Part 18 (2/2)
”Speak, O Goliba,” Omar said. ”Is the balance of popular feeling actually against the Naya?”
”Entirely. Within the past few years the loyal spirit hath, on account of the revolting cruelties practised by thy royal mother, turned utterly against her. Before thy departure to the land beyond the black water the loyal feeling was uppermost because of the efforts of Moloto to obtain the crown. Now, however, that the power of his party is broken and the Naya, feeling her position invulnerable, hath commenced a reign of terror, disgust and despair are felt on every hand.”
”What must I do?” Omar asked.
”Remain here,” the sage replied. ”Thou art banished from the royal presence, it is true, but heed not her words, and remain with thy followers in Mo. Guard vigilantly against the attempts of secret a.s.sa.s.sins that are certain to be made when the Naya is aware of thy defiance, but remember thou art heir to the Emerald Throne, and although some of the regiments may remain loyal unto their queen, the majority of our fighting-men are thine to command.”
Omar knit his brows, and thought deeply for several moments. It was apparent that this suggestion to oppose the Naya by force of arms had never before entered his mind.
”Is this really true?” he asked in a doubting tone.
”O Master, let thy servant Goliba perish rather than his word be questioned. As councillor of thy queen-mother, have I not greater facilities for testing the popular feeling than any other man in Mo? I swear by Zomara's wrath that what I have uttered is truth. If thou remainest here--in hiding for a time it may be--thou shalt either be restored to the royal favour and thy friends recognized, or thou shalt a.s.suredly occupy the royal stool. The people, living as they do in constant dread of the Naya's cruelties, would hail with satisfaction any change of rule that would ensure safety to their persons and property.
Thou art their saviour.”
”Take the advice of our friend Goliba,” I urged. ”Let us remain and defy her.”
”Yea,” cried Kona, displaying his even white teeth. ”The Dagombas are here and likely to remain. They will fight and die to a man in thy cause.
I, their head-man, speak for them.”
”Is it agreed?” asked Omar, glancing at us.
”It is,” we all three answered with one voice, Kona and Goliba fingering their amulets as they spoke.
”Then if it is thy will I shall remain and defy the Naya,” Omar answered, grasping the string of jujus around his neck and muttering some words I could not catch. ”I, Omar, Prince of Mo, am thy leader in this struggle of my people against oppression and misrule. If they will declare in my favour I will free them. I have spoken.”
”Thou hast until noon to-morrow to quit this city,” Goliba said. ”Hasten not thy decision, but what I will show thee secretly ere long will perhaps convince thee of the terrors of the Naya's reign. I have often counselled the queen to aspire to the virtues of truth, wisdom, justice and moderation, the great ornaments of the Emerald Throne, but my endeavours have been frustrated and the fruit of my labour blasted.”
As the white-bearded sage uttered these words, I noticed that from behind one of the great marble pillars of the colonnade that surrounded the courtyard of Goliba's fine house a white robe flitted for an instant, disappearing in the fast-falling gloom. At the moment, sitting as we were smoking and chatting in the open air, the presence of an intruder did not strike me as strange, and only half an hour later did I begin to fear that our decision had been listened to by an eavesdropper, possibly a spy in the service of the terrible queen! When, after due reflection, I imparted my misgivings privately to Goliba, he, however, allayed my fears, smiling, as he said:
”Heed it not. It was but my slave Fiou. I saw her also as she pa.s.sed along.”
”Then thou dost not fear spies?” I said.
”Not in this mine own house,” he answered proudly. ”The dwelling-house of a royal councillor is exempt from any espionage in the Naya's cause.”
This satisfied me, and the incident escaped my recollection entirely until long after, when I had bitter cause to remember it, as will be seen from later chapters of this record.
Soon after Omar had promised to act as our leader in his country's cause, Goliba arose, and crossing the courtyard, now lit only by the bright stars twinkling in the dark blue vault above, disappeared through a door with a fine horse-shoe arch in Moorish style. Left together, we sat cross-legged on the mat, a silent, thoughtful trio. Omar had decided to act on the sage's advice, and none of us knew what the result might be.
That fierce fighting and terrible bloodshed must occur ere the struggle ended, we felt a.s.sured, but with our mere handful of Dagombas we were certainly no match for the trained hosts of the Naya.
Presently we began to discuss the matter among ourselves. Kona, enthusiastic, yet hardly sanguine, wondered whether the people were armed, and if not, where we could procure guns and ammunition. Omar, on the other hand, a.s.sured us that nearly every civilian possessed a gun, being bound by law to acquire one so that he might act his part in an immediate defence in case of invasion. He had no apprehensions regarding the materials for war; he only feared that Goliba might be mistaken in the estimate of his popularity.
”If they will only stand by me they shall have freedom,” he said decisively. ”If they do not, death will come to all of us.”
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