Separated from the wagon, and thus under no further obligation to
regulate our pace by that of the slow-moving oxen, we now, at Pousa's
command, advanced at a trot along the road leading directly to the
palace; and as we rapidly approached that structure I became
increasingly impressed by the remarkable grace and beauty of its
architectural decorations, the exquisite details of which forced
themselves more insistently upon my attention with every foot of our
progress. For instance, I saw now that certain irregularities in the
surface of the walls and the shafts of the columns, which in the
distance I had taken as due to the effect of weather, were really a vast
number of small pictures, sculptured in very low relief, representing
scenes in the history of Bandokolo, many of those scenes being,
naturally, battles. And although the figures were conventionally drawn,
the vigour of action and the truth to nature of the attitudes portrayed
evidenced the work of an artist of no mean power.
But I had no opportunity just then to study the sculptures at leisure,
for Pousa was evidently very anxious to complete his responsible task of
delivering me safely within the precincts of the palace. I was
therefore obliged to content myself with a hasty glance at the facade as
a whole, while dismounting and resigning my horse to the care of a groom
who awaited my arrival at the foot of the broad flight of steps leading
up to the main entrance. Then, accompanied by Pousa, who also had
dismounted, I ascended the steps, fifty in number, and was ushered
through a wide and lofty doorway provided with a pair of heavy swing
doors of massive gold, the panels of which were decorated with figures
in high relief, into a cool and lofty hall, where I was received by and
formally turned over to an official whom I afterward learned was the
major-domo, or master of the queen's household. This individual very
cordially welcomed me to Masakisale, in the name of the queen, and,
bidding me and the attendants bearing my belongings to follow him, led
the way to the rear of the hall, which, as soon as my eyes grew
accustomed to the somewhat subdued light, I saw was about fifty feet
long by fifty feet high by twenty-five feet wide, with a broad balcony,
supported by columns, running all round it at a height of some thirty
feet from the pavement.
At the far end of the hall was a massive flight of steps, hewn out of
the solid rock wall, leading up to the interior balcony, to which we
climbed; and, arrived there, I was conducted to a suite of two rooms,
which I was given to understand had been assigned for my use by the
queen. The larger room of the two was a front room looking out upon the
palace gardens, and was evidently intended for day use; while the one
behind, which had no window and derived its light from the front room
and from a handsome gold lamp suspended from the ceiling, was a combined
bathroom and sleeping chamber. This latter room, the stone floor of
which was covered with fine matting, contained a very beautiful and
spacious ivory couch, most luxuriously furnished, a number of elegant
and equally luxurious divans, and an immense bath, almost big enough to
swim in, sunk into the floor. The official who had me in charge pointed
out these various matters to me, as well as a very handsome suit of
clothing, evidently made expressly for me, which, he intimated, it was
the queen's wish I should wear during my stay in the country; told me
that by clapping my hands I could summon a servant who had been detailed
to attend upon me; and then bowed himself out.
Left at length to myself, I instructed the people who had brought my
belongings where to put them, satisfied myself that nothing was missing,
and then, dismissing the men, proceeded to take stock of my
surroundings. The apartments assigned to me were very spacious, lofty,
cool, and airy, and were furnished with a degree of elegance and luxury
that was simply astounding, especially in view of the fact that I was in
a part of Africa which, so far as I knew, but one white man had ever
visited before, and from which no white man had ever emerged; and I felt
that I was fully justified in regarding myself as very highly honoured.
Then, when I had completed my inspection, I clapped my hands, and, upon
the appearance of the attendant, intimated that I should like a bath;
whereupon the man withdrew a wooden plug from a hole in the wall, and in
a few minutes the immense bath was full to the brim of bright, cold,
sparkling spring water, into which I at once plunged, completely
submerging myself for about half a minute, to the amazement and
consternation of my attendant, who afterward confessed that he feared I
was bent upon drowning myself, none of the Bandokolo, it appeared,
possessing the slightest knowledge of natation. My use of soap, too,
and the facility with which by its aid I was enabled to remove the dust
and grime accumulated during the day's travel, was another revelation to
him; as was also the comb wherewith I arranged my now much too luxuriant
locks. My bath towels likewise came in for a share of his admiration;
but the thing which, next to my stature, most excited the fellow's
astonishment was the whiteness of my skin, where it had been protected
by my clothing, compared with the deep bronze of my face and hands.
