In fear of recognition I held my breath, and, withdrawing among the
crowd of guards and courtiers assembled around the royal divan, watched
the obsequious homage paid the Khalifa by Khazneh, who I discovered was
accompanied by Mahaza, Grand Vizier of Sokoto.
Abdullah, reclining lazily upon his silken cushions, at first paid
little heed to their salaams. On his brow was a dark, forbidding look;
probably he was thinking of the ill-fated expedition he had dispatched,
and the apparent hopelessness of ever conquering his enemy 'Othman.
Long ago had he overstepped the dignity of a sovereign, and now coveted
the honours of a god. The two ambassadors from the Fada at Kano
prostrated themselves, pressing their foreheads to the ground, and
assured the powerful head of the Mahdists that they were charged by
their Sultan to convey to him most fervent salutations. Yet he affected
not to notice their presence.
Surprised at the haughty coolness of his reception, Khazneh, still upon
his knees, continued to address the mighty Khalifa.
"Know, O One of Exalted Dignity, Ruler of the Soudan, who holdeth thy
servants' destinies in the hollow of thine hand, the object of our
journey hither is to spread out the carpet of apologies, to become
ennobled by meeting thine exalted person, to regenerate and to refresh
the meadow of our expectations by the showers of the fountain-head of
thy wisdom, and to see the rosebuds of our hopes opening and smiling
from the breeze of thy regard. Our lord the Sultan has sent us to
deliver this, therefore command and deal with us as thou listeth," and
from the breast of his gorgeous robe he drew forth a sealed letter,
which was ceremoniously handed to the reclining potentate by one of the
black slaves.
The Khalifa Abdullah, suddenly interested, opened it, and, having read
the missive, crushed it in his hand with impatient gesture.
"Behold," added Khazneh, "we are charged to deliver unto thee a few gems
for thine acceptance as a peace-offering, and to assure thee of our lord
'Othman's good will and high esteem," and as he uttered the words, the
gaudily-dressed members of the mission advanced, and, kneeling,
deposited before the royal divan a golden salver heaped with costly
jewels.
With a cursory glance at them, the occupant of the divan at length
motioned the ambassadors to rise, saying in a deep, impressive voice,--
"The request of the Sultan is granted, and his presents accepted, O
messengers. Assure thy lord that the knot of our amity is to-day
strengthened by this invitation to travel unto Kano, and that ere many
moons have risen we shall have the felicity of conversing with him. At
present Allah hath not on the face of the earth a servant more excellent
nor wise than he, and we are invested with the robe of being the elect
and favoured. May the path of our association never become obstructed."
The dead silence that had fallen upon the Court was broken by rustling
movement and low murmurings of approbation.
"Truly thou art wise and generous, O Ruler, upon whom be the blessing of
the pardoning Sovereign," exclaimed Mahaza. "Thou, who art
distinguished by great possessions, abundant revenues, innumerable
quantities of cattle, and multitudes of servants and slaves, showerest
upon thy servants copious favours. May the enemies of the threshold of
thy dignity and station be overtaken by the deluge of affliction, and
may they in the sea of exclusion be drowned by the waves of perdition."
"Verily, if thou comest unto Kano, our lord will receive thee with
befitting welcome," added Khazneh.
"Thou, successor to the holy Mahdi who possessest the three greatest
blessings, namely, meekness in the time of anger, liberality in the time
of dearth, and pardon in a powerful position, wilt find a reception
awaiteth thee such as none have hitherto received within the walls of
our city. The relation of a king unto his subjects is like the relation
of a soul to the body; in the same way as the soul doth not neglect the
body for a single instant, so the king must not forget the care of his
subjects even during the twinkling of an eye. Thou hast never swerved
from the straight path, hence thou art honoured throughout the Soudan,
even to the uttermost ends of Sokoto, and if thou wilt deign to visit
our Sultan he will offer unto thee and thine officers, guards and
slaves, generous entertainment within the Fada, for he desireth an
understanding with thee that our countries may unite to defeat and
discomfort our mutual enemies."
