The reflection of a shaft of moonlight through the half-completed thatch
upon zu Pfeiffer’s “magic” mirror, which the natives had not dared to
remove, set afire the sapphires upon his bracelet as he sat rigidly in a
camp chair in a suit of pyjamas. Upon the bed lay Birnier, nursing his
bandaged left arm. Now and again the thrumming, chanting and the shrilling
of the saturnalia without rose into discordant yells like a gust of wind
whipping tree-tops into fury.
Zu Pfeiffer appeared taciturn and suspicious. Perhaps the slackening of
his will, tautened to meet death as his caste demanded that he should, and
the confrontation of the object of his violent hate, had completely
unnerved him. When Birnier had dragged him within and cut his bonds, he
had grunted curt, official thanks for the rescue. As sullenly he had
hesitated at the offer of the pyjamas, but as if deciding that he could
not retain any dignity in his own bloodied skin, had accepted them, as
well as a sorely needed drink of water.
The reaction after the crisis, and possibly the influence of the general
hysteria in the air, had distorted Birnier’s vision of things. He was very
conscious of a neurotic desire to laugh unrestrainedly. Thus it was that
for nearly half an hour the two men remained in the gloom in silence.
Birnier had a psychological comprehension of the highly nervous tension of
his guest. For he had long ago realized that the only solution of zu
Pfeiffer’s crazy statement that he was engaged to the wife of a man to
whom he was speaking, indicated a form of insanity.
A psychological law is that natural emotions must have an outlet; if they
are repressed they are apt to cause a state of mental disease which in an
aggravated form may lead the patient to the asylum, but in the incipient
stage are as common as jackals in Africa. Zu Pfeiffer was suffering from
such a case of mild psychosis. Brought up under an iron code which did not
permit his instincts to react, the repressed emotions bubbled out in the
form of a deification of his Kaiser and the adoration of Lucille, both
states being absolutely apart from all reason, indeed approached to a
state of dissociation of consciousness. The desired unattainable is
projected into the dream plane, the realm of myth. Such a case is the
historical one of the man who, keenly intelligent upon every subject
mentioned, startles the visitor by the demand for a piece of toast,
gravely explaining that he is a poached egg and that he wishes to sit
down; or as Pascal, who ever had beside him the great black dog. To
attempt to rationalise with such an one was merely to excite the insane
part of him. So it was that Birnier determined to ignore the subject
entirely, perfectly aware that the sullenness of the man sitting in the
camp chair opposite to him was caused by an exaggerated terror that he
would insist upon speaking of the one subject which should be tabu.
The associative suggestion of Lucille diverted his mind until he became
immersed in thoughts of her. A queer vision of a well-fed tiger playing
with a kid entered his mind. More conscious than ever of her attraction by
reason of the intensified sense of her wrought by her letter, he glanced
surreptitiously at the rigid form in the chair and a wave of pity mixed
with a half conscious pride that she belonged to him, rose within him.
Then Birnier started as he was brought back to a realization of the
passing of time by a harsh voice that told of creaking nerves:
“Herr Professor, what is your pleasure to do with me, if you please?”
“I beg your pardon!” Birnier sat up. “Er—naturally I shall endeavour to
get you away as early as possible. It would be as well if you took
advantage of the present—er—saturnalia to escape. I cannot do much. I can
provide you with a gun and food. As you are not injured you should be able
to get a reasonable distance from here by morning; for the rest I am
afraid you must fend for yourself. I wish that I could do more, but I’m
afraid that my power is not yet sufficient to ensure any help from the
natives.”
An inarticulate sound emerged from zu Pfeiffer’s mouth. Birnier’s eyes
caught the sheen of the photograph upon the wall. Escape! Lucille! Almost
involuntarily he stretched out a hand and took Lucille’s letter from the
table. Again came zu Pfeiffer’s voice:
“I thank you, Herr Professor, but I cannot accept—for myself.” Birnier
stared at him. “I wish you to understand that for myself that is
impossible.” The tall figure seemed to straighten in the chair. “But as I
have the honour to serve his Imperial Majesty I am bound to preserve to
the best of my ability my body in order to answer for my culpable
negligence which has resulted in the loss of my two companies. Most
distinctly, Herr Professor, I wish you to know that I accept your offer in
order to place myself before the Court Martial that awaits me.”
