　face　of　Nada；　my

daughter；　and　then　for　the　first　time　I　knew　that　Umslopogaas　was　not

dead；　but　only　lost。



Now　I　turned　in　my　vision；　and　looked　at　that　bank　of　the　river　on

which　I　stood。　Then　I　saw　that　behind　the　bank　was　a　cliff；　mighty　and

black；　and　in　the　cliff　were　doors　of　ivory；　and　through　them　came

light　and　the　sound　of　laughter；　there　were　other　doors　also；　black　as

though　fashioned　of　coal；　and　through　them　came　darkness　and　the

sounds　of　groans。　I　saw　also　that　in　front　of　the　doors　was　set　a

seat；　and　on　the　seat　was　the　figure　of　a　glorious　woman。　She　was

tall；　and　she　alone　was　white；　and　clad　in　robes　of　white；　and　her

hair　was　like　gold　which　is　molten　in　the　fire；　and　her　face　shone

like　the　midday　sun。　Then　I　saw　that　those　who　came　up　out　of　the

river　stood　before　the　woman；　the　water　yet　running　from　them；　and

cried　aloud　to　her。



〃Hail；　Inkosazana…y…Zulu！　Hail；　Queen　of　the　Heavens！〃



Now　the　figure　of　the　glorious　woman　held　a　rod　in　either　hand；　and

the　rod　in　her　right　hand　was　white　an