the ivory child-第50部分

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too；　all　of　you；　and　lady　she　stop　here　till　Black　Kendah　king　take

her　to　wife　or　she　too　die？〃



〃Let　us　talk；〃　I　broke　in；　treading　warningly　upon　Ragnall's　foot。　〃We

have　heard　your　Oracle　and　we　know　that　you　believe　its　words。　It　is

said　that　we　alone　can　help　you　to　conquer　the　Black　Kendah。　If　you

will　not　promise　what　we　ask；　we　will　not　help　you。　We　will　burn　our

powder　and　melt　our　lead；　so　that　the　guns　we　have　cannot　speak　with

Jana　and　with　Simba；　and　after　that　we　will　do　other　things　that　I

need　not　tell　you。　But　if　you　promise　what　we　ask；　then　we　will　fight

for　you　against　Jana　and　Simba　and　teach　your　men　to　use　the　fifty

rifles　which　we　have　here　with　us；　and　by　our　help　you　shall　conquer。

Do　you　understand？〃



He　nodded　and　stroking　his　long　beard；　asked：



〃What　you　want　us　promise；　eh？〃



〃We　want　you　to　promise　that　after　Jana　is　dead　and　the　Black　Kendah

are　driven　away；　you　will　give　up　to　us　unharmed　that　lady　whom　you

have　stolen。　Also　that　you　will　bring　her　and　us　safely　out　of　your

country　by　the　roads　you　know；　and　meanwhile　that　you　will　let　this

lord　see　his　wife。〃



〃Not　last；　no；〃　replied　Har？t；　〃that　not　possible。　That　bring　us　all

to　grave。　Also　no　good；　'cause　her　mind　empty。　For　rest；　you　come　to

other　place；　sit　down　and　eat　while　I　talk　with　priests。　Be　afraid

nothing；　you　quite　safe。〃



〃Why　should　we　be　afraid？　It　is　you　who　should　be　afraid；　you　who

stole　the　lady　and　brought　Bena　to　his　death。　Do　you　not　remember　the

words　of　your　own　Oracle；　Har？t？〃



〃Yes；　I　know　words；　but　how　/you/　know　them　/that/　I　not　know；〃　he

replied。



Then　he　issued　some　orders；　as　a　result　of　which　a　guard　formed　itself

about　us　and　conducted　us　through　the　crowd　and　along　the　passage　to

the　second　court　of　the　temple；　which　was　now　empty。　Here　the　guard

left　us　but　remained　at　the　mouth　of　the　passage；　keeping　watch。

Presently　women　brought　us　food　and　drink；　of　which　Hans　and　I　partook

heartily　though　Ragnall；　who　was　so　near　to　his　lost　wife　and　yet　so

far　away；　could　eat　but　little。　Mingled　joy　because　after　these　months

of　arduous　search　he　found　her　yet　alive；　and　fear　lest　she　should

again　be　taken　from　him　for　ever；　deprived　him　of　all　appetite。



While　we　ate；　priests　to　the　number　of　about　a　dozen；　who　I　suppose

had　been　summoned　by　Har？t；　were　admitted　by　the　guard　and；　gathering

out　of　earshot　of　us　between　the　altar　and　the　sanctuary；　entered　on

an　earnest　discussion　with　him。　Watching　their　faces　I　could　see　that

there　was　a　strong　difference　of　opinion　between　them；　about　half

taking　one　view　on　the　matter　of　which　they　disputed；　and　half

another。　At　length　Har？t　made　some　proposition　to　which　they　all

agreed。　Then　the　door　of　the　sanctuary　was　opened　with　a　strange　sort

of　key　which　one　of　the　priests　produced；　showing　a　dark　interior　in

which　gleamed　a　white　object；　I　suppose　the　statue　of　the　Child。　Har？t

and　two　others　entered；　the　door　being　closed　behind　them。　About　five

minutes　later　they　appeared　again　and　others；　who　listened　earnestly

and　after　renewed　consultation　signified　assent　by　holding　up　the

right　hand。　Now　one　of　the　priests　walked　to　where　we　were　and；

bowing；　begged　us　to　advance　to　the　altar。　This　we　did；　and　were　stood