The reason of the unlooked-for invitation to visit the great White City
he had plotted to besiege immediately commended itself to the Khalifa,
who, with a benign smile, took from his finger two great emerald rings,
and, handing one to each of the Sultan's ambassadors, assured them that
the sun of his personal favours shone upon them, adding, in prophetic
tones,--
"Take your ease here, for ye must be spent with long travel. I know not
the day when I can set forth, for I act according to hidden knowledge,
the visible effects of which are ofttimes evil, but the consequences
always beneficent and salutary."
Then, as the two men from Kano again pressed their brows to the carpet,
renewed laudations and gratitude for blessings received emanated from
their lips, and from those assembled there rose panegyrical murmurs that
Abdullah had decided to visit the Sultan 'Othman as honoured guest
instead of arrogant conqueror.
Thus was the meeting between the two powerful rulers of the Sahara and
the Soudan arranged, a meeting destined to mark an epoch in the history
of Central Africa. The Khalifa's curiosity to investigate the extent of
the wealthy country which acknowledged 'Othman as Sultan probably
accounted for his sudden decision to undertake the long and tedious
journey. Although the invitation had been sent with a view to effecting
an offensive and defensive alliance between the two peoples, yet, in my
new office as chief of the Khalifa's body-servants, I had ample means of
knowing that he still cherished hopes of eventually overthrowing his
whilom ally, and annexing the Empire of Sokoto. Two days after the
reception of the envoys, Mahaza left on his return to inform 'Othman of
his friend's intended visit, while Khazneh remained to accompany his
master's guest. Being permitted as a favoured servant to approach
Abdullah closely, I was fortunately enabled to express to him a hope
that the Aga of the Sultan's Eunuchs would not be made aware of my
identity with the hapless victim of his wrath, and it was with
satisfaction I found that in my silk robes of bright crimson and gold
and picturesque head-dress my enemy failed to recognise me.
The day was an eventful one in Omdurman when, at first flush of dawn, my
royal master seated himself under the thatched _rukuba_ and addressed
his Ansar, urging upon them the necessity of loyalty and discipline
during his absence. Then, after a great review of seventy thousand
troops in the square of Abu nga, the Mahdist chieftain, with a portion
of his harem, one thousand male slaves and four thousand courtiers and
picked horsemen with banners, moved down the Road of the Martyrs on the
first stage of the long journey westward. Prayers for the safety of the
Khalifa were at that moment being said by nearly one hundred thousand
men and women in the Great Mosque--not a mosque in its usual sense, but
a huge yard--and their murmurings sounded like a distant roar as, in the
cool hour before sunrise, we rode at walking pace along the winding Nile
bank towards the misty hills where dwelt the Jinns.
Eager as were my companions to feast their eyes on the glories of Kano,
none was so eager as myself lo pass the grim, prison-like portals of the
great l'ada and rest beside those cool, ever-plashing fountains within
the wonderful labyrinth of wide courts and shady arcades. The wheel of
fortune had indeed taken a strange turn and was spinning in my favour,
for I was actually returning to Azala in disguise so effectual that even
Khazneh could not detect me, and as each day brought me nearer to her I
racked my brain in vain to devise some means by which I could, on
arrival, inform her of my presence and obtain an interview.
To fathom the hidden secret of the Mark of the Asps I was determined,
and on the hot, tedious journey across the dreary, sandy waste, infested
by marauders, and known by the ominous name of _Ur immandess_--"He
(Allah) hears not;" that is, is deaf to the cry of the waylaid
traveller--I served my capricious master with patience and diligence,
awaiting such time as I could seek the woman who had entranced me, and
learn from her lips the strange things she had promised to reveal.
By day the journey was terribly fatiguing, but in the cool nights, when
we encamped for our _kayf_, there was feasting, dancing and
merry-making. The night hours were enlivened by _Safk_ (clapping of
hands) and the loud sounds of songs. There were many groups of
dancing-girls, surrounded by crowds of onlookers. Though sometimes they
performed Al-Nahl, the Bee dance, their performances were wild in the
extreme, resembling rather the hopping of bears than the graceful dances
of the harem, and the bystanders joined in the song--an interminable
recitative, as usual in the minor key, and so well tuned that it sounded
like one voice, with the refrain "La Yayha! La Yayha!" Through the
brief, brilliant night always "La Yayha!"