"BEHOLD THE SIGN!"
The silence was broken by a long, muttering roll of thunder. Masses of
dark cloud were lying low down on the further sky, but overhead the sun
darted his beams upon us in all the brightness of his mid-day
fierceness, causing the great white shield held above the King to shine
like polished metal. To many of us it seemed that the thunder-voice,
coming as it did, was an omen. The wizard spell of the Red Death seemed
to lie heavy upon us; and now that two of ourselves had fallen to its
unseen terror, men feared, wondering lest it should stalk through the
land, laying low the very pick and flower of the nation. Murmurs--deep,
threatening, ominous--rose among the dense masses of the crowd. The
King had decreed one victim, the people demanded another; for such was
the shape which now those murmurs took.
Umzilikazi sat in gloomy silence. He liked not the sacrifice of good
and brave fighting men, and the thing that had happened had thrown him
into a dark mood indeed. Not until the murmurs became loud and
deafening did he seem to notice them. Then the _izanusi_, deeming that
their moment had come, took up the tale. Shaking their hideous
ornaments and trappings, they came howling before the King; calling out
that such dark witchcraft was within the nation as could not fail to
destroy it. But upon these the Great Great One gazed with moody eyes,
giving no sign of having heard them; and I, watching, wondered, for I
knew not what was going to follow. Suddenly the King looked up.
"Enough of your bellowings, ye snakes, ye wizard cheats!" he thundered.
"I have a mind to send ye all into this Ghost Valley, to slay the thing
or be slain by it. Say; why are ye not ridding me of this evil thing
which has crept into the nation?"
"That is to be done, Ruler of the World!" cried the chief of the
_izanusi_. "That is to be done; but the evil-doer is great--great!"
"The evil-doer is great--great!" howled the others, in response.
"Find him, then, jackals, impostors!" roared the King. "_Whau_! Since
old Masuka passed into the spirit-land never an _izanusi_ have we known.
Only a crowd of bellowing jackal-faced impostors."
For, _Nkose_, old Masuka was dead. He had died at a great age, and had
been buried with sacrifices of cattle as though one of our greatest
chiefs. In him, too, I had lost a friend, but of that have I more to
tell.
Now some of the _izanusi_ dived in among the crowd and returned dragging
along several men. These crawled up until near the King, and lay
trembling, their eyes starting from their heads with fear. And now, for
the first time, a strange and boding feeling came over me, as I
recognised in these some of the Bakoni, who had been at a distance when
we stamped flat that disobedient race, and had since been spared and
allowed to live among us as servants.
"Well, dogs! What have ye to say?" quoth the King. "Speak, and that
quickly, for my patience today is short."
_Whau! Nkose_! They did speak, indeed, those dogs. They told how the
Red Death was no new thing--at least to them--for periodically it was
wont to make its appearance among the Bakoni. When it did so, it
presaged the succession of a new chief; indeed, just such a
manifestation had preluded the accession to the supreme chieftainship of
Tauane, whom we had burned amid the ashes of his own town. The Red
Death was among the darker mysteries of the Bakoni _muti_.
Not all at once did this tale come out, _Nkose_, but bit by bit, and
then only when the Great Great One had threatened them with the
alligators--even the stake of impalement--if they kept back aught. And
I--I listening--_Hau_! My blood seemed first to freeze, then to boil
within me, as I saw through the ending of that tale. The darker
mysteries of the Bakoni _muti_!--preluding the accession of a new king?
The countenance of the Great Great One grew black as night.
"It is enough," he said. "Here among us, at any rate, is one to whom
such mysteries are not unknown. The Queen of the Bakoni _muti_--who
shall explain them better than she?"
The words, taken up by the _izanusi_ and bellowed aloud, soon went
rolling in chorus among the densely-packed multitude, and from every
mouth went up shouts for Lalusini--the Queen of the Bakoni _muti_.
Then, _Nkose_, the whole plot burst in upon my mind. Our witch doctors
had always hated my _inkosikazi_, because she was greater than they;
even as they had always hated me, because I had old Masuka on my side,
and was high in the King's favour, and therefore cared nothing about
them, never making them gifts. Now their chance had come, since old
Masuka was dead and could befriend me no more, and my favour in the
King's sight was waning. Moreover, they had long suspected that of
Lalusini the Great Great One would fain be rid; yet not against her had
they dared to venture upon the "smelling out" in the usual way, lest she
proved too clever for them; for the chief of the _izanusi_ had a lively
recollection of the fate of Notalwa and Isilwana, his predecessors.
