the ivory child-第58节

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〃A　while　ago；　O　Prophet　of　the　Child；　I；　the　messenger　of　the　god

Jana；　speaking　through　the　mouth　of　Simba　the　King；　gave　to　you　and

your　brother　Mar？t　a　certain　warning　to　which　you　did　not　listen。　Now

Jana　has　Mar？t；　and　again　I　come　to　warn　you；　Har？t。〃



〃If　I　remember　right；〃　interrupted　Har？t　blandly；　〃I　think　that　on

that　occasion　two　of　you　delivered　the　message　and　that　the　Child

marked　one　of　you　upon　the　brow。　If　Jana　has　my　brother；　say；　where　is

yours？〃



〃We　warned　you；〃　went　on　the　messenger；　〃and　you　cursed　us　in　the　name

of　the　Child。〃



〃Yes；〃　interrupted　Har？t　again；　〃we　cursed　you　with　three　curses。　The

first　was　the　curse　of　Heaven　by　storm　or　drought；　which　has　fallen

upon　you。　The　second　was　the　curse　of　famine；　which　is　falling　upon

you；　and　the　third　was　the　curse　of　war；　which　is　yet　to　fall　on　you。〃



〃It　is　of　war　that　we　come　to　speak；〃　replied　the　messenger；

diplomatically　avoiding　the　other　two　topics　which　perhaps　he　found　it

awkward　to　discuss。



〃That　is　foolish　of　you；〃　replied　the　bland　Har？t；　〃seeing　that　the

other　day　you　matched　yourselves　against　us　with　but　small　success。

Many　of　you　were　killed　but　only　a　very　few　of　us；　and　the　white　lord

whom　you　took　captive　escaped　out　of　your　hands　and　from　the　tusks　of

Jana　who；　I　think；　now　lacks　an　eye。　If　he　is　a　god；　how　comes　it　that

he　lacks　an　eye　and　could　not　kill　an　unarmed　white　man？〃



〃Let　Jana　answer　for　himself；　as　he　will　do　ere　long；　O　Har？t。

Meanwhile；　these　are　the　words　of　Jana　spoken　through　the　mouth　of

Simba　the　King：　The　Child　has　destroyed　my　harvest　and　therefore　I

demand　this　of　the　people　of　the　Childthat　they　give　me　three…

fourths　of　their　harvest；　reaping　the　same　and　delivering　it　on　the

south　bank　of　the　River　Tava。　That　they　give　me　the　two　white　lords　to

be　sacrificed　to　me。　That　they　give　the　white　lady　who　is　Guardian　of

the　Child　to　be　a　wife　of　Simba　the　King；　and　with　her　a　hundred

virgins　of　your　people。　That　the　image　of　the　Child　be　brought　to　the

god　Jana　in　the　presence　of　his　priests　and　Simba　the　King。　These　are

the　demands　of　Jana　spoken　through　the　mouth　of　Simba　the　King。〃



Watching；　I　saw　a　thrill　of　horror　shake　the　forms　of　Har？t　and　of　all

those　with　him　as　the　full　meaning　of　these；　to　them；　most　impious

requests　sank　into　their　minds。　But　he　only　asked　very　quietly：



〃And　if　we　refuse　the　demands；　what　then？〃



〃Then；〃　shouted　the　messenger　insolently；　〃then　Jana　declares　war　upon

you；　the　last　war　of　all；　war　till　every　one　of　your　men　be　dead　and

the　Child　you　worship　is　burnt　to　grey　ashes　with　fire。　War　till　your

women　are　taken　as　slaves　and　the　corn　which　you　refuse　is　stored　in

our　grain　pits　and　your　land　is　a　waste　and　your　name　forgotten。

Already　the　hosts　of　Jana　are　gathered　and　the　trumpet　of　Jana　calls

them　to　the　fight。　To…morrow　or　the　next　day　they　advance　upon　you；

and　ere　the　moon　is　full　not　one　of　you　will　be　left　to　look　upon

her。〃



Har？t　rose；　and　walking　from　under　the　shed；　turned　his　back　upon　the

envoys　and　stared　at　the　distant　line　of　great　mountains　which　stood

out　far　away　against　the　sky。　Out　of　curiosity　I　followed　him　and

observed　that　these　mountains　were　no　longer　visible。　Where　they　had

been　was　nothing　but　a　line　of　black　and　heavy　cloud。　After　looking

for　a　while　he　returned　and　addressing　the　envoys；　said　quite

casually：



〃If　you　will　be　advised　by　me；　friends；　you　will　ride　hard　for　the

river。　There　is　such　rain　upon　the　mountains　as　I　have　never　seen

before；　and　you　will　be　fortunate　if　you　cross　it　before　the　flood

comes　down；　the　greatest　flood　that　has　happened　in　our　day。〃



This　intelligence　seemed　to　disturb　the　messengers；　for　they　too

stepped　out　of　the　shed　and　stared　at　the　mountains；　muttering　to　each

other　something　that　I　could　not　understand。　Then　they　returned　and

with　a　fine　appearance　of　indifference　demanded　an　immediate　answer　to

their　challenge。



〃Can　you　not　guess　it？〃　answered　Har？t。　Then　changing　his　tone　he　drew

himself　to　his　full　height　and　thundered　out　at　them：　〃Get　you　back　to

your　evil　spirit　of　a　god　that　hides　in　the　shape　of　a　beast　of　the

forest　and　to　his　slave　who　calls　himself　a　king；　and　say　to　them：

'Thus　speaks　the　Child　to　his　rebellious　servants；　the　Black　Kendah

dogs：　Swim　my　river　when　you　can；　which　will　not　be　yet；　and　come　up

against　me　when　you　will；　for　whenever　you　come　I　shall　be　ready　for