in　a　line　in　front　of　it；　Hans　being　set　in　the　middle　place；　while

the　priests　ranged　themselves　on　either　side。　Next　Har？t；　having　once

more　opened　the　door　of　the　sanctuary；　took　his　stand　a　little　to　the

right　of　it　and　addressed　us；　not　in　English　but　in　his　own　language；

pausing　at　the　end　of　each　sentence　that　I　might　translate　to　Ragnall。



〃Lords　Macumazana　and　Igeza；　and　yellow　man　who　is　named　Light…in…

Darkness；〃　he　said；　〃we；　the　head　priests　of　the　Child；　speaking　on

behalf　of　the　White　Kendah　people　with　full　authority　so　to　do；　have

taken　counsel　together　and　of　the　wisdom　of　the　Child　as　to　the

demands　which　you　make　of　us。　Those　demands　are：　First；　that　after　you

have　killed　Jana　and　defeated　the　Black　Kendah　we　should　give　over　to

you　the　white　lady　who　was　born　in　a　far　land　to　fill　the　office　of

Guardian　of　the　Child；　as　is　shown　by　the　mark　of　the　new　moon　upon

her　breast；　but　who；　because　for　the　second　time　we　could　not　take

her；　became　the　wife　of　you；　the　Lord　Igeza。　Secondly；　that　we　should

conduct　you　and　her　safely　out　of　our　land　to　some　place　whence　you

can　return　to　your　own　country。　Both　of　these　things　we　will　do；

because　we　know　from　of　old　that　if　once　Jana　is　dead　we　shall　have　no

cause　to　fear　the　Black　Kendah　any　more；　since　we　believe　that　then

they　will　leave　their　home　and　go　elsewhere；　and　therefore　that　we

shall　no　longer　need　an　Oracle　to　declare　to　us　in　what　way　Heaven

will　protect　us　from　Jana　and　from　them。　Or　if　another　Oracle　should

become　necessary　to　us；　doubtless　in　due　season　she　will　be　found。

Also　we　admit　that　we　stole　away　this　lady　because　we　must；　although

she　was　the　wife　of　one　of　you。　But　if　we　swear　this；　you　on　your　part

must　also　swear　that　you　will　stay　with　us　till　the　end　of　the　war；

making　our　cause　your　cause　and；　if　need　be；　giving　your　lives　for　us

in　battle。　You　must　swear　further　that　none　of　you　will　attempt　to　see

or　to　take　hence　that　lady　who　is　named　Guardian　of　the　Child　until　we

hand　her　over　to　you　unharmed。　If　you　will　not　swear　these　things；

then　since　no　blood　may　be　shed　in　this　holy　place；　here　we　will　ring

you　round　until　you　die　of　hunger　and　of　thirst；　or　if　you　escape　from

this　temple；　then　we　will　fall　upon　you　and　put　you　to　death　and　fight

our　own　battle　with　Jana　as　best　we　may。〃



〃And　if　we　make　these　promises　how　are　we　to　know　that　you　will　keep

yours？〃　I　interrupted。



〃Because　the　oath　that　we　shall　give　you　will　be　the　oath　of　the　Child

that　may　not　be　broken。〃



〃Then　give　it；〃　I　said；　for　although　I　did　not　altogether　like　the

security；　obviously　it　was　the　best　to　be　had。



So　very　solemnly　they　laid　their　right　hands　upon　the　altar　and　〃in

the　presence　of　the　Child　and　the　name　of　the　Child　and　of　all　the

White　Kendah　people；〃　repeated　after　Har？t　a　most　solemn　oath　of　which

I　have　already　given　the　substance。　It　called　down　on　their　heads　a

very　dreadful　doom　in　this　world　and　the　next；　should　it　be　broken

either　in　the　spirit　or　the　letter；　the　said　oath；　however；　to　be　only

binding　if　we；　on　our　part；　swore　to　observe　their　terms　and　kept　our

engagement　also　in　the　spirit　and　the　letter。



Then　they　asked　us　to　fulfil　our　share　of　the　pact　and　very

considerately　drew　out　of　hearing　while　we　discussed　the　matter；

