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nada the lily-第44节

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by night and eaten them up。



As I learned afterwards; the cause of their destruction; as in later

days it was the cause of the slaying of the Halakazi; was the beauty

of Nada and nothing else; for the fame of her loveliness had gone

about the land; and the old chief of the Halakazi had commanded that

the girl should be sent to his kraal to live there; that her beauty

might shine upon his place like the sun; and that; if so she willed;

she should choose a husband from the great men of the Halakazi。 But

the headmen of the kraal refused; for none who had looked on her would

suffer their eyes to lose sight of Nada the Lily; though there was

this fate about the maid that none strove to wed her against her will。

Many; indeed; asked her in marriage; both there and among the Halakazi

people; but ever she shook her head and said; 〃Nay; I would wed no

man;〃 and it was enough。



For it was the saying among men; that it was better that she should

remain unmarried; and all should look on her; than that she should

pass from their sight into the house of a husband; since they held

that her beauty was given to be a joy to all; like the beauty of the

dawn and of the evening。 Yet this beauty of Nada's was a dreadful

thing; and the mother of much death; as shall be told; and because of

her beauty and the great love she bore; she; the Lily herself; must

wither; and the cup of my sorrows must be filled to overflowing; and

the heart of Umslopogaas the Slaughterer; son of Chaka the king; must

become desolate as the black plain when fire has swept it。 So it was

ordained; my father; and so it befell; seeing that thus all men; white

and black; seek that which is beautiful; and when at last they find

it; then it passes swiftly away; or; perchance; it is their death。 For

great joy and great beauty are winged; nor will they sojourn long upon

the earth。 They come down like eagles out of the sky; and into the sky

they return again swiftly。



Thus then it came about; my father; that I; Mopo; believing my

daughter Nada to be dead; little guessed that it was she who was named

the Lily in the kraals of the Halakazi; and whom Dingaan the king

desired for a wife。



Now after I had thwarted him in this matter of the sending of an impi

to pluck the Lily from the gardens of the Halakazi; Dingaan learned to

hate me。 Also I was in his secrets; and with me he had killed his

brother Chaka and his brother Umhlangana; and it was I who held him

back from the slaying of his brother Panda also; and; therefore; he

hated me; as is the fashion of small…hearted men with those who have

lifted them up。 Yet he did not dare to do away with me; for my voice

was loud in the land; and when I spoke the people listened。 Therefore;

in the end; he cast about for some way to be rid of me for a while;

till he should grow strong enough to kill me。



〃Mopo;〃 said the king to me one day as I sat before him in council

with others of the indunas and generals; 〃mindest thou of the last

words of the Great Elephant; who is dead?〃 This he said meaning Chaka

his brother; only he did not name him; for now the name of Chaka was

blonipa in the land; as is the custom with the names of dead kings

that is; my father; it was not lawful that it should pass the lips。



〃I remember the words; O King;〃 I answered。 〃They were ominous words;

for this was their burden: that you and your house should not sit long

in the throne of kings; but that the white men should take away your

royalty and divide your territories。 Such was the prophecy of the Lion

of the Zulu; why speak of it? Once before I heard him prophecy; and

his words were fulfilled。 May the omen be an egg without meat; may it

never become fledged; may that bird never perch upon your roof; O

King!〃



Now Dingaan trembled with fear; for the words of Chaka were in his

mind by night and by day; then he grew angry and bit his lip;

saying:



〃Thou fool; Mopo! canst thou not hear a raven croak at the gates of a

kraal but thou must needs go tell those who dwell within that he waits

to pick their eyes? Such criers of ill to come may well find ill at

hand; Mopo。〃 He ceased; looked on me threateningly awhile; and went

on: 〃I did not speak of those words rolling by chance from a tongue

half loosed by death; but of others that told of a certain Bulalio; of

a Slaughterer who rules the People of the Axe and dwells beneath the

shadow of the Ghost Mountain far away to the north yonder。 Surely I

heard them all as I sat beneath the shade of the reed…fence before

ever I came to save him who was my brother from the spear of Masilo;