you。　You　are　already　dead；　O　Jana。　You　are　already　dead；　O　Simba　the

slave。　You　are　scattered　and　lost；　O　dogs　of　the　Black　Kendah；　and　the

home　of　such　of　you　as　remain　shall　be　far　away　in　a　barren　land；

where　you　must　dig　deep　for　water　and　live　upon　the　wild　game　because

there　little　corn　will　grow。'　Now　begone；　and　swiftly；　lest　you　stop

here　for　ever。〃



So　they　turned　and　went；　leaving　me　full　of　admiration　for　the

histrionic　powers　of　Har？t。



I　must　add；　however；　that　being　without　doubt　a　keen　observer　of　the

weather　conditions　of　the　neighbourhood；　he　was　quite　right　about　the

rain　upon　the　mountains；　which　by　the　way　never　extended　to　the

territory　of　the　People　of　the　Child。　As　we　heard　afterwards；　the

flood　came　down　just　as　the　envoys　reached　the　river；　indeed；　one　of

them　was　drowned　in　attempting　its　crossing；　and　for　fourteen　days

after　this　it　remained　impassable　to　an　army。







That　very　evening　we　began　our　preparations　to　meet　an　attack　which

was　now　inevitable。　Putting　aside　the　supposed　rival　powers　of　the

tribal　divinities　worshipped　under　the　names　of　the　Child　and　Jana；

which；　while　they　added　a　kind　of　Homeric　interest　to　the　contest；

could；　we　felt；　scarcely　affect　an　issue　that　must　be　decided　with

cold　steel　and　other　mortal　weapons；　the　position　of　the　White　Kendah

was　serious　indeed。　As　I　think　I　have　said；　in　all　they　did　not　number

more　than　about　two　thousand　men　between　the　ages　of　twenty　and　fifty…

five；　or；　including　lads　between　fourteen　and　twenty　and　old　men　still

able…bodied　between　fifty…five　and　seventy；　say　two　thousand　seven

hundred　capable　of　some　sort　of　martial　service。　To　these　might　be

added　something　under　two　thousand　women；　since　among　this　dwindling

folk；　oddly　enough；　from　causes　that　I　never　ascertained；　the　males

out…numbered　the　females；　which　accounted　for　their　marriage　customs

that　were；　by　comparison　with　those　of　most　African　peoples；

monogamous。　At　any　rate　only　the　rich　among　them　had　more　than　one

wife；　while　the　poor　or　otherwise　ineligible　often　had　none　at　all；

since　inter…marriage　with　other　races　and　above　all　with　the　Black

Kendah　dwelling　beyond　the　river　was　so　strictly　taboo　that　it　was

punishable　with　death　or　expulsion。



Against　this　little　band　the　Black　Kendah　could　bring　up　twenty

thousand　men；　besides　boys　and　aged　persons　who　with　the　women　would

probably　be　left　to　defend　their　own　country；　that　is；　not　less　than

ten　to　one。　Moreover；　all　of　these　enemies　would　be　fighting　with　the

courage　of　despair；　since　quite　three…fourths　of　their　crops　with　many

of　their　cattle　and　sheep　had　been　destroyed　by　the　terrific　hail…

burst　that　I　have　described。　Therefore；　since　no　other　corn　was

available　in　the　surrounding　land；　where　they　dwelt　alone　encircled　by

deserts；　either　they　must　capture　that　of　the　White　Kendah；　or　suffer

terribly　from　starvation　until　a　year　later　when　another　harvest

ripened。



The　only　points　I　could　see　in　favour　of　the　People　of　the　Child　were

that　they　would　fight　on　the　vantage　ground　of　their　mountain

stronghold；　a　formidable　position　if　properly　defended。　Also　they

would　have　the　benefit　of　the　skill　and　knowledge　of　Ragnall　and

myself。　Lastly；　the　enemy　must　face　our　rifles。　Neither　the　White　nor

the　Black　Kendah；　I　should　say；　possessed　any　guns；　except　a　few

antiquated　flintlock　weapons　that　the　former　had　captured　from　some

nomadic　tribe　and　kept　as　curiosities。　Why　this　was　the　case　I　do　not

know；　since　undoubtedly　at　times　the　White　Kendah　traded　in　camels　and

corn　with　Arabs　who　wandered　as　far　as　the　Sudan；　or　Egypt；　nomadic

tribes　to　whom　even　then　firearms　were　known；　although　perhaps　rarely

used　by　them。　But　so　it　was；　possibly　because　of　some　old　law　or

prejudice　which　forbade　their　introduction　into　the　country；　or　mayhap

of　the　difficulty　of　procuring　powder　and　lead；　or　for　the　reason　that

they　had　none　to　teach　them　the　use　of　such　new…fangled　weapons。



Now　it　will　be　remembered　that；　on　the　chance　of　their　proving　useful；

Ragnall；　in　addition　to　our　own　sporting　rifles；　had　brought　with　him

to　Africa　fifty　Snider　rifles　with　an　ample　supply　of　ammunition；　the

same　that　I　had　trouble　in　passing　through　the　Customs　at　Durban；　all

of　which　had　arrived　safely　at　the　Town　of　the　Child。　Clearly　our

first　duty　was　to　make　the　best　possible　use　of　this　invaluable　store。

To　that　end　I　asked　Har？t　to　select　seventy…five　of　the　boldest　and

most　intellig