Har？t；　the　only　one　of　them　who　understood　a　word　of　English；　retiring

behind　the　sanctuary。　At　first　I　had　difficulties　with　Ragnall；　who

was　most　unwilling　to　bind　himself　in　any　way。　In　the　end；　on　my

pointing　out　that　nothing　less　than　our　lives　were　involved　and

probably　that　of　his　wife　as　well；　also　that　no　other　course　was　open

to　us；　he　gave　way；　to　my　great　relief。



Hans　announced　himself　ready　to　swear　anything；　adding　blandly　that

words　mattered　nothing；　as　afterwards　we　could　do　whatever　seemed　best

in　our　own　interests；　whereon　I　read　him　a　short　moral　lecture　on　the

heinousness　of　perjury；　which　did　not　seem　to　impress　him　very　much。



This　matter　settled；　we　called　back　the　priests　and　informed　them　of

our　decision。　Har？t　demanded　that　we　should　affirm　it　〃by　the　Child；〃

which　we　declined　to　do；　saying　that　it　was　our　custom　to　swear　only

in　the　name　of　our　own　God。　Being　a　liberal…minded　man　who　had

travelled；　Har？t　gave　way　on　the　point。　So　I　swore　first　to　the　effect

that　I　would　fight　for　the　White　Kendah　to　the　finish　in　consideration

of　the　promises　that　they　had　made　to　us。　I　added　that　I　would　not

attempt　either　to　see　or　to　interfere　with　the　lady　here　known　as　the

Guardian　of　the　Child　until　the　war　was　over　or　even　to　bring　our

existence　to　her　knowledge；　ending　up；　〃so　help　me　God；〃　as　I　had　done

several　times　when　giving　evidence　in　a　court　of　law。



Next　Ragnall　with　a　great　effort　repeated　my　oath　in　English；　Har？t

listening　carefully　to　every　word　and　once　or　twice　asking　me　to

explain　the　exact　meaning　of　some　of　them。



Lastly　Hans；　who　seemed　very　bored　with　the　whole　affair；　swore；　also

repeating　the　words　after　me　and　finishing　on　his　own　account　with　〃so

help　me　the　reverend　Predikant；　the　Baas's　father；〃　a　form　that　he

utterly　declined　to　vary　although　it　involved　more　explanations。　When

pressed；　indeed；　he　showed　considerable　ingenuity　by　pointing　out　to

the　priests　that　to　his　mind　my　poor　father　stood　in　exactly　the　same

relation　to　the　Power　above　us　as　their　Oracle　did　to　the　Child。　He

offered　generously；　however；　to　throw　in　the　spirits　of　his

grandfather　and　grandmother　and　some　extraordinary　divinity　they

worshipped；　I　think　it　was　a　hare；　as　an　additional　guarantee　of　good

faith。　This　proposal　the　priests　accepted　gravely；　whereon　Hans

whispered　into　my　ear　in　Dutch：



〃Those　fools　do　not　remember　that　when　pressed　by　dogs　the　hare　often

doubles　on　its　own　spoor；　and　that　your　reverend　father　will　be　very

pleased　if　I　can　play　them　the　same　trick　with　the　white　lady　that

they　played　with　the　Lord　Igeza。〃



I　only　looked　at　him　in　reply；　since　the　morality　of　Hans　was　past

argument。　It　might　perhaps　be　summed　up　in　one　sentence：　To　get　the

better　of　his　neighbour　in　his　master's　service；　honestly　if　possible；

if　not；　by　any　means　that　came　to　his　hand　down　to　that　of　murder。　At

the　bottom　of　his　dark　and　mysterious　heart　Hans　worshipped　only　one

god；　named　Love；　not　of　woman　or　child；　but　of　my　humble　self。　His

principles　were　those　of　a　rather　sly　but　very　high…class　and

exclusive　dog；　neither　better　nor　worse。　Still；　when　all　is　said　and

done；　there　are　lower　creatures　in　the　world　than　high…class　dogs。　At

least　so　the　masters　whom　they　adore　are　apt　to　think；　especially　if

their　watchfulness　and　courage　have　o