the virgin of the sun-第15节

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Greatly　did　I　wonder　who　this　man　was　and　from　what　race　he　sprang；
since　never　had　I　seen　any　human　being　who　resembled　him　at　all。　Of
one　thing　only　was　I　certain；　namely；　that　his　rank　was　high；　since　no
noble　of　the　countries　that　I　knew　had　a　bearing　so　gentle　or　manners
so　fine。　Of　black　men　I　had　seen　several；　who　were　called　negroes；　and
others　of　a　higher　sort　called　Moors；　gross；　vulgar　fellows　for　the
most　part　and　cut…throats　if　in　an　ill…humour；　but　never　a　one　of　them
like　this　Kari。

It　was　long　before　my　curiosity　was　satisfied；　and　even　then　I　did　not
gather　much。　By　slow　degrees　Kari　learned　English；　or　something　of　it；
though　never　enough　to　talk　fluently　in　that　tongue　into　which　he
always　seemed　to　translate　in　his　mind　from　another　full　of　strange
figures　of　thought　and　speech。　When　after　many　months　he　had　mastered
sufficient　of　our　language；　I　asked　him　to　tell　me　his　story　which　he
tried　to　do。　All　I　could　make　of　it；　however；　came　to　this。

He　was；　he　said；　the　son　of　a　king　who　ruled　over　a　mighty　empire　far
far　away；　across　thousands　of　miles　of　sea　towards　that　part　of　the
sky　where　the　sun　sank。　He　declared　that　he　was　the　eldest　lawful　son；
born　of　the　King's　sister；　which　seemed　dreadful　to　my　ideas　though
perhaps　he　meant　cousin　or　relative；　but　that　there　were　scores　of
other　children　of　his　father；　which；　if　true；　showed　that　this　king
must　be　a　very　loose…living　man　who　resembled　in　his　domesticities　the
wise　Solomon　of　whom　my　uncle　was　so　fond。

It　appeared；　further；　according　to　the　tale；　that　this　king；　his
father；　had　another　son　born　of　a　different　mother；　and　that　of　this
son　he　was　fonder　than　of　my　guest；　Kari。　His　name　was　Urco；　and　he
was　jealous　of　and　hated　Kari　the　lawful　heir。　Moreover；　as　is　common；
a　woman　came　into　the　business；　since　Kari　had　a　wife；　the　loveliest
lady　in　all　the　land；　though　as　I　understood；　not　of　the　same　tribe　or
blood　as　himself；　and　with　this　wife　of　his　Urco　fell　in　love。　So
greatly　did　he　desire　her；　although　he　had　plenty　of　wives　of　his　own；
that　being　the　general　of　the　King's　troops；　he　sent　Kari；　with　the
consent　of　their　father；　to　command　an　army　that　was　to　fight　a
distant　savage　nation；　hoping　that　he　would　be　killed；　much　as　David
did　in　the　matter　of　Uriah　and　Bathsheba；　of　whom　the　Bible　tells　the
story。　But　as　it　happened；　instead　of　being　killed　like　Uriah；　Kari
conquered　the　distant　nation；　and　after　two　years　returned　to　the
King's　court；　where　he　found　that　his　brother　Urco　had　led　astray　his
wife　whom　he　had　taken　into　his　household。　Being　very　angry；　Kari
recovered　his　wife　by　command　of　the　King；　and　put　her　to　death
because　of　her　faithlessness。

Thereon　the　King；　his　father；　a　stern　man；　ordered　him　into　banishment
because　he　had　broken　the　laws　of　the　land；　which　did　not　permit　of
private　vengeance　over　a　matter　of　a　woman　who　was　not　even　of　the
royal　blood；　however　fair　she　might　be。　Before　he　went；　however；　Urco；
who　was　mad　at　the　loss　of　his　love；　caused　some　kind　of　poison　to　be
given　to　Kari；　which　although　it　does　not　kill；　for　he　dared　not　kill
him　because　of　his　station；　deprives　him　who　takes　it　of　his　reason；
sometimes　for　ever　and　sometimes　for　a　year　or　more。　After　this；　said
Kari；　he　remembered　little　or　nothing；　save　long　travellings　in　boats
and　through　forests；　and　then　again　upon　a　raft　or　boat　on　which　he
was　driven　alone；　for　many；　many　days；　drinking　a　jar　of　water　which
he　had　with　him；　and　eating　some　dried　flesh　and　with　it　a　marvellous
drug　of　his　people；　some　of　which　remained　to　him　in　the　leathern　bag
that　has　power　to　keep　the　life　in　a　man　for　weeks；　even　if　he　is
labouring　hard。

At　last；　he　declared；　he　was　picked　up　by　a　great　ship　such　as　he　had
never　seen　before；　though　of　this　ship　he　recalled　little。　Indeed　he
remembered　nothing　more　until　he　found　himself　upon　the　quay　where　I
discovered　him；　and　of　a　sudden　his　mind　seemed　to　return　but　he　said
he　believed　that　he　had　come　ashore　in　a　boat　in　which　were　fishermen；
having　been　thrown　into　it　by　the　people　on　the　ship　which　went　on
elsewhere；　and　that　he　had　walked　up　the　shores　of　a　river。　This　story
the　bruises　on　his　forehead　and　body　seemed　to　bear　out；　but　it　was
far　from　clear；　and　by　the　time　I　learned　it　months　afterwards　of
course　no　traces　of　the　fishermen　or　their　boat　could　be　found。　I
asked　him　the　name　of　the　country　from　which　he　came。　He　answered　that
it　was　called　/Tavantinsuyu/。　He　added　that　it　was　a　wonderful　country
in　which　were　cities　and　churches　and　great　snow…clad　mountains　and
fertile　valleys　and　high　plains　and　hot　forests　through　which　ran　wide
rivers。