the murderer; whose spear stole away the life of a king?〃



〃I remember those words also; O King!〃 I said。 〃Is it the will of the

king that an impi should be gathered to eat up this upstart? Such was

the command of the one who is gone; given; as it were; with his last

breath。〃



〃Nay; Mopo; that is not my will。 If no impi can be found by thee to

wipe away the Halakazi and bring one whom I desire to delight my eyes;

then surely none can be found to eat up this Slaughterer and his

people。 Moreover; Bulalio; chief of the People of the Axe; has not

offended against me; but against an elephant whose trumpetings are

done。 Now this is my will; Mopo; my servant: that thou shouldst take

with thee a few men only and go gently to this Bulalio; and say to

him: 'A greater Elephant stalks through the land than he who has gone

to sleep; and it has come to his earsthat thou; Chief of the People

of the Axe; dost pay no tribute; and hast said that; because of the

death of a certain Mopo; thou wilt have nothing to do with him whose

shadow lies upon the land。 Now one Mopo is sent to thee; Slaughterer;

to know if this tale is true; for; if it be true; then shalt thou

learn the weight of the hoof of that Elephant who trumpets in the

kraal of Umgugundhlovu。 Think; then; and weigh thy words before thou

dost answer; Slaughterer。'〃



Now I; Mopo; heard the commands of the king and pondered them in my

mind; for I knew well that it was the design of Dingaan to be rid of

me for a space that he might find time to plot my overthrow; and that

he cared little for this matter of a petty chief; who; living far

away; had dared to defy Chaka。 Yet I wished to go; for there had

arisen in me a great desire to see this Bulalio; who spoke of

vengeance to be taken for one Mopo; and whose deeds were such as the

deeds of Umslopogaas would have been; had Umslopogaas lived to look

upon the light。 Therefore I answered:



〃I hear the king。 The king's word shall be done; though; O King; thou

sendest a big man upon a little errand。〃



〃Not so; Mopo;〃 answered Dingaan。 〃My heart tells me that this chicken

of a Slaughterer will grow to a great cock if his comb is not cut

presently; and thou; Mopo; art versed in cutting combs; even of the

tallest。〃



〃I hear the king;〃 I answered again。



So; my father; it came about that on the morrow; taking with me but

ten chosen men; I; Mopo; started on my journey towards the Ghost

Mountain; and as I journeyed I thought much of how I had trod that

path in bygone days。 Then; Macropha; my wife; and Nada; my daughter;

and Umslopogaas; the son of Chaka; who was thought to be my son;

walked at my side。 Now; as I imagined; all were dead and I walked

alone; doubtless I also should soon be dead。 Well; people lived few

days and evil in those times; and what did it matter? At the least I

had wreaked vengeance on Chaka and satisfied my heart。



At length I came one night to that lonely spot where we had camped in

the evil hour when Umslopogaas was borne away by the lioness; and once

more I looked upon the cave whence he had dragged the cub; and upon

the awful face of the stone Witch who sits aloft upon the Ghost

Mountain forever and forever。 I could sleep little that night; because

of the sorrow at my heart; but sat awake looking; in the brightness of

the moon; upon the grey face of the stone Witch; and on the depths of

the forest that grew about her knees; wondering the while if the bones

of Umslopogaas lay broken in that forest。 Now as I journeyed; many

tales had been told to me of this Ghost Mountain; which all swore was

haunted; so said some; by men in the shape of wolves; and so said

some; by the Esemkofuthat is; by men who have died and who have been

brought back again by magic。 They have no tongues; the Esemkofu; for

had they tongues they would cry aloud to mortals the awful secrets of

the dead; therefore; they can but utter a wailing like that of a babe。

Surely one may hear them in the forests at night as they wail 〃Ai!

ah! Aiah!〃 among the silent trees!



You laugh; my father; but I did not laugh as I thought of these tales;

for; if men have spirits; where do the spirits go when the body is

dead? They must go somewhere; and would it be strange that they should

return to look upon the lands where they were born? Yet I never

thought much 

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