Having bathed to my satisfaction I proceeded to clothe myself in the new
garments which had been so thoughtfully provided for me--and for which I
was indeed grateful, for the best of my own clothes were by this time
little better than rags. These new garments consisted of a pair of
bathing drawers--at least that is what they were like, for they only
reached down to just above the knees--a tunic-like, sleeveless shirt,
and a pair of buskins made of soft white leather, soled with ox-hide.
The drawers were made quite plain, of thick white silk, and fitted
fairly tight to the body; the shirt also was made of the same material,
but about the armholes and the hem of it there was stitched a broad band
of crimson silk, sewn in a beautiful pattern with gold thread and
thickly studded with small gold bosses about the size of ordinary coat
buttons, each boss being beautifully chiselled with a flower-like
pattern in high relief. There was also a waist belt, made of solid gold
links fastened together with a sort of hinge, and clasped in front with
a pair of massive gold sculptured plaques, forming a very handsome
adornment to one's person, and very convenient, too, for it happened to
be of just the right width to take my pistol holsters. These garments
all fitted me as though made to measure, to my great astonishment; and
when I asked Langila--that being the name of my new servant--how he
accounted for such an extraordinary fact, he further amazed me by
saying, as calmly as though it were the most natural thing imaginable,
that the articles had all been made according to measurements supplied
by the queen! And when I pushed my curiosity farther by asking how Her
Majesty could possibly guess so accurately at the proportions of a man
whom she had never seen, he simply shrugged his shoulders and repeated
Pousa's astounding statement that "the queen knows all things!" After
which I requested that I might be left to myself; for I wished to give
this statement my most careful consideration, and to endeavour to fathom
all that it might possibly mean to me.
Was it possible that this extraordinary woman, reputed to be old far
beyond the limits of the age usually ascribed to humanity--this queen of
a wonderful people hidden away in the mysterious depths of Africa, the
continent of strange and mystic happenings, was really the possessor of
the gift of unlimited knowledge? To me, a plain, simple, matter-of-fact
Briton, such a thing seemed impossible; yet Pousa had already supplied
me with proof that surely ought to have been convincing to any
reasonable man. He had been told that on a certain date and at a
certain spot he would encounter me, and he had done so; my appearance
had been described to him, and the description had proved accurate in
every particular, down to the most minute detail; and he had even
learned the facts connected with the death of the unhappy Siluce! How
had the queen, his informant, become acquainted with all these matters,
seeing that even the fact of my impending visit to Bandokolo could not
possibly have been made known through any of the ordinary recognised
channels of communication? It was an exceedingly disquieting
circumstance; for if Bimbane actually possessed this astounding,
supernatural gift of knowledge it practically rendered her all-powerful,
and how could any ordinary individual--myself, for instance--
successfully contend with such a being--if contention should ever become
necessary? I decided that contention, strife, between her and myself
must not be permitted to become necessary: I must cultivate her goodwill
and gain her friendship if I could, then all might be well; whereas if I
should be so unfortunate as to incur her displeasure--well, there was no
use in blinking the fact that she was powerful enough to destroy me.
I had just about arrived at the above conclusion when Langila appeared
and respectfully enquired when it would be my pleasure to eat, which
reminded me that several hours had elapsed since I had last partaken of
a meal, and that, despite the disquieting nature of my recent
reflections, I was hungry. I therefore intimated that I was quite ready
for a meal at any moment, whereupon he disappeared, to return a few
minutes later accompanied by half a dozen servants, who quickly and
deftly prepared a table by covering it with a very handsome cloth of
spotless white linen, upon which they placed a number of elegantly
wrought dishes of polished agate, heaped high with fruits of various
kinds arranged with their respective leaves, a most beautiful vase of
some wonderfully marked and highly polished stone, full of wine, and
several elaborately chased plates and dishes of massive gold, one of
which contained a little pile of thin, flat cakes of a kind of bread,
smoking hot. Then another man entered, bearing a gold dish containing
what looked like a roast fowl, but what I presently discovered was a
parrot; and Langila intimated that my dinner was served. And a very
excellent dinner it proved to be; for the parrot was tender, juicy, of
very appetising flavour, and perfectly cooked, while the little cakes of
hot bread were particularly good. Then the wine! It was of a rich ruby
colour and exquisite aroma, but light and innocuous as water. As for
the fruits, I had never before--and have never since--tasted such
luscious peaches and grapes. And all this elegance and luxury, I kept
reminding myself, existed in a part of Africa utterly unknown to the
white man!
