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nada the lily-第58节

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though you do not know it; this Mouth whom you revile is Mopo; my

father。〃



〃Then there is a man among the People of the Axe who has a fool for a

father。 Of all tidings this is the worst。〃



〃There is a man among the People of the Axe who has a jade and a scold

for a wife;〃 said Umslopogaas; springing up。 〃Begone; Zinita!and

know this; that if I hear you snarl such words of him who is my

father; you shall go further than your own hut; for I will put you

away and drive you from my kraal。 I have suffered you too long。〃



〃I go;〃 said Zinita。 〃Oh! I am well served! I made you chief; and now

you threaten to put me away。〃



〃My own hands made me chief;〃 said Umslopogaas; and; springing up; he

thrust her from the hut。



〃It is a poor thing to be wedded to such a woman; my father;〃 he said

presently。



〃Yes; a poor thing; Umslopogaas; yet these are the burdens that men

must bear。 Learn wisdom from it; Umslopogaas; and have as little to do

with women as may be; at the least; do not love them overmuch; so

shall you find the more peace。〃 Thus I spoke; smiling; and would that

he had listened to my counsel; for it is the love of women which has

brought ruin on Umslopogaas!



All this was many years ago; and but lately I have heard that

Umslopogaas is fled into the North; and become a wanderer to his death

because of the matter of a woman who had betrayed him; making it seem

that he had murdered one Loustra; who was his blood brother; just as

Galazi had been。 I do not know how it came about; but he who was so

fierce and strong had that weakness like his uncle Dingaan; and it has

destroyed him at the last; and for this cause I shall behold him no

more。



Now; my father; for awhile we were silent and alone in the hut; and as

we sat I thought I heard a rat stir in the thatch。



Then I spoke。 〃Umslopogaas; at length the hour has come that I should

whisper something into your ear; a word which I have held secret ever

since you were born。〃



〃Speak on; my father;〃 he said; wondering。



I crept to the door of the hut and looked out。 The night was dark and

I could see none about; and could hear no one move; yet; being

cautious; I walked round the hut。 Ah; my father; when you have a

secret to tell; be not so easily deceived。 It is not enough to look

forth and to peer round。 Dig beneath the floor; and search the roof

also; then; having done all this; go elsewhere and tell your tale。 The

woman was right: I was but a fool; for all my wisdom and my white

hairs。 Had I not been a fool I would have smoked out that rat in the

thatch before ever I opened my lips。 For the rat was Zinita; my father

Zinita; who had climbed the hut; and now lay there in the dark; her

ear upon the smoke…hole; listening to every word that passed。 It was a

wicked thing to do; and; moreover; the worst of omens; but there is

little honour among women when they learn that which others wish to

hide away from them; nor; indeed; do they then weight omens。



So having searched and found nothing; I spoke to Umslopogaas; my

fosterling; not knowing that death in a woman's shape lay on the hut

above us。 〃Hearken;〃 I said; 〃you are no son of mine; Umslopogaas;

though you have called me father from a babe。 You spring from a

loftier stock; Slaughterer。〃



〃Yet I was well pleased with my fathering; old man;〃 said Umslopogaas。

〃The breed is good enough for me。 Say; then; whose son am I?〃



Now I bent forward and whispered to him; yet; alas! not low enough。

〃You are the son of the Black One who is dead; yea; sprung from the

blood of Chaka and of Baleka; my sister。〃



〃I still have some kinship with you then; Mopo; and that I am glad of。

Wow! who would have guessed that I was the son of the Silwana; of that

hyena man? Perhaps it is for this reason that; like Galazi; I love the

company of the wolves; though no love grows in my heart for my father

or any of his house。〃



〃You have little cause to love him; Umslopogaas; for he murdered your

mother; Baleka; and would have slain you also。 But you are the son of

Chaka and of no other man。〃



〃Well; his eyes must be keen indeed; my uncle; who can pick his own

father out of a crowd。 And yet I once heard this tale before; though I

had long forgotten it。〃



〃From whom did you hear it; Umslopogaas? An hour since; it was known

to one alone; the others are dead who knew it。 Now it is known to two〃

ah! my father; I did not guess of the third;〃from whom; then; did

you hear it?〃



〃It was from the dead; at least; Galazi the Wolf heard it from the

dead One who sat in the cave on Ghost Mountain; for the dead One told

him that a man would come to be his brother who should be named

Umslopogaas Bulalio; son of Chaka; and Galazi repeated it to me; but I

had long forgotten it。〃



〃It seems that there is wisdom among the dead;〃 I answered; 〃for lo!

