Part 37 (1/2)
[-See Nada the Lily-EDITOR]
”Surely you are an ill-oht-bird who thus croak to s,” broke in Ceteith suppressed rage Then cal himself with an effort added, ”Tell ? Then hearken On the south slope of the Ingoe west of the Ibululwana River, on the outskirts of the great forest, there is a kloof whereof the entrance, which only one man can pass at a time, is covered by a thicket of thorns and reat toad with an open -that-should-never-have-been-born' Near to this rock dwells an old wo a hand, which the Black One cut off shortly before his death, because when he killed her father, she saw the future and prophesied a like death to hih then she was but a child This wo a witch-doctoress I will send a Spirit to her, if you so will it, to warn her to watch for you and your co, and show you the mouth of the kloof, where are some old huts and water There you will never be found unless you are betrayed”
”Who can betray ?” asked Cetewayo ”Send the Spirit, send it at once, that this one-ar, seeing that the forest is far away? Yet be it as you will Keep silence now, lest evil should befall you”
Then of a sudden Zikali seeid, his eyes closed, his face becah in death, and foaht to look on, there in the gloomy hut
Ceteatched him and shi+vered Then he opened his blanket and I perceived that fastened about him by a loop of hide in such a fashi+on that it could be drawn out in a ai, the shaft of which was shortened to about six inches His hand grasped this shaft, and I understood that he was conte the ed his h whether he really spoke them I do not know At least he withdrew his hand and closed the blanket
Slowly Zikali opened his eyes, staring at the roof of the hut, whence ca bats He looked like a dead ain For a few h he listened to the squealing, then said-
”It is well The Spirit that I summoned has visited her of our company who is named One-hand and returned with the answer Did you not hear it speaking in the thatch, O King?”
”I heard so, Wizard,” answered Cetewayo in an awed voice
”I thought it was a bat”
”A bat it is, O King, one ings and swift This bat says that my sister, One-hand, will meet you on the third day from now at this hour on the further side of the ford of the Ibululwana, where threeunder the centre milk-tree and ait for two hours, no more, to show you the secret entrance to the kloof”
”The road is rough and long, I shall have to hurry orn out with travelling,” said Cetewayo
”That is so, O King Therefore in the journey as soon as possible, especially as I sees not far away”
”By Chaka's head! I will not,” growled Cetewayo, ”who thought to sleep here in peace this night”
”As the King wills All that I have is the King's Only then One-hand will not be waiting and so must be found, since this is known to me only and to her; also that Spirit which I sent will make no second journey, nor can I travel to show it to the King”
”Yes, Wizard, it is known to you and to myself Methinks it would be better were it known to me alone I have a spoonful of snuff to share (ie, a bone to pick) with you, Wizard It would seem that you set my feet and those of the Zulu people upon a false road, yonder in the Vale of Bones, causingus all to ruin”
”Mayhap , for I do not res I remember that the spirit of a certain Mameena who, which victory has been his Also it prophesied other victories to the King in a far land across the water, which victories doubtless shall be his in due season; for enerals'”
”You lie, Wizard,” exclaimed Cetewayo hoarsely ”Did you not sun of war, and did she not hold in her hand that assegai of the Black One which you have toldinto the hand of a spirit?”
”As to thatFor the rest, is No?”
”I think so,” said Cetewayo coldly ”I think also that you who know the place where I purpose to hide, would do well to forget it Surely you have lived too long, O Opener of Roads, and done enough evil to the House of Senzangacona, which you ever hated”
So he spoke, and once more I saw his hand steal towards the spearhead which was hidden beneath the blanket that he wore
Zikali saw it also and laughed ”Oho!” he laughed, ”forgetting all s, and that the day ofthinks to kill me because I am old and feeble and alone and unaraan thought, as even Panda thought, yet I live on to this day Well, I bear noshould wish to kill one who knows the secret of where he would hide hi is fingering is sharp, so sharp that e I must find me a shi+eld! I must find me a shi+eld! Fire, you are not yet dead Awake, , monkey-like ar up a reek of thin white sue and indefinite shape which suggested the shadow of ashadow, no ?” went on Zikali in a fierce and thrilling voice ”Who is it that you see? Who has the fire sent to be my shi+eld? Ghosts are so thick here that I do not know I cannot tell one of them from the other Who is it? Who, who of all that you have slain and who therefore are your foes?”