Whether it was the novelty of my surroundings, the somewhat perturbing
character of my reflections, or the contrast between the luxuriousness
of my couch and the hard cartel upon which I had reposed for so many
months under a stifling wagon tent, I know not, but sleep was slow to
come to me on that first night of my sojourn in the palace of Queen
Bimbane; and when at length it visited me it seemed that I had scarcely
closed my eyes before I opened them again to find that it was day, and
that Langila was standing beside my couch, respectfully enquiring
whether it would please me to bathe before dressing for breakfast. I
replied that it certainly would, whereupon the fellow filled my bath for
me, and a few minutes later I was luxuriously wallowing in the cold,
crystal-clear water. To towel myself dry and dress was the work of but
a minute or two, and then I sat down to a meal which in point of
elegance and luxury was the equal of that partaken of on the previous
evening.
When I had finished, Langila, who was really a most admirable servant,
respectfully enquired what I next proposed to do; and when I informed
him that I intended to ride to the lower end of the valley, to see how
my servants were faring, and that the wagon and oxen were being properly
looked after, he assured me that I might rest perfectly easy as to that,
but that if I were determined upon doing as I proposed it was the wish
of the queen that I should appear in public suitably arrayed. Thereupon
he vanished, and presently returned bearing a superb doublet of gold
scale armour upon a foundation of doeskin as soft as a kid glove, a
broad belt of massive gold links heavily studded with uncut diamonds,
supporting a gold-bladed sword in a richly chased golden sheath, and a
gold helmet, wadded and lined with silk and surmounted by a splendid
plume of ostrich feathers dyed a deep, rich crimson! And, thus
magnificently bedizened, I presently set forth, mounted upon Prince,
who, in his turn, had not been forgotten, he also proving to be a
beneficiary to the extent of a superb crimson silk, gold-fringed saddle
cloth, and a new bridle of a kind of velvet, dyed crimson, and heavily
studded with gold bosses.
The ride to the lower end of the valley and back proved exceedingly
interesting, for there was novelty everywhere; and I noticed that my
gorgeous trappings seemed to produce a profound effect upon the people,
who now saluted me with the utmost reverence, the fact being--although I
did not know it at the time--that I was dressed in the uniform of a
general of the Bandokolo army. I found the wagon all right, and the
remnant of my team of oxen luxuriating in the rich pasture by the margin
of the lake; while as for Piet, Jan, and 'Ngulubi, they had plenty to
eat and no work to do, and were therefore perfectly happy. But 'Mfuni,
who had developed a most extraordinary devotion to me, gloomily informed
me that the country and the people were "'mkulu 'mtagati", and that he
did not at all approve of my being housed in the palace, surrounded by
strangers, and with him miles away and quite unable to watch over my
welfare. Upon hearing which, I comforted the poor fellow as well as I
could by assuring him that I was not in the slightest danger, that the
arrangement was merely temporary, and that at the first opportunity I
would endeavour to persuade the queen to allow him to come to the palace
as my personal attendant.
Upon my return to the palace I was informed by Langila that the queen
was in her apartment, and had given instructions that, upon my return, I
was to be conducted into her presence, that she might personally express
her satisfaction at my arrival in the country; therefore I at once
proceeded to bathe, and, when I was ready, desired Langila to announce
me. I had not far to go, for the royal apartments were situated, it
appeared, in the wing of the palace opposite to my own, just on the
other side of the grand staircase; and in a few minutes I found myself
in the royal presence.
The room in which Queen Bimbane received me was a superb apartment,
magnificently decorated with elaborately carved columns supporting a
kind of groined roof, the walls being draped with splendid tapestry
worked on silk in gold thread, and hung with several enormous mirrors of
polished silver in massive gold frames--brackets supporting clusters of
lamps on either side of each. The stone floor was covered with fine
grass matting worked in a very tasteful pattern with different-coloured
grasses; and at the far end of the room was a divan that looked as
though made of solid gold, upholstered in embroidered silk. Upon this
divan reclined a diminutive figure entirely shrouded in white silk
draperies, so that only the two eyes could be seen through a narrow
slit; and behind this figure stood two handsome young women, gorgeously
attired, who perpetually waved two enormous fans of ostrich feathers to
and fro over their mistress.
The lord chamberlain, who took me over from the hands of Langila, duly
announced me and forthwith retired; and I noticed that as I strode
through the doorway, attired in all my bravery, the little figure on the
divan started and gave utterance to a faint ejaculation. But she
instantly recovered herself, and, stretching out her right hand, swathed
in silken wrappings, exclaimed in a low, pleasant voice:
"Greeting, and many welcomes, Chia'gnosi! I have been anticipating this
moment with much curiosity, and also with a little trepidation, for my
prescience tells me that you are destined to exercise a great, indeed a
vital, influence upon my future; and I have wondered whether that
influence will be for good, or for evil."