Birnier almost gasped. That this anomaly of a man, who was capable of
cold-blooded murder at the prompting of an hallucination, and who now
appeared equally capable of the utter annihilation of self at the service
of his Imperial Master, meant what he said, Birnier did not doubt. Yet it
was not anomalous. Logical in fact; the capability of supreme sacrifice
for either of his idols.
“I understand you, Lieutenant,” said he courteously. “I——” The two letters
in his hand crackled. Before he could master the mean desire he had handed
the second letter to zu Pfeiffer with the words:
“Forgive me, I have here a letter which it is my duty to return to you.”
The sapphires winked as zu Pfeiffer held up the letter in the shaft of
moonlight. There was a suppressed grunt as of pain. Zu Pfeiffer rose
stiffly and walked to the door. His tall figure was silhouetted in profile
against the green sky and as Birnier watched he saw a gleam as of crystal
upon an eyelash. Birnier, ashamed of his sole vengeance, turned away.
But as if revenge were recoiling upon him came in the wake of that
satisfied primitive instinct a surge of longing for Lucille. Lucille!
Lucille! God! how he desired to see those eyes again! Feel those lips and
hear the gurgle of her laughter! Sense the perfume of her hair as she
murmured: “_Mon petit loup!_” Birnier sat holding the letter. He fought
with an impulse to abandon everything to go to her—if he could get out!
How stale and monotonous the adventure and the scientific interest
suddenly seemed! After all, what had he accomplished? What could he
accomplish? Even yet he had learned but little of the secrets of the
witch-doctor’s craft. Perhaps there was little or nothing to learn? And zu
Pfeiffer? He stared across at the portrait of Lucille. And as he gazed a
wave of pity rose within him for this boy made mad by the witchery of
those eyes and the music of that voice. A sentence in Lucille’s letter
appeared to stand out from the context: “_Mon Dieu, they are as thick as
the blackberries!_”
And yet—and yet—— Why the devil had she taken it into her head to come out
to Uganda above all places? he asked himself. She was so damnably near to
him. He smiled satirically as he recollected her phrase about those fools
who made of love a nuisance, and yet now what was she doing? After all the
suspicion in his mind that love is everything to a woman seemed proven
true.
But how adorable she was! He fingered the letter as if it were part of
her. Well, she was young; success and adulation from one capital to
another had interested and amused her for a few years, but when Milady had
suddenly discovered that the Career bored her she had thrown up everything
and logically—to her mind—expected her mate to do likewise! With what
insouciance had she treated the affair of zu Pfeiffer and the youngster
whom he had struck. When Birnier had met her she had had a story of a
young fool count in Paris who had shot himself, merely because she would
not listen to his suit; and she had protested with one of those wonderful
shrugs and a moue, saying that she could not marry all the men in the
world! That apparently bloodthirsty indifference had of course tended to
make more men “crazy wild,” as she put it, about her. And that reputation
had added to her numerous attractions even to Birnier.
He could escape if he wished—with zu Pfeiffer. He could take Mungongo with
him. Yet would Mungongo dare the tabu at his bidding? Birnier doubted it.
Would Mungongo even consent to let him, Birnier, who was now in his eyes
the King-God, go and so imperil the foundations of the native world?
Birnier was certain that he would not. They were all dominated by this
confounded idol of wood, he reflected. Bakahenzie, or even Mungongo, would
cheerfully sacrifice him if either imagined that the damned Unmentionable
One desired it, at the suppositious bidding of something which was
nothing.
Through the sweet scent of her in the air like a compelling aura about
him, came suddenly zu Pfeiffer’s voice speaking in the accents of agony;
yet all he said was:
“Herr Professor Birnier—I am compelled—to—to apologise for …”
The voice failed and the haughty blond head turned away, unable to
complete to the uttermost the greatest sacrifice he had ever attempted.
“Please don’t,” said Birnier comprehendingly. “I understand.”
And Birnier did comprehend; realised the small hell in zu Pfeiffer as a
higher developed tabu did a childish tabu unto death. Zu Pfeiffer, white
man, had been just as guilty of an attempt to commit murder at the
suppositious inversion of a thumb of an idol as Bakahenzie; not an idol of
wood but the projection of his subconscious desires. Zu Pfeiffer would
sacrifice a million at the bidding of his Kaiser, whose divinity was the
same myth, the projection of himself. Yet what had been Birnier’s object
in undertaking all these pains and penalties but to study mankind in the
making, the black microcosm of a white macrocosm; to aid them to a better
understanding of themselves and each other? Was not Bakahenzie an
embryonic zu Pfeiffer? How could one aid a zu Pfeiffer if one did not know
a Bakahenzie?