Wherefore they had carefully and craftily laid their plot, using for the
purpose the meanest of the conquered peoples whose very existence we had
by that time forgotten.
Now the shouts for Lalusini were deafening, and should have reached my
kraal, which, from where I sat, I could just see away against the
hillside. But the shouters had not long to shout, for again a way was
opened up, and through it there advanced she whom they sought.
No dread or misgiving was on the face of my beautiful wife, as she
advanced with a step majestic and stately as became her royal blood.
She drew near to the King, then halted, and, with hand upraised, uttered
the "_Bayete_" for no prostration or humbler mode of address was
Umzilikazi wont to exact from her, the daughter of Tshaka the Terrible,
by reason of her mighty birth. Thus she stood before the King, her head
slightly thrown back, a smile of entire fearlessness shining from her
large and lustrous eyes.
"Greeting, Daughter of the Great," said Umzilikazi, speaking softly.
"Hear you what these say?"
"I have heard them, son of Matyobane," she answered.
"Ha! Yet they spoke low, and thou wert yet afar off," went on the King
craftily.
"What is that to me, Founder of a New Nation? Did I not hear the quiver
of the spear-hafts of Mhlangana's host long before it reached the Place
of the Three Rifts?"
"The Place of the Three Rifts," growled the King. "_Hau_! It seems to
me we have heard overmuch of that tale. Here, however, is a new tale,
not an old one. What of the Red Death? Do these dogs lie?" pointing to
the grovelling Bakoni.
Lalusini glanced at them for a moment--the deepest scorn and disgust
upon her royal features--the disgust felt by a real magician for those
who would betray the mysteries of their nation's magic, and I, gazing,
felt I would rather encounter the most deadly frown that ever rested on
the face of the King himself than meet such a look upon that of my
_inkosikazi_, if directed against myself.
"They lie, Great Great One," she answered shortly.
Then the King turned such a deadly look upon the crouching slaves that
these cried aloud in their fear. They vociferated that they were
telling the truth, and more--that they themselves had witnessed the
operations of the Red Death among their own people; that Lalusini
herself and her mother, Laliwa, had actually brought about the
destruction of Tauane's predecessor by its means, and that that of
Tauane himself had been decreed--that it always meant the accession of a
new ruler.
Now I, sitting near Umzilikazi, knew well what was passing in his mind.
As he grew older he had become more and more sour and suspicious. Now
he was thinking that he himself was destined to die in blood, even as
that Great One, Tshaka, had died, that I, his second fighting induna,
his favourite war-councillor, should succeed him, and so win back not
only the seat of Matyobane, but the throne of Senzangakona for this
sorceress--this splendid daughter of Tshaka the Terrible. So, too,
would the death of Tshaka be avenged. And in Umzilikazi's look I could
read my own doom, and yet, _Nkose_, even at that moment not of myself
did I think. I had only eyes for the tall, shapely form of my beautiful
wife thus put upon her trial before the King and the whole nation. Then
Umzilikazi spoke.
"It seems we have spared too many slaves of this race of _Abatagati_.
Take these hence," pointing to the grovelling Bakoni. "The alligators
are hungry."
There was a roar of delight from all who heard. The slayers flung
themselves upon the shrieking slaves, dragging them away by the heels as
they rolled upon the ground imploring mercy, for they were too sick with
terror to stand upon their legs. Shouts of hate and wrath followed them
as they were hurried away to the pool of death. Indeed, such a rain of
blows and kicks fell upon them from those through whose midst they were
dragged that it seemed doubtful whether most of them would ever reach
the alligators alive. For, _Nkose_, although in dead silence and pitied
by all, Hlatusa had gone through these same people to his doom, he was
one of ourselves, and a brave fighter; but these were of an inferior and
conquered race, and withal miserable cowards, wherefore our people could
not restrain their hatred and contempt.
"Hold!" roared the King, before the slayers had quite dragged these dogs
outside the kraal, and at his voice again silence fell upon the throng.
"Hold! After feeding upon the flesh of a brave man I will not that my
alligators be poisoned with such carrion as this. There may yet be more
royal meat for them," he put in, in a lower tone, and with a savage and
deadly sneer. Then, raising his voice, "Let these dogs be taken up to
yonder hill and burnt."
A roar of delight broke from all, mingled with shouts of _bonga_ as to
the King's justice and wisdom. And none were more pleased, I thought,
than the slayers, men of fierce and savage mind, who, from constantly
meting out torture and death, loved their occupation the more the
farther they pursued it.