"For good, I trust, Your Majesty," I replied, as, sinking on one knee, I
placed my right hand beneath hers and raised it respectfully to my lips.
As I have said, that hand was swathed in silken wrappings, so that I
could not see it, but my sense of touch told me that it was small and,
as it seemed to me, painfully thin. But although I did not see the hand
I saw something else, and that was the orange and ruddy flashes of a
jewel on the thumb, the brilliance of which was so great that it made
itself manifest even through the silken veil in which it was enveloped;
and I immediately remembered the "potent amulet", containing a stone
"which shines like the sun at eventide", mentioned by Siluce, which she
had besought me to take from its owner.
"I, too, trust that it will be for good, Chia'gnosi, otherwise you would
never have been allowed to come here," answered the queen. "My
prescience--which has never yet deceived me--tells me that in you I
shall find a man who can be either a true, loyal, steadfast friend, or
an implacable enemy; and as I am determined to make you my friend, I am
not afraid. Yet I see that, in the depths of your heart, you are
already prejudiced against me; and since that prejudice must be removed
before friendship can be born, tell me, I pray you, how did that
prejudice originate? But first, rise, and sit beside me, here."
I rose and obeyed, in some confusion; for how, I asked myself, could
this woman possibly read my inmost thoughts, as she appeared able to do?
Nevertheless, it seemed to me that honesty was the best policy,
therefore I answered her, after seating myself at as respectful a
distance from her as the divan would allow:
"If I am indeed prejudiced at all against Your Majesty, it is because of
the story that Siluce told me."
"Ah, yes, Siluce!" retorted the queen rather bitterly. "She died in
your arms. And, before dying, she no doubt told you that the Bandokolo
are a cruel, wicked people; and that I, their queen, am the most cruel
and wicked of them all. Did she not?"
"I am told that you know all things," I returned. "If that be true, you
must be fully aware of every word which that unhappy young woman said."
"Ye-e-es," answered Bimbane slowly, "I ought to know, certainly; but it
happens that I do not. For at the moment when you encountered Siluce,
it chanced that my attention was distracted from you for a time; and
when at length I was again free to visualise you, the woman was lying
dead in your arms, and so I missed hearing what she told you. But I can
guess; and I have guessed aright, have I not?"
"Pretty nearly," I replied. And then I repeated what Siluce had said as
to the treatment which she had received, and the causes for that
treatment; and I ventured to hint that, according to the views of
civilised people, the unhappy girl had been atrociously misused.
"So that was the story Siluce told you?" remarked the queen, when I had
finished. "Now listen to mine, and judge between us.
"I am not a young woman; I am indeed old, as you have already guessed:
yet when the time of mourning for my late consort was past, many chiefs
and nobles urged me to wed again, and offered themselves as suitable
candidates for the position of spouse to the queen. I knew that these
proposals were made only because of the power, influence, and wealth
which belong to the position; yet, because I am a woman, with all a
woman's weaknesses, and the Bandokolo are a fickle, turbulent people,
impatient of restraint and difficult to govern, it seemed desirable that
I should choose another consort from among the many suitors for the
honour. And after careful consideration I chose Anuti, one of the
captains of my guard, because he seemed the most suitable for the
position, and the man most likely to be helpful to me in my difficult
task of government.
"But Siluce, who was one of the women of my household, had already seen
Anuti, and desired him as her husband, although the man would have
naught to do with her. And when the forthcoming espousals of Anuti and
myself were announced, Siluce forced her way into my presence, upbraided
me for robbing her of her lover, and sought to slay me! Therefore I
dismissed her from my household, and forbade her ever to appear again in
my presence; but it was Anuti who caused her to be whipped, and
afterwards ordered her banishment. And because, after our espousals, I
learned this, and rebuked Anuti for his cruelty, he has quarrelled with
me and become my enemy."
"U-um!" I returned. "That, of course, is a very different story from
the one told me by Siluce."
