the red one(红色的那人)-第4部分
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flaming； burning； yet unrealized in achievement of easement and
satisfaction。 Where was the appetite of yesterday？ the roasted flesh of
the wild pig the hunter's arrow failed to slay？ the maid； unwed and dead
ere the young man knew her？
A memory was not a star； was Ngurn's contention。 How could a
memory be a star？ Further； after all his long life he still observed the
starry night…sky unaltered。 Never had he noted the absence of a single
star from its accustomed place。 Besides； stars were fire； and the Red One
was not fire … which last involuntary betrayal told Bassett nothing。
〃Will the Red One speak to…morrow？〃 he queried。
Ngurn shrugged his shoulders as who should say。
〃And the day after？ … and the day after that？〃 Bassett persisted。
〃I would like to have the curing of your head；〃 Ngurn changed the
subject。 〃It is different from any other head。 No devil…devil has a head
like it。 Besides； I would cure it well。 I would take months and months。
The moons would come and the moons would go； and the smoke would be
very slow； and I should myself gather the materials for the curing smoke。
The skin would not wrinkle。 It would be as smooth as your skin now。〃
He stood up； and from the dim rafters； grimed with the smoking of
countless heads； where day was no more than a gloom； took down a
matting…wrapped parcel and began to open it。
〃It is a head like yours；〃 he said； 〃but it is poorly cured。〃
Bassett had pricked up his ears at the suggestion that it was a white
man's head； for he had long since come to accept that these jungle…
dwellers； in the midmost centre of the great island； had never had
intercourse with white men。 Certainly he had found them without the
almost universal beche…de…mer English of the west South Pacific。 Nor
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THE RED ONE
had they knowledge of tobacco； nor of gunpowder。 Their few precious
knives； made from lengths of hoop…iron； and their few and more precious
tomahawks from cheap trade hatchets； he had surmised they had captured
in war from the bushmen of the jungle beyond the grass lands； and that
they； in turn； had similarly gained them from the salt…water men who
fringed the coral beaches of the shore and had contact with the occasional
white men。
〃The folk in the out beyond do not know how to cure heads；〃 old
Ngurn explained； as he drew forth from the filthy matting and placed in
Bassett's hands an indubitable white man's head。
Ancient it was beyond question； white it was as the blond hair attested。
He could have sworn it once belonged to an Englishman； and to an
Englishman of long before by token of the heavy gold circlets still
threaded in the withered ear…lobes。
〃Now your head 。 。 。 〃 the devil…devil doctor began on his favourite
topic。
〃I'll tell you what；〃 Bassett interrupted； struck by a new idea。 〃When I
die I'll let you have my head to cure； if； first； you take me to look upon the
Red One。〃
〃I will have your head anyway when you are dead；〃 Ngurn rejected the
proposition。 He added； with the brutal frankness of the savage：
〃Besides； you have not long to live。 You are almost a dead man now。
You will grow less strong。 In not many months I shall have you here
turning and turning in the smoke。 It is pleasant； through the long
afternoons； to turn the head of one you have known as well as I know you。
And I shall talk to you and tell you the many secrets you want to know。
Which will not matter； for you will be dead。〃
〃Ngurn；〃 Bassett threatened in sudden anger。 〃You know the Baby
Thunder in the Iron that is mine。〃 （This was in reference to his all…potent
and all…awful shotgun。） 〃I can kill you any time； and then you will not
get my head。〃
〃Just the same； will Vngngn； or some one else of my folk get it；〃
Ngurn complacently assured him。 〃And just the same will it turn here in
the and turn devil…devil house in the smoke。 The quicker you slay me
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THE RED ONE
with your Baby Thunder； the quicker will your head turn in the smoke。〃
And Bassett knew he was beaten in the discussion。
What was the Red One？ … Bassett asked himself a thousand times in
the succeeding week； while he seemed to grow stronger。 What was the
source of the wonderful sound？ What was this Sun Singer； this Star…Born
One； this mysterious deity； as bestial…conducted as the black and kinky…
headed and monkey…like human beasts who worshipped it； and whose
silver…sweet； bull…mouthed singing and commanding he had heard at the
taboo distance for so long？
Ngurn had he failed to bribe with the inevitable curing of his head
when he was dead。 Vngngn； imbecile and chief that he was； was too
imbecilic； too much under the sway of Ngurn； to be considered。 Remained
Balatta； who； from the time she found him and poked his blue eyes open to
recrudescence of her grotesque female hideousness； had continued his
adorer。 Woman she was； and he had long known that the only way to win
from her treason of her tribe was through the woman's heart of her。
Bassett was a fastidious man。 He had never recovered from the
initial horror caused by Balatta's female awfulness。 Back in England；
even at best the charm of woman； to him； had never been robust。 Yet
now； resolutely； as only a man can do who is capable of martyring himself
for the cause of science； he proceeded to violate all the fineness and
delicacy of his nature by making love to the unthinkably disgusting
bushwoman。
He shuddered； but with averted face hid his grimaces and swallowed
his gorge as he put his arm around her dirt…crusted shoulders and felt the
contact of her rancidoily and kinky hair with his neck and chin。 But he
nearly screamed when she succumbed to that caress so at the very first of
the courtship and mowed and gibbered and squealed little； queer； pig…like
gurgly noises of delight。 It was too much。 And the next he did in the
singular courtship was to take her down to the stream and give her a
vigorous scrubbing。
From then on he devoted himself to her like a true swain as frequently
and for as long at a time as his will could override his repugnance。 But
marriage； which she ardently suggested； with due observance of tribal
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THE RED ONE
custom； he balked at。 Fortunately； taboo rule was strong in the tribe。
Thus； Ngurn could never touch bone； or flesh； or hide of crocodile。 This
had been ordained at his birth。 Vngngn was denied ever the touch of
woman。 Such pollution； did it chance to occur； could be purged only by
the death of the offending female。 It had happened once； since Bassett's
arrival； when a girl of nine； running in play； stumbled and fell against the
sacred chief。 And the girl…child was seen no more。 In whispers； Balatta
told Bassett that she had been three days and nights in dying before the
Red One。 As for Balatta； the breadfruit was taboo to her。 For which
Bassett was thankful。 The taboo might have been water。
For himself； he fabricated a special taboo。 Only could he marry； he
explained； when the Southern Cross rode highest in the sky。 Knowing his
astronomy； he thus gained a reprieve of nearly nine months； and he was
confident that within that time he would either be dead or escaped to the
coast with full knowledge of the Red One and of the source of the Red
One's wonderful voice。 At first he had fancied the Red One to be some
colossal statue； like Memnon； rendered vocal under certain temperature
conditions of sunlight。 But when； after a war raid； a batch of prisoners was
brought in and the sacrifice made at night； in the midst of rain； when the
sun could play no part； the Red One had been more vocal than usual；
Bassett discarded that hypothesis。
In company with Balatta； sometimes with men and parties of women；
the freedom of the jungle was his for three quadrants of the compass。
But the fourth quadrant； which contained the Red One's abiding place； was
taboo。 He made more thorough love to Balatta … also saw to it that she
scrubbed herself more frequently。 Eternal female she was； capable of
any treason for the sake of love。 And； though the sight of her was
provocative of nausea and the
