the ivory child-第36节

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them　swept　away　surrounded　by　our　people　and　quite　unharmed。　Now　they

would　be　grieving　over　my　death；　since　none　survived　who　could　tell

them　of　our　capture；　unless　the　Black　Kendah　chose　to　do　so；　which　was

not　likely。　I　wondered　what　course　they　would　take　when　Ragnall　found

that　his　quest　was　vain；　as　of　course　must　happen。　Try　to　get　out　of

the　country；　I　suppose；　as　I　prayed　they　might　succeed　in　doing；

though　this　was　most　improbable。



Then　there　was　Hans。　He　of　course　would　attempt　to　retrace　our　road

across　the　desert；　if　he　had　got　clear　away。　Having　a　good　camel；　a

rifle　and　some　ammunition；　it　was　just　possible　that　he　might　win

through；　as　he　never　forgot　a　path　which　he　had　once　travelled；　though

probably　in　a　week's　time　a　few　bones　upon　the　desert　would　be　all

that　remained　of　him。　Well；　as　he　had　suggested；　perhaps　we　should

soon　be　talking　the　event　over　in　some　far　sphere　with　my　fatherand

others。　Poor　old　Hans！



I　opened　my　eyes　and　looked　about　me。　The　first　thing　I　noticed　was

that　my　double…barrelled　pistol；　which　I　had　placed　at　full　cock

beside　me　before　I　went　to　sleep；　was　gone；　also　my　large　clasp…knife。

This　discovery　did　not　tend　to　raise　my　spirits；　since　I　was　now　quite

weaponless。　Then　I　observed　Mar？t　seated　on　the　floor　of　the　hut

staring　straight　in　front　of　him；　and　noted　that　at　length　even　he　had

ceased　to　smile；　but　that　his　lips　were　moving　as　though　he　were

engaged　in　prayer　or　meditation。



〃Mar？t；〃　I　said；　〃someone　has　been　in　this　place　while　we　were　asleep

and　stolen　my　pistol　and　knife。〃



〃Yes；　Lord；〃　he　answered；　〃and　my　knife　also。　I　saw　them　come　in　the

middle　of　the　night；　two　men　who　walked　softly　as　cats；　and　searched

everything。〃



〃Then　why　did　you　not　wake　me？〃



〃What　would　have　been　the　use；　Lord？　If　we　had　caught　hold　of　the　men；

they　would　have　called　out　and　we　should　have　been　murdered　at　once。

It　was　best　to　let　them　take　the　things；　which　after　all　are　of　no

good　to　us　here。〃



〃The　pistol　might　have　been　of　some　good；〃　I　replied　significantly。



〃Yes；〃　he　said；　nodding；　〃but　at　the　worst　death　is　easy　to　find。〃



〃Do　you　think；　Mar？t；　that　we　could　manage　to　let　Har？t　and　the　others

know　our　plight？　That　smoke　which　I　breathed　in　England；　for　instance；

seemed　to　show　me　far…off　thingsif　we　could　get　any　of　it。〃



〃The　smoke　was　nothing；　Lord；　but　some　harmless　burning　powder　which

clouded　your　mind　for　a　minute；　and　enabled　you　to　see　the　thoughts

that　were　in　/our/　minds。　/We/　drew　the　pictures　at　which　you　looked。

Also　here　there　is　none。〃



〃Oh！〃　I　said；　〃the　old　trick　of　suggestion；　just　what　I　imagined。　Then

there's　an　end　of　that；　and　as　the　others　will　think　that　we　are　dead

and　we　cannot　communicate　with　them；　we　have　no　hope　except　in

ourselves。〃



〃Or　the　Child；〃　suggested　Mar？t　gently。



〃Look　here！〃　I　said　with　irritation。　〃After　you　have　just　told　me　that

your　smoke　vision　was　a　mere　conjurer's　trick；　how　do　you　expect　me　to

believe　in　your　blessed　Child？　Who　is　the　Child？　What　is　the　Child；

andthis　is　more　importantwhat　can　it　do？　As　your　throat　is　going

to　be　cut　shortly　you　may　as　well　tell　me　the　truth。〃



〃Lord　Macumazana；　I　will。　Who　and　what　the　Child　is　I　cannot　say

because　I　do　not　know。　But　it　has　been　our　god　for　thousands　of　years；

and　we　believe　that　our　remote　forefathers　brought　it　with　them　when

they　were　driven　out　of　Egypt　at　some　time　unknown。　We　have　writings

concerning　it　done　up　in　little　rolls；　but　as　we　cannot　read　them　they

are　of　no　use　to　us。　It　has　an　hereditary　priesthood；　of　which　Har？t

my　uncle；　for　he　is　my　uncle；　is　the　head。　We　believe　that　the　Child

is　God；　or　rather　a　symbol　in　which　God　dwells；　and　that　it　can　save

us　in　this　world　and　the　next；　for　we　hold　that　man　is　an　immortal

spirit。　We　believe　also　that　through　its　Oraclea　priestess　who　is

called　Guardian　of　the　Childit　can　declare　the　future　and　bring

blessings　or　curses　upon　men；　especially　upon　our　enemies。　When　the

Oracle　dies　we　are　helpless　since　the　Child　has　no　'mouth'　and　our

enemies　prevail　against　us。　This　happened　a　long　while　ago；　and　the

last　Oracle　having　declared　before　her　death　that　her　successor　was　to

be　found　in　England；　my　uncle　and　I　travelled　thither　disguised　as

conjurers　and　made　search　for　many　years。　We　thought　that　we　had　found

the　new　Oracle　in　the　lady　who　married　the　Lord　Igeza；　because　of　that