"And it is the truth," asserted the queen; "although doubtless there are
those who will declare to the contrary. I possess much knowledge,
Chia'gnosi, yet I know not how I am to convince you of the truth; for
he, my husband, who could verify my words, resents my rebuke and has
become my most bitter and implacable enemy, and doubtless he will seek
to win you over to his side by bearing false witness against me. I
would that I could make you my friend, Chia'gnosi, for never have I so
sorely needed a friend as now, when Anuti has turned against me and
seeks to oust me from my place and become supreme in the land. And you
are wise with the wisdom of the white man; you are a warrior, and come
of the race of those who always conquer: therefore if I could win you to
my side I should certainly triumph in the struggle that I foresee is at
hand. Tell me, Chia'gnosi, how may I win you to become my champion?"
"Nay, O Queen," answered I, "ask me not, I pray you; for I came here not
to take part in any quarrel, but merely to--"
"Yes, I know," interrupted the queen. "You came hither hoping to obtain
much gold and many shining stones. Well, whether or not you will become
my friend, I can at least help you to realise your wish. You shall have
as much gold and as many shining stones as you can carry away. I have
many stones already, and I will give orders that more shall be obtained,
so that you may have as many as you desire; while as for gold, all that
I possess is yours for the asking."
What could I say by way of reply to such lavish generosity as this? I
could but thank the queen with all my heart, and did so, yet with a
lurking dread that she might attach to the acceptance of her gift some
condition which I certainly could not assent to without a great deal
more knowledge than I then possessed. But she did not: on the contrary,
she led me to understand that her gift was quite unconditional; and we
then proceeded to talk of other matters, with the result that when at
length I was dismissed, I left the royal presence strongly impressed
with the conviction that my hostess was a very much misunderstood and
maligned woman, earnestly desirous of governing an unruly people wisely
and well, in the face of strenuous opposition on the part of a clique of
ambitious and unscrupulous nobles, of whom the most ambitious and
unscrupulous was Anuti, her husband, who, it seemed pretty evident,
aimed at nothing short of her dethronement and death, and the usurpation
of supreme power. I confess I felt very sorry for the poor old
creature; and although I was particularly careful to pledge myself to
nothing, I was conscious of a very strong inclination to espouse her
cause and do what I might to defeat the machinations of her powerful
enemies. She readily assented to my petition that 'Mfuni, my Mashona,
might be permitted to come to the palace, to act as groom to Prince,
that animal having manifested a distinct distaste for the attentions of
the Bandokolo stableman; and the man presented himself that same
afternoon, in response to a message which I sent, commanding his
immediate appearance.
For nearly a week after this nothing of any particular import happened.
Upon one pretext or another the queen sent for me every day, sometimes
more than once, to converse with her; and by the end of the fifth day
after my arrival I had practically forgotten Siluce's charges against
her, forgotten that she was an old woman--although on the occasion of
our third interview she had permitted me to see her small, withered,
wrinkled old face--forgotten everything, in fact, except that I had come
to the conclusion that she was the most charming, delightful, and
interesting, as well as the most friendless and vilely betrayed woman I
had ever heard of. She had kept her word right royally in the matter of
the diamonds, having sent me a goatskin sack full of the most
magnificent stones, while I was led to understand that more were being
diligently sought for; and as for gold, there was already enough of it
in my apartment to tax the strength of my diminished team of oxen to the
utmost to draw it when it should be loaded into the wagon.
On the sixth day after my arrival in Masakisale I encountered Anuti, the
queen's husband, while riding from the palace to the wagon, as was my
daily wont. He joined me when I was about halfway down the valley,
riding out from one of the side roads, which, it appeared, led to the
house that he was then inhabiting, he having deserted the palace
immediately after his quarrel with the queen. He approached and
accosted me, introducing himself quite frankly; and upon learning that I
was on my way to the lower end of the valley, asked permission to
accompany me, which I accorded rather ungraciously, I am afraid, for I
was by that time very bitterly prejudiced against him. Yet, as we rode,
conversing together, I found it hard to maintain that prejudice, for he
was as unlike the man I had pictured him as it was possible for a man to
be; indeed, I was amazed at the frankness, geniality, and courteousness
of his manner. He professed to be rejoiced at the opportunity that I
was affording him to make my acquaintance, for which he thanked me; very
delicately hinted his admiration of my prowess in killing the rhinoceros
which had attacked the escort; and expressed an earnest desire that,
despite the suspicion and dislike with which I at that moment regarded
him, the time was not far-distant when we should be stanch friends. He
added that there were several of Bandokolo's most influential nobles and
chiefs who were anxious to be made known to me; and when I received this
intimation with a return to my original frigidity of manner he turned to
me and exclaimed, with an almost startling earnestness of manner:
"Ah, Chia'gnosi, I would that you could be persuaded to lay aside your
prejudices, and treat me and my friends fairly! Our conception of you
has been that of a man who loves justice and fairness above all things,
else would you never have been permitted to come hither. I know that
you have been a sojourner in the palace for the last five days, and that
you have been daily--ay, almost hourly--brought under the influence of
the queen, consequently I fully understand your antagonism to me. She
has told you her story, and has cunningly played upon your sympathy and
the chivalry of your character, leading you to believe that she is the
most unfortunate, most maligned and persecuted woman in the whole world.
