the ivory child-第68节

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and　spiritual　darkness　and　misery；　until　a　month　or　so　later　we

started　upon　our　journey　across　the　mountains　and　the　great　desert

that　lay　beyond　them。



Only　once　did　I　find　any　real　opportunity　of　private　conversation　with

Lady　Ragnall。



This　happened　after　her　husband　had　recovered　from　the　hurts　he

received　in　the　battle；　on　an　occasion　when　he　was　obliged　to　separate

from　her　for　a　day　in　order　to　attend　to　some　matter　in　the　Town　of

the　Child。　I　think　it　had　to　do　with　the　rifles　used　in　the　battle；

which　he　had　presented　to　the　White　Kendah。　So；　leaving　me　to　look

after　her；　he　went；　unwillingly　enough；　who　seemed　to　hate　losing

sight　of　his　wife　even　for　an　hour。



I　took　her　for　a　walk　in　the　wood；　to　that　very　point　indeed　on　the

lip　of　the　crater　whence　we　had　watched　her　play　her　part　as　priestess

at　the　Feast　of　the　First…fruits。　After　we　had　stood　there　a　while　we

went　down　among　the　great　cedars；　trying　to　retrace　the　last　part　of

our　march　through　the　darkness　of　that　anxious　night；　whereof　now　for

the　first　time　I　told　her　all　the　story。



Growing　tired　of　scrambling　among　the　fallen　boughs；　at　length　Lady

Ragnall　sat　down　and　said：



〃Do　you　know；　Mr。　Quatermain；　these　are　the　first　words　we　have　really

had　since　that　party　at　Ragnall　before　I　was　married；　when；　as　you　may

have　forgotten；　you　took　me　in　to　dinner。〃



I　replied　that　there　was　nothing　I　recollected　much　more　clearly；

which　was　both　true　and　the　right　thing　to　say；　or　so　I　supposed。



〃Well；〃　she　said　slowly；　〃you　see　that　after　all　there　was　something

in　those　fancies　of　mine　which　at　the　time　you　thought　would　best　be

dealt　with　by　a　doctorabout　Africa　and　the　rest；　I　mean。〃



〃Yes；　Lady　Ragnall；　though　of　course　we　should　always　remember　that

coincidence　accounts　for　many　things。　In　any　case　they　are　done　with

now。〃



〃Not　quite；　Mr。　Quatermain；　even　as　you　mean；　since　we　have　still　a

long　way　to　go。　Also　in　another　sense　I　believe　that　they　are　but

begun。〃



〃I　do　not　understand；　Lady　Ragnall。〃



〃Nor　do　I；　but　listen。　You　know　that　of　anything　which　happened　during

those　months　I　have　no　memory　at　all；　except　of　that　one　dream　when　I

seemed　to　see　George　and　Savage　in　the　hut。　I　remember　my　baby　being

killed　by　that　horrible　circus　elephant；　just　as　the　Ivory　Child　was

killed　or　rather　destroyed　by　Jana；　which　I　suppose　is　another　of　your

coincidences；　Mr。　Quatermain。　After　that　I　remember　nothing　until　I

woke　up　and　saw　George　standing　in　front　of　me　covered　with　blood；　and

you；　and　Jana　dead；　and　the　rest。〃



〃Because　during　that　time　your　mind　was　gone；　Lady　Ragnall。〃



〃Yes；　but　where　had　it　gone？　I　tell　you；　Mr。　Quatermain；　that　although

I　remember　nothing　of　what　was　passing　about　me　then；　I　do　remember　a

great　deal　of　what　seemed　to　be　passing　either　long　ago　or　in　some

time　to　come；　though　I　have　said　nothing　of　it　to　George；　as　I　hope

you　will　not　either。　It　might　upset　him。〃



〃What　do　you　remember？〃　I　asked。



〃That's　the　trouble；　I　can't　tell　you。　What　was　once　very　clear　to　me

has　for　the　most　part　become　vague　and　formless。　When　my　mind　tries　to

grasp　it；　it　slips　away。　It　was　another　life　to　this；　quite　a

different　life；　and　there　was　a　great　story　in　it　of　which　I　think

what　we　have　been　going　through　is　either　a　sequel　or　a　prologue。　I

see；　or　saw；　cities　and　temples　with　people　moving　about　them；　George

and　you　among　them；　also　that　old　priest；　Har？t。　You　will　laugh；　but

my　recollection　is　that　you　stood　in　some　relationship　to　me；　either

that　of　father　or　brother。〃



〃Or　perhaps　a　cousin；〃　I　suggested。



〃Or　perhaps　a　cousin；〃　she　repeated；　smiling；　〃or　a　great　friend；　at

any　rate　something　very　intimate。　As　for　George；　I　don't　know　what　he

was；　or　Har？t　either。　But　the　odd　thing　is　that　little　yellow　man；

Hans；　whom　I　only　saw　once　living　for　a　few　minutes　that　I　can

remember；　comes　more　clearly　back　to　my　mind　than　any　of　you。　He　was　a

dwarf；　much　stouter　than　when　I　saw　him　the　other　day；　but　very　like。

I　recall　him　curiously　dressed　with　feathers　and　holding　an　ivory　rod；

seated　upon　a　stool　at　the　feet　of　a　great　personagea　king；　I　think。

The　king　asked　him　questions；　and　everyone　listened　to　his　answers。

That　is　all；　except　that　the　scenes　seemed　to　be　flooded　with

sunlight。〃



〃Which　is　more　than　this　place　is。　I　think　we　had　better　be　moving；

Lady　Ragnall；　or　you　will　catch　a　chill　under　these　damp　cedars。〃