mark　of　the　new　moon　upon　her　neck。　After　our　return　to　Africa；

however；　for　as　I　have　spoken　of　this　matter　I　may　as　well　tell　you

all；〃　here　he　stared　me　full　in　the　eyes　and　spoke　in　a　clear　metallic

voice　which　somehow　no　longer　convinced　me；　〃we　found　that　we　had　made

a　mistake；　for　the　real　Oracle；　a　mere　girl；　was　discovered　among　our

own　people；　and　has　now　been　for　two　years　installed　in　her　office。

Without　doubt　the　last　Guardian　of　the　Child　was　wandering　in　her　mind

when　she　told　us　that　story　before　her　death　as　to　a　woman　in　England；

a　country　of　which　she　had　heard　through　Arabs。　That　is　all。〃



〃Thank　you；〃　I　replied；　feeling　that　it　would　be　useless　to　show　any

suspicion　of　his　story。　〃Now　will　you　be　so　good　as　to　tell　me　who　and

what　is　the　god；　or　the　elephant　Jana；　whom　you　have　brought　me　here

to　kill？　Is　the　elephant　a　god；　or　is　the　god　an　elephant？　In　either

case　what　has　it　to　do　with　the　Child？〃



〃Lord；　Jana　among　us　Kendah　represents　the　evil　in　the　world；　as　the

Child　represents　the　good。　Jana　is　he　whom　the　Mohammedans　call

Shaitan　and　the　Christians　call　Satan；　and　our　forefathers；　the　old

Egyptians；　called　Set。〃



〃Ah！〃　thought　I　to　myself；　〃now　we　have　got　it。　Horus　the　Divine

Child；　and　Set　the　evil　monster；　with　whom　it　strives　everlastingly。〃



〃Always；〃　went　on　Mar？t；　〃there　has　been　war　between　the　Child　and

Jana；　that　is；　between　Good　and　Evil；　and　we　know　that　in　the　end　one

of　them　must　conquer　the　other。〃



〃The　whole　world　has　known　that　from　the　beginning；〃　I　interrupted。

〃But　who　and　what　is　this　Jana？〃



〃Among　the　Black　Kendah；　Lord；　Jana　is　an　elephant；　or　at　any　rate　his

symbol　is　an　elephant；　a　very　terrible　beast　to　which　sacrifices　are

made；　that　kills　all　who　do　not　worship　him　if　he　chances　to　meet

them。　He　lives　farther　on　in　the　forest　yonder；　and　the　Black　Kendah

make　use　of　him　in　war；　for　the　devil　in　him　obeys　their　priests。〃



〃Indeed；　and　is　this　elephant　always　the　same？〃



〃I　cannot　tell　you；　but　for　many　generations　it　has　been　the　same；　for

it　is　known　by　its　size　and　by　the　fact　that　one　of　its　tusks　is

twisted　downwards。〃



〃Well；〃　I　remarked；　〃all　this　proves　nothing；　since　elephants

certainly　live　for　at　least　two　hundred　years；　and　perhaps　much

longer。　Also；　after　they　become　'rogues'　they　acquire　every　kind　of

wicked　and　unnatural　habit；　as　to　which　I　could　tell　you　lots　of

stories。　Have　you　seen　this　elephant？〃



〃No；　Macumazana；〃　he　answered　with　a　shiver。　〃If　I　had　seen　it　should

I　have　been　alive　to…day？　Yet　I　fear　I　am　fated　to　see　it　ere　long；

not　alone；〃　and　again　he　shivered；　looking　at　me　in　a　very　suggestive

manner。



At　this　moment　our　conversation　was　interrupted　by　the　arrival　of　two

Black　Kendahs　who　brought　us　our　breakfast　of　porridge　and　a　boiled

fowl；　and　stood　there　while　we　ate　it。　For　my　part　I　was　not　sorry；　as

I　had　learned　all　I　wanted　to　know　of　the　theological　opinions　and

practice　of　the　land；　and　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　the　terrible

devil…god　of　the　Black　Kendah　was　merely　a　rogue　elephant　of　unusual

size　and　ferocity；　which　under　other　circumstances　it　would　have　given

me　the　greatest　pleasure　to　try　to　shoot。



When　we　had　finished　eating；　that　is　soon；　for　neither　of　our

appetites　was　good　that　morning；　we　walked　out　of　the　house　into　the

surrounding　compound　and　visited　the　camelmen　in　their　hut。　Here　we

found　them　squatted　on　the　ground　looking　very　depressed　indeed。　When

I　asked　them　what　was　the　matter　they　replied；　〃Nothing；〃　except　that

they　were　men　about　to　die　and　life　was　pleasant。　Also　they　had　wives

and　children　whom　they　would　never　see　again。



Having　tried　to　cheer　them　up　to　the　best　of　my　ability；　which　I　fear

I　did　without　conviction；　for　in　my　heart　I　agreed　with　their　view　of

the　case；　we　returned　to　the　guest…house　and　mounted　the　stair　which

led　to　the　flat　roof。　Hence　we　saw　that　some　curious　ceremony　was　in

progress　in　the　centre　of　the　market…place。　At　that　distance　we　could

not　make　out　the　details；　for　I　forgot　to　say　that　my　glasses　had　been

stolen　with　the　pistol　and　knife；　probably　because　they　were　supposed

to　be　lethal　weapons　or　instruments　of　magic。



A　rough　altar　had　been　erected；　on　which　a　fire　burned。　Behind　it　the

king；　Simba；　was　seated　on　a　stool　with　various　councillors　about　him。

In　front　of　the　altar　was　a　stout　wooden　table；　on　which　lay　what

looked　like　the　body　of　a　goat　or　a　sheep。　A　fantastically　dressed

man；　assisted