From　all　the　learned　men　whom　I　could　meet；　especially　those　who　had
travelled　far；　I　made　inquiries　concerning　this　country　called
Tavantinsuyu；　but　none　of　them　had　so　much　as　heard　its　name。　Indeed；
they　declared　that　my　brown　man　must　have　come　from　Africa；　and　that
his　mind　being　disordered；　he　had　invented　this　wondrous　land　which　he
said　lay　far　away　to　the　west　where　the　sun　sank。

So　there　I　must　leave　this　matter；　though　for　my　part　I　was　sure　that
Kari　was　not　mad；　whatever　he　might　have　been　in　the　past。　A　great
dreamer　he　was；　it　is　true；　who　declared　that　the　poison　which　his
brother　had　given　him　had　〃eaten　a　hole　in　his　mind〃　through　which　he
could　see　and　hear　things　which　others　could　not。　Thus　he　was　able　to
read　the　secret　motives　of　men　and　women　with　wonderful　clearness；　so
much　so　that　sometimes　I　asked　him；　laughing；　if　he　could　not　give　me
some　of　that　poison　that　I　might　see　into　the　hearts　of　those　with
whom　I　dealt。　Of　another　thing；　too；　he　was　always　certain；　namely；
that　he　would　return　to　his　country　Tavantinsuyu　of　which　he　thought
day　and　night；　and　that　/I　should　accompany　him/。　At　this　I　laughed
again　and　said　that　if　so　it　would　be　after　we　were　both　dead。

By　degrees　he　learned　English　quite　well　and　even　how　to　read　and
write　it；　teaching　me　in　return　much　of　his　own　language　which　he
called　/Quichua/；　a　soft　and　beautiful　tongue；　though　he　said　that
there　were　also　many　others　in　his　country；　including　one　that　was
secret　to　the　King　and　his　family；　which　he　was　not　allowed　to　reveal
although　he　knew　it。　In　time　I　mastered　enough　of　this　Quichua　to　be
able　to　talk　to　Kari　in　brief　sentences　of　it　when　I　did　not　wish
others　to　understand　what　I　said。

To　tell　the　truth；　while　I　studied　thus　and　listened　to　his　marvellous
tales；　a　great　desire　arose　in　me　to　see　this　land　of　his　and　to　open
up　a　trade　with　it；　since　there　he　declared　gold　was　as　plentiful　as
was　iron　with　us。　I　thought　even　of　making　a　voyage　of　discovery　to
the　west；　but　when　I　spoke　of　it　to　certain　sea…captains；　even　the
most　venturesome　mocked　at　me　and　said　that　they　would　wait　for　that
journey　till　they　〃went　west〃　themselves；　by　which　in　their　sea
parlance　that　they　had　learned　in　the　Mediterranean；　they　meant　until
they　died。＇*＇　When　I　told　Kari　this　he　smiled　in　his　mysterious　way
and　answered　that　all　the　same；　I　and　he　should　make　that　journey
together　and　this　before　we　died；　a　thing　that　came　about；　indeed；
though；　not　by　my　own　will　or　his。

＇*＇　Of　late　there　has　been　much　dispute　as　to　the　origin　of　the　phrase
　　　　〃to　go　west；〃　or　in　other　words；　to　die。　Surely　it　arises　from　the
　　　　custom　of　the　Ancient　Egyptians　who；　after　death；　were　ferried
　　　　across　the　Nile　and　entombed　upon　the　western　shore。Ed。

For　the　rest　when　Kari　saw　my　workmen　fashioning　gold　and　setting
jewels　in　it　for　sale　to　the　nobles　and　ladies　of　the　Court；　he　was
much　interested　and　asked　if　he　might　be　allowed　to　follow　this　craft；
of　which　he　said　he　understood　something；　and　thus　earn　the　bread　he
ate。　I　answered；　yes；　for　I　knew　that　it　irked　his　proud　nature　to　be
dependent　on　me；　and　gave　him　gold　and　silver　with　a　little　room
having　a　furnace　in　it　where　he　could　labour。　The　first　thing　he　made
was　an　object　about　two　inches　across；　round　and　with　a　groove　at　the
back　of　it；　on　the　front　of　which　he　fashioned　an　image　of　the　sun
having　a　human　face　and　rays　of　light　projecting　all　about。　I　asked
him　what　was　its　purpose；　whereon　he　took　the　piece　and　thrust　it　into
the　lobe　of　his　ear　where　the　gristle　had　been　stretched　in　the
fashion　that　I　have　described；　which　it　fitted　exactly。　Then　he　told
me　that　in　his　country　all　the　nobles　wore　such　ornaments　and　that
those　who　did　so　were　called　〃ear…men〃　to　distinguish　them　from　the
common　people。　Also　he　told　me　many　other　things　too　long　to　set　out；
which　made　me　desire　more　than　ever　to　see　this　empire　with　my　eyes；
for　an　empire　and　no　less　he　declared　it　to　be。

Afterwards　Kari　made　many　such　ornaments　which　I　sold　for　brooches
with　a　pin　set　at　the　back　of　them。　Also　he　shaped　other　things；　for
his　skill　as　a　goldsmith　was　wonderful；　such　as　cups　and　platters　of
strange　design　and　rich　ornamentation　which　commanded　a　great　price。
But　on　every　one　of　them；　in　the　centre　or　some　other　part　of　the
embossment；　appeared　this　image　of　the　sun。　I　asked　him　why。　He
answered　because　the　sun　was　his　god　and　his　people　were　Sun…
worshippers。　I　reminded　him　that　he　had　said　that　a　cert