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