But that is only her version of the story; and I swear to you that it
is false! I know the story which the lips of the dying Siluce whispered
into your ears, for my spirit was with you both then, and I say that
every word of it is true, although I know that Bimbane has asserted the
contrary. Think of this, therefore, Chia'gnosi, and ask yourself
whether you may not have been led by a cunning, unscrupulous, and lying
old witch to give your sympathy to the wrong person. If you are capable
of being convinced by the truth--as I believe you are--I can convince
you. But you must give me the opportunity; and if you will but do this,
I tell you that you will thank me for asking you to hear what I have to
say."
To say that I was amazed and shocked beyond all power of expression at
the possibility that I had been hoodwinked and played with by a
preternaturally plausible old woman is to put the matter very mildly;
yet slowly the conviction dawned upon me that it might be so. I
suddenly remembered my own youth and inexperience, and the tales that
had been told me of Bimbane's unnatural longevity; and gradually I came
to realise how easy a woman of her prolonged and wide experience would
find it to play upon my sympathy and credulity until she had brought me
to a state of mind in which I should be prepared to believe whatever she
might choose to tell me. She had indeed almost brought me to that state
of mind, but not quite; I still retained sense enough to recognise that
my judgment was not infallible, my wisdom not so great but that it might
be possible for an exceedingly clever person to deceive me. And then it
suddenly occurred to me that Bimbane's version of the Siluce incident
was entirely unsupported save by her own assertions, while the statement
of Siluce herself--made with her dying breath, when, it might be
assumed, she could have no possible motive for telling a falsehood--was
fully confirmed by Anuti. Yes; the two stories differed so completely
that one of them must necessarily be untrue, and I felt that I owed it
to myself to discover which of them it was. It was all very well for me
to pretend that I would not permit myself to be involved in a quarrel
with which I had no concern, but I began to realise that possibly I
might not be allowed any option in the matter, and that in spite of
myself I might be compelled to take one side or the other; and if that
should prove to be the case I must see to it that I was not inveigled
into espousing the wrong side. Therefore, when I had reasoned the
matter out in my own mind, somewhat after the above fashion, I turned to
Anuti, and, giving him my hand, said:
"You are right, Anuti; you are entitled to demand that I shall afford
you the opportunity to set forth your version of the dispute between the
queen and yourself, and to bring forward proofs of the soundness and
justice of your own contention, and you shall have it. Therefore, make
such arrangements as you may deem necessary; and when you are ready I
shall be prepared to listen to you. But, understand this: your proofs
will have to be very full and complete to be wholly convincing, for,
rightly or wrongly, I have been very strongly impressed with the
conviction that the queen is the victim of a powerful band of thoroughly
ruthless, unscrupulous conspirators."
Anuti laughed heartily as he grasped my extended hand. "There was no
need for you to tell me that, Chia'gnosi," he said, "for I know Bimbane,
and am fully aware of her extraordinary powers of persuasion. Her magic
is potent and wonderful, ay, even to the extent of enabling her to
persuade you that this blaze of sunlight is the darkness of the great
cavern whence we obtain our shining stones, that yonder sun is the
day-old moon, or that she herself is young and beautiful. Therefore I
am in nowise astonished that you insist upon my proofs being complete.
I am fully aware that they will have to be so in order to convince you;
and I promise you that they shall be. And now, a word of warning. It
may be that Bimbane is cognisant of what has passed between us, for I
doubt not that she watches your every movement; and, if so, she will be
fully aware, not only that we have met, but of every word that we have
spoken. In that case, Chia'gnosi, you will be in some danger; and if I
thought that you feared danger I would express my regret for having
brought you within touch of it. But I know that you do not; therefore I
will merely say to you, be on the watch, for when the peril comes it
will come swiftly, without warning, and you will need all your courage
and all your great strength to meet it. Farewell, Chia'gnosi, and
thanks for the courtesy and fairness with which you have hearkened to
me. I will collect my facts and my witnesses; and when all is ready you
shall hear from me. Again, farewell!"