From the saturnalia in progress outside came another swirl of sound
seeming to lap mockingly against the motionless figure of zu Pfeiffer
silhouetted against a green sky; and above him towered the idol leaning
sideways.
As if in drunken laughter of the follies of black and white humanity!
mused Birnier. Yet what am I doing? At the crook of a dainty finger am I,
too, to bow to an idol? Am I to pity zu Pfeiffer and these children?…
Savages! Good God, what am I?
EXTRA PAGES
Witch-Doctors
_L’homme est bien insensé! il_
_ne sçauroit forger un ciron, et_
_forge des dieux à douzaine!_
MONTAIGNE
ERRATA
CHARACTERS
Changed: Ludwig *do. do.*
To: Ludwig *German sergeant*
CHARACTERS
Changed: Schneider *do. do.*
To: Schneider *German sergeant*
Chapter 1
Changed: “This Saka—Saka”—*Zu* Pfeiffer glanced at
To: “This Saka—Saka”—*zu* Pfeiffer glanced at
Chapter 1
Changed: retreat. At *MFunga* MPopo’s is the
To: retreat. At *MFunya* MPopo’s is the
Chapter 1
Changed: As *Zu* Pfeiffer nodded languidly
To: As *zu* Pfeiffer nodded languidly
Chapter 1
Changed: seemed to escape *Zu* Pfeiffer. He gave
To: seemed to escape *zu* Pfeiffer. He gave
Chapter 1
Changed: man’s arrival?” demanded *Zu* Pfeiffer harshly.
To: man’s arrival?” demanded *zu* Pfeiffer harshly.
Chapter 1
Changed: Zu *Peiffer* finished the report leisurely
To: Zu *Pfeiffer* finished the report leisurely
Chapter 3
Changed: I thank you*,* And if—— Were
To: I thank you*.* And if—— Were
Chapter 6
Changed: as balanced as a dancer’s* *
To: as balanced as a dancer’s*.*
Chapter 6
Changed: to matters of more importance.*”*
To: to matters of more importance.* *
Chapter 9
Changed: shall lave hungry ears of* *
To: shall lave hungry ears of *——!*
Chapter 9
Changed: *E-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-h*!
To: *E-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-h*!
Chapter 9
Changed: As we …* *
To: As we …*”*
Chapter 9
Changed: The personality of *Bernier* had been apparently
To: The personality of *Birnier* had been apparently
Chapter 9
Changed: and the two *Nordenfelts* and two pom-poms
To: and the two *Nordenfeldts* and two pom-poms
Chapter 11
Changed: “*Aieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*!”
To: “*Aieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*!”
Chapter 11
Changed: *Aieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*!
To: *Aieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*!
Chapter 13
Changed: in of fresh *masssacres* adding to the
To: in of fresh *massacres* adding to the
Chapter 14
Changed: Yabolo near to *Zaku* Zako’s continued. Neither
To: Yabolo near to *Zalu* Zako’s continued. Neither
Chapter 14
Changed: enemy, Bakahenzie, presented *Zaku* Zako with a
To: enemy, Bakahenzie, presented *Zalu* Zako with a
Chapter 14
Changed: which walk ever *the the* red devils in
To: which walk ever *the* red devils in
Chapter 14
Changed: the minds of *Zako Zalu* and Marufa the
To: the minds of *Zalu Zako* and Marufa the
Chapter 15
Changed: village of MFunya *MPope* —of that day
To: village of MFunya *MPopo* —of that day
Chapter 15
Changed: not his policy *tomake* his thunder too
To: not his policy *to make* his thunder too
Chapter 17
Changed: position of chief *witch doctor*, he would do
To: position of chief *witch-doctor*, he would do
Chapter 18
Changed: earth, and when*——* and when——” He
To: earth, and when*—* and when——” He
Chapter 19
Changed: in their solar *plexes*.
To: in their solar *plexus*.
Chapter 22
Changed: the village of *Yangonyama*, but shortage of
To: the village of *Yagonyana*, but shortage of
Chapter 24
Changed: the white god.* *
To: the white god.*”*
Chapter 29
Changed: Peuh! *Ecoute*, mon cher, it
To: Peuh! *Écoute*, mon cher, it
Chapter 30
Changed: Pm-pm—*Pommmm*!
To: Pm-pm—*Pommmmm*!