For awhile there was silence. Away upon a round-topped hillock, within
sight of all, the slayers were collecting great piles of dry wood, and
upon these the condemned slaves were flung, bound. Then amid the fierce
roar and crackle of the flames wild tortured shrieks burst from those
who writhed there and burned, and to the people the shrieks were the
pleasantest of sounds, for the terror of the Red Death had strangely
fastened upon all minds, and they could not but hold that these who thus
died had in some way brought the curse of it upon them.
Again upon the stillness arose a long roll of thunder--this time loud
and near, for the great cloud which had been lying low down upon the
further sky was now towering huge and black, almost above the very spot
where burned those wretches, and the pointed flash which followed seemed
to dart in and out of the smoke which rose from the crackling wood pile.
The multitude, watching, began to murmur about an omen.
"Talk we now of this thing of evil," said Umzilikazi, at last. "Thou,
Lalusini, art a pestilent witch. For long hast thou been among us. For
long has thy greatness been honoured, thou false prophetess, whose
promise is as far from fulfilment as ever. Now thou shalt travel the
way of those whose predictions are false."
Black and bitter wrath was in the King's mind. Hardly could he contain
himself, hardly could he speak for rage. He must stop perforce, half
choking for breath. And I, _Nkose_, I sitting there, how did I contain
myself, as I was obliged to behold my beautiful wife--whom I loved with
a love far surpassing that which I felt for King and nation, or my own
life a hundred times over--standing thus awaiting the word which should
adjudge her to a shameful and agonising death! _Hau_! I am an old man
now--a very old man--still can I see it before me; the huge kraal like a
full moon, the yellow domes of the huts within the ring fences, the
great open space in the middle black with listening people, bright with
distended eyeballs, and gleaming teeth showing white between parted
lips, and away beyond this the heavy smoke-wreath mounting from the
glowing wood-pile, the cries and groans of the expiring slaves, the
blackness of the thunder cloud, the fierce pale glare of the sun upon
the assegais of the armed guard, and upon the blaze of white of the
great shield held above the King. _Yeh-bo_--I see it all--the angry
infuriated countenance of Umzilikazi, the dread anxiety on the faces of
the other _izinduna_, which was as the shrinking before a great and
terrible storm about to burst. _Haul_ and I see more. I see, as I saw
it then, the face of my beautiful wife, Lalusini, Daughter of the
Mighty--as she stood there before the Great One, in whose hand was
death--proud, fearless, and queenly. And she was awaiting her doom.
Now she threw back her head, and in her eyes shone the light which must
oft-times have shone in the eyes of that Mighty One from whom she had
sprung. Then she spoke:
"In the hand of the King is death, and even the greatest of those who
practise sorcery cannot withstand such--at least not always. But know
this, son of Matyo-bane, with my death shall utterly perish all hope of
the seat of Senzangakona to thee and thine. Further, know that, without
my help, the very House of Matyobane shall in two generations be rooted
up and utterly destroyed, scattered to the winds, and the people of the
Amandebeli shall become even as Amaholi to those who are stronger."
Those who heard these words murmured in awe, for over Lalusini's face
had come that inspired look which it wore when the spirit of divination
was on her. But the King was beside himself with fury, and his features
were working as those of a man who has gone mad.
"So!" he hissed. "So! And I sit in my seat only by permission of a
witch--by permission of one who is greater than I! So I am no longer a
King!" he mocked. "Yet two bulls cannot rule in one kraal. So, sister,
thou shalt have a high throne to rule this nation from--as high a throne
as had the traitor Tyuyumane before thee." Then raising his voice--for
they had hitherto talked in a tone low enough to be heard only by the
King and the few who sat in attendance round him--"Make ready the
stake--the stake of impalement--for the _inkosikazi_ of Untuswa. Make
ready a high throne for the Queen of the Bakoni _muti_."
_Whau, Nkose_! I had fought at the side of Umzilikazi ever since I
could fight. I had stood beside him when, single-handed, we hunted
fierce and dangerous game. I had stood beside him in every peril, open
or secret, that could beset the path of the founder of a great and
warrior nation, who must ever rule that nation with a strong and iron
hand. In short, there was no peril to which the King had been exposed
that I had not shared, and yet, _Nkose_, I who sat there among the
_izinduna_, unarmed and listening, knew that never, since the day of his
birth, had he gone in such peril of instant death as at that moment when
he sat there, his own broad spear in his right hand, and guarded by the
shields and gleaming assegais of his body-guard--pronouncing the words
which should consign my _inkosikazi_ to a death of shame and of
frightful agony. For the spell of Lalusini's witchcraft lay potent and
sweet upon my soul--and I was mad--yet not so mad but that as I sat
there unarmed, I could measure the few paces that intervened between
myself and the Great Great One--_could mark how carelessly he held the
broad-bladed spear within his grasp_.