to…day you are named Umslopogaas Bulalio; and to…day I declare you the

son of Chaka。 But listen to my tale。〃



Then I told him all the story from the hour of his birth onwards; and

when I spoke of the words of his mother; Baleka; after I had told my

dream to her; and of the manner of her death by the command of Chaka;

and of the great fashion in which she had died; then; I say;

Umslopogaas wept; who; I think; seldom wept before or after。 But as my

tale drew it its end I saw that he listened ill; as a man listens who

has a weightier matter pressing on his heart; and before it was well

done he broke in:



〃So; Mopo; my uncle; if I am the son of Chaka and Baleka; Nada the

Lily is no sister to me。〃



〃Nay; Umslopogaas; she is only your cousin。〃



〃Over near of blood;〃 he said; 〃yet that shall not stand between us;〃

and his face grew glad。



I looked at him in question。



〃You grow dull; my uncle。 This is my meaning: that I will marry Nada

if she still lives; for it comes upon me now that I have never loved

any woman as I love Nada the Lily;〃 and while he spoke; I heard the

rat stir in the thatch of the hut。



〃Wed her if you will; Umslopogaas;〃 I answered; 〃yet I think that one

Zinita; your Inkosikasi; will find words to say in the matter。〃



〃Zinita is my head wife indeed; but shall she hold me back from taking

other wives; after the lawful custom of our people?〃 he asked angrily;

and his anger showed that he feared the wrath of Zinita。



〃The custom is lawful and good;〃 I said; 〃but it has bred trouble at

times。 Zinita can have little to say if she continues in her place and

you still love her as of old。 But enough of her。 Nada is not yet at

your gates; and perhaps she will never find them。 See; Umslopogaas; it

is my desire that you should rule in Zululand by right of blood; and;

though things point otherwise; yet I think a way can be found to bring

it about。〃



〃How so?〃 he asked。



〃Thus: Many of the great chiefs who are friends to me hate Dingaan and

fear him; and did they know that a son of Chaka lived; and that son

the Slaughterer; he well might climb to the throne upon their

shoulders。 Also the soldiers love the name of Chaka; though he dealt

cruelly with them; because at least he was brave and generous。 But

they do not love Dingaan; for his burdens are the burdens of Chaka but

his gifts are the gifts of Dingaan; therefore they would welcome

Chaka's son if once they knew him for certain。 But it is here that the

necklet chafes; for there is but my word to prove it。 Yet I will try。〃



〃Perhaps it is worth trying and perhaps it is not; my uncle;〃 answered

Umslopogaas。 〃One thing I know: I had rather see Nada at my gates to…

night than hear all the chiefs in the land crying 'Hail; O King!'〃



〃You will live to think otherwise; Umslopogaas; and now spies must be

set at the kraal Umgugundhlovu to give us warning of the mind of the

king; lest he should send an impi suddenly to eat you up。 Perhaps his

hands may be too full for that ere long; for those white Amaboona will

answer his assegais with bullets。 And one more word: let nothing be

said of this matter of your birth; least of all to Zinita your wife;

or to any other woman。〃



〃Fear not; uncle;〃 he answered; 〃I know how to be silent。〃



Now after awhile Umslopogaas left me and went to the hut of Zinita;

his Inkosikasi; where she lay wrapped in her blankets; and; as it

seemed; asleep。



〃Greeting; my husband;〃 she said slowly; like one who wakens。 〃I have

dreamed a strange dream of you。 I dreamed that you were called a king;

and that all the regiments of the Zulus filed past giving you the

royal salute; Bayete。〃



Umslopogaas looked at her wondering; for he did not know if she had

learned something or if this was an omen。 〃Such dreams are dangerous;〃

he said; 〃and he who dreams them does well to lock them fast till they

be forgotten。〃



〃Or fulfilled;〃 said Zinita; and again Umslopogaas looked at her

wondering。



Now after this night I began my work; for I established spies at the

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