I　said　this　because　I　did　not　wish　to　pursue　the　conversation。　I

considered　it　too　exciting　under　all　her　circumstances；　especially　as

I　perceived　that　mystical　look　gathering　on　her　face　and　in　her

beautiful　eyes；　which　I　remembered　noting　before　she　was　married。



She　read　my　thoughts　and　answered　with　a　laugh：



〃Yes；　it　is　damp；　but　you　know　I　am　very　strong　and　damp　will　not　hurt

me。　For　the　rest　you　need　not　be　afraid；　Mr。　Quatermain。　I　did　not

lose　my　mind。　It　was　taken　from　me　by　some　power　and　sent　to　live

elsewhere。　Now　it　has　been　given　back　and　I　do　not　think　it　will　be

taken　again　in　that　way。〃



〃Of　course　it　won't；〃　I　exclaimed　confidently。　〃Whoever　dreamed　of

such　a　thing？〃



〃/You/　did；〃　she　answered；　looking　me　in　the　eyes。　〃Now　before　we　go　I

want　to　say　one　more　thing。　Har？t　and　the　head　priestess　have　made　me

a　present。　They　have　given　me　a　box　full　of　that　herb　they　called

tobacco；　but　of　which　I　have　discovered　the　real　name　is　Taduki。　It　is

the　same　that　they　burned　in　the　bowl　when　you　and　I　saw　visions　at

Ragnall　Castle；　which　visions；　Mr。　Quatermain；　by　another　of　your

coincidences；　have　since　been　translated　into　facts。〃



〃I　know。　We　saw　you　breathe　that　smoke　again　as　priestess　when　you

uttered　the　prophecy　as　Oracle　of　the　Child　at　the　Feast　of　the　First…

fruits。　But　what　are　you　going　to　do　with　this　stuff；　Lady　Ragnall？　I

think　you　have　had　enough　of　visions　just　at　present。〃



〃So　do　I；　though　to　tell　you　the　truth　I　like　them。　I　am　going　to　keep

it　and　do　nothingas　yet。　Still；　I　want　you　always　to　remember　one

thingdon't　laugh　at　me〃here　again　she　looked　me　in　the　eyes〃that

there　is　a　time　coming；　some　way　off　I　think；　when　I　and　youno　one

else；　Mr。　Quatermainwill　breathe　that　smoke　again　together　and　see

strange　things。〃



〃No；　no！〃　I　replied；　〃I　have　given　up　tobacco　of　the　Kendah　variety；

it　is　too　strong　for　me。〃



〃Yes；　yes！〃　she　said；　〃for　something　that　is　stronger　than　the　Kendah

tobacco　will　make　you　do　itwhen　I　wish。〃



〃Did　Har？t　tell　you　that；　Lady　Ragnall？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　she　answered　confusedly。　〃I　think　the　Ivory　Child　told

me；　it　used　to　talk　to　me　often。　You　know　that　Child　isn't　really

destroyed。　Like　my　reason　that　seemed　to　be　lost；　it　has　only　gone

backwards　or　forwards　where　you　and　I　shall　see　it　again。　You　and　I

and　no　othersunless　it　be　the　little　yellow　man。　I　repeat　that　I　do

not　know　when　that　will　be。　Perhaps　it　is　written　in　those　rolls　of

papyrus；　which　they　have　given　me　also；　because　they　said　they

belonged　to　me　who　am　'the　first　priestess　and　the　last。'　They　told

me；　however；　or　perhaps；〃　she　added；　passing　her　hand　across　her

forehead；　〃it　was　the　Child　who　told　me；　that　I　was　not　to　attempt　to

read　them　or　have　them　read；　until　after　a　great　change　in　my　life。

What　the　change　will　be　I　do　not　know。〃



〃And　had　better　not　inquire；　Lady　Ragnall；　since　in　this　world　most

changes　are　for　the　worse。〃



〃I　agree；　and　shall　not　inquire。　Now　I　have　spoken　to　you　like　this

because　I　felt　that　I　must　do　so。　Also　I　want　to　thank　you　for　all　you

have　done　for　me　and　George。　Probably　we　shall　not　talk　in　such　a　way

again；　as　I　am　situated　the　opportunity　will　be　lacking；　even　if　the

wish　is　present。　So　once　more　I　thank　you　from　my　heart。　Until　we　meet

againI　mean　really　meetgood…bye；〃　and　she　held　her　right　hand　to

me　in　such　a　fashion　that　I　knew　she　meant　me　to　kiss　it。



This　I　did　very　reverently　and　we　walked　back　to　the　temple　almost　in

silence。







That　month　of　rest；　or　rather　the　last　three　weeks　of　it；　since　for

the　first　few　days　after　the　battle　I　was　quite　prostrate；　I　occupied

in　various　ways；　amongst　others　in　a　journey　with　Har？t　to　Simba　Town。

This　we　made　after　our　spies　had　assured　us　that　the　Black　Kendah　were

really　gone　somewhere　to　the　south…west；　in　which　direction　fertile

and　unoccupied　lands　were　said　to　exist　about　three　hundred　miles

away。　It　was　with　very　strange　feelings　that　I　retraced　our　road　and

looked　once　more　upon　that　wind…bent　tree　still　scored　with　the　marks

of　Jana's　huge　tusk；　in　the　boughs　of　which　Hans　and　I　had　taken

refuge　from　the　monster's　fury。　Crossing　the　river；　quite　low　now；　I

travelled　up　the　slope　down　which　we　raced　for　our　lives　and　came　to

the　melancholy　lake　and　the　cemetery　of　dead　elephants。



Here　all　was　unchanged。　There　was　the　little　mount　worn　by　his　feet；

on　which　Jana　was　wont　to　stand。　There　we