Even the slayers--for not all had gone forth to the burning of the
Bakoni--even the slayers stared as though half stupefied, hesitating to
lay hands upon that queenly form, standing there erect and unutterably
majestic. Upon us the spell of the moment was complete. We leaned
forward as we sat, we _izinduna_, and for the rest of us it was as
though stone figures sat there watching, not living men of flesh and
bones. For myself, I know not how I looked. But how I felt--ah! it was
well my thoughts were buried. The armed guards, too, seemed bewildered
with awe and amazement. The moment had come. The Red Death had indeed
presaged the accession of a new King--but for the daughter of Tshaka the
Mighty, the swift and merciful stroke of a royal spear should end her
life, instead of the stake of agony and shame. For myself I cared not.
I was mad. The whole world was whizzing round.
Through it all I heard the voice of Lalusini.
"Pause a moment, Ruler of the Great," she was saying, and her voice was
firm and sweet and musical as ever, and utterly without fear. "Pause a
moment for a sign."
She had half turned, and with one hand was pointing towards the
ascending smoke-cloud towering above the hill of death. A sharp,
crashing peal of thunder shook the world, and the lightning-gleam seemed
to flash down right upon the smouldering pile. A silence was upon all
as, with upturned faces, King, _izinduna_, guards, slayers, the whole
multitude sat motionless, waiting for what should next befall. Not long
had we to wait.
Lalusini stood, her eyes turned skyward, her hand outstretched, her lips
moving. To many minds there came the recollection of her as she had
thus stood, long ago, singing the Song of the Shield--that glorious
war-song which had inspired each of our warriors with the daring of ten,
which had saved the day to us at the Place of the Three Rifts. Then
there came such a deafening crash that the very earth rocked and reeled;
and from the rent thunder cloud a jagged stream of fire poured itself
down upon the remainder of the burning wood, scattering logs, sparks,
cinders, and the bones of the tortured slaves, whirling them in a mighty
shower far and wide over the plain. Those of the slayers who still
lingered around the spot lay as dead men.
"Behold the sign, O son of Matyobane!" cried Lalusini, in clear, ringing
tones, turning again to the King. "Yonder are the dogs who lied against
me. The heavens above would not suffer their very bones to rest, but
have scattered them far and wide over the face of the world. No others
have met with harm."
Now all began to cry aloud that indeed it was so; and from the multitude
a great murmur of wonderment went up. For then those of our men who had
been struck down were seen to rise and walk slowly down towards the
kraal--stupified, but alive and unharmed. Then I, who could no longer
sit still, came before the King.
"A boon, Great Great One," I cried. "Suffer me to go and root out this
mystery of the Red Death, and slay for ever this evil thing that causeth
it; I alone. So shall it trouble the land no more."
A hum of applause rose from among my fellow _izinduna_, who joined with
me in praying that my undertaking be allowed.
"Ever fearless, Untuswa," said the King, half sneering; yet I could see
that the wrathful mood was fast leaving him. "Yet thou art half a
magician thyself, and this thing seems a thing of fearful and evil
witchcraft. But hear me. Thou shalt proceed to the Valley of the Red
Death, but with no armed force; and before this moon is full thou shalt
slay this horror, that its evil deeds may be wrought no more. If
success is thine, it shall be well with thee and thine; if failure, thou
and thy house shall become food for the alligators; and as for thine
_inkosikazi_, the stake which she has for the time being escaped shall
still await her. I have said it, and my word stands. Now let the
people go home."
With these words Umzilikazi rose and retired within the _isigodhlo_,
and, as the rain began to fall in cold torrents, in a very short time
the open space was clear, all men creeping within the huts to take
shelter and to talk over the marvel that had befallen. But while only
the _izanusi_ retired growling with discontent, all men rejoiced that
Lalusini had so narrowly escaped what had seemed a certain doom.
Such doom, too, _Nkose_, had the King himself narrowly escaped; but that
all men did not know, it being, indeed, only known to me.