the ivory child- 第57部分

they　fled　at　the　time　of　the　Persian　invasion　by　Cambyses。



After　we　had　emerged　from　this　deeply　interesting　shrine；　which　was

locked　behind　us；　Har？t　led　us；　not　through　the　passage　connecting　it

with　the　stone　house　that　we　knew　was　occupied　by　Ragnall's　wife　in

her　capacity　as　Guardian　of　the　Child；　or　a　latter…day　personification

of　Isis；　Lady　of　the　Moon；　at　which　house　he　cast　many　longing

glances；　but　back　through　the　two　courts　and　the　pylon　to　the　gateway

of　the　temple。　Here　on　the　road　by　which　we　had　entered　the　place；　a

fact　which　we　did　not　mention　to　him；　he　paused　and　addressed　us。



〃Lords；〃　he　said；　〃now　you　and　the　People　of　the　White　Kendah　are　one；

your　ends　are　their　ends；　your　fate　is　their　fate；　their　secrets　are

your　secrets。　You；　Lord　Igeza；　work　for　a　reward；　namely　the　person　of

that　lady　whom　we　took　from　you　on　the　Nile。〃



〃How　did　you　do　that？〃　interrupted　Ragnall　when　I　had　interpreted。



〃Lord；　we　watched　you。　We　knew　when　you　came　to　Egypt；　we　followed　you

in　Egypt；　whither　we　had　journeyed　on　our　road　to　England　once　more　to

seek　our　Oracles；　till　the　day　of　our　opportunity　dawned。　Then　at

night　we　called　her　and　she　obeyed　the　call；　as　she　must　do　whose　mind

we　have　taken　awayask　me　not　howand　brought　her　to　dwell　with　us；

she　who　is　marked　from　her　birth　with　the　holy　sign　and　wears　upon　her

breast　certain　charmed　stones　and　a　symbol　that　for　thousands　of　years

have　adorned　the　body　of　the　Child　and　those　of　its　Oracles。　Do　you

remember　a　company　of　Arabs　whom　you　saw　riding　on　the　banks　of　the

Great　River　on　the　day　before　the　night　when　she　was　lost　to　you？　We

were　with　that　company　and　on　our　camels　we　bore　her　thence；　happy　and

unharmed　to　this　our　land；　as　I　trust；　when　all　is　done；　we　shall　bear

her　back　again　and　you　with　her。〃



〃I　trust　so　also；　for　you　have　wrought　me　a　great　wrong；〃　said　Ragnall

briefly；　〃perhaps　a　greater　wrong　than　I　know　at　present；　for　how　came

it　that　my　boy　was　killed　by　an　elephant？〃



〃Ask　that　question　of　Jana　and　not　of　me；〃　Har？t　answered　darkly。　Then

he　went　on：　〃You　also；　Lord　Macumazana；　work　for　a　reward；　the

countless　store　of　ivory　which　your　eyes　have　beheld　lying　in　the

burial　place　of　elephants　beyond　the　Tava　River。　When　you　have　slain

Jana　who　watches　the　store；　and　defeated　the　Black　Kendah　who　serve

him；　it　is　yours　and　we　will　give　you　camels　to　bear　it；　or　some　of

it；　for　all　cannot　be　carried；　to　the　sea　where　it　can　be　taken　away

in　ships。　As　for　the　yellow　man；　I　think　that　he　seeks　no　reward　who

soon　will　inherit　all　things。〃



〃The　old　witch…doctor　means　that　I　am　going　to　die；〃　remarked　Hans

expectorating　reflectively。　〃Well；　Baas；　I　am　quite　ready；　if　only

Jana　and　certain　others　die　first。　Indeed　I　grow　too　old　to　fight　and

travel　as　I　used　to　do；　and　therefore　shall　be　glad　to　pass　to　some

land　where　I　become　young　again。〃



〃Stuff　and　rubbish！〃　I　exclaimed；　then　turned　and　listened　to　Har？t

who；　not　understanding　our　Dutch　conversation；　was　speaking　once　more。



〃Lords；〃　he　said；　〃these　paths　which　run　east　and　west　are　the　real

approach　to　the　mountain　top　and　the　temple；　not　that　which；　as　I

suppose；　led　you　through　the　cave　of　the　old　serpent。　The　road　to　the

west；　which　wanders　round　the　base　of　the　hill　to　a　pass　in　those

distant　mountains　and　thence　across　the　deserts　to　the　north；　is　so

easy　to　stop　that　by　it　we　need　fear　no　attack。　With　this　eastern　road

the　case　is；　however；　different；　as　I　shall　now　show　you；　if　you　will

ride　with　me。〃



Then　he　gave　some　orders　to　two　attendant　priests　who　departed　at　a

run　and　presently　reappeared　at　the　head　of　a　small　train　of　camels

which　had　been　hidden；　I　know　not　where。　We　mounted　and；　following　the

road　across　a　flat　piece　of　ground；　found　that　not　more　than　half　a

mile　away　was　another　precipitous　ridge　of　rock　which　had　presumably

once　formed　the　lip　of　an　outer　crater。　This　ridge；　however；　was

broken　away　for　a　width　of　two　or　three　hundred　yards；　perhaps　by　some

outrush　of　lava；　the　road　running　through　the　centre　of　the　gap　on

which　schanzes　had　been　built　here　and　there　for　purposes　of　defence。

Looking　at　these　I　saw　that　they　were　very　old　and　inefficient　and

asked　when　they　had　been　erected。　Har？t　replied　about　a　century　before

when　the　last　war　took　place　with　the　Black　Kendah；　who　had　been

finally　driven　off　at　this　spot；　for　then　the　White　Kendah　were　more

numerous　than　at　present。



〃So　Simba　knows　this　road？〃　I　said。



〃Yes；　Lord；　and　Jana　knows　it　also；　for　he　fought　in　that　war　and

still　at　times　visits　us　here　and　kills　any　whom　he　may　meet。　Only　to

the　temple　he　has　never　dared　to　come。〃



Now　I　wondered　whether　we　had　really　seen　Jana　in　the　forest　on　the

previous　night；　but　coming　to　the　conclusion　that　it　was　useless　to

investigate　the　matter；　made　no　inquiries；　especially　as　these　would

have　revealed　to　Har？t　the　route　by　which　we　approached　the　temple。

Only　I　pointed　out　to　him　that　proper　defences　should　be　put　up　here

without　delay；　that　is　if　they　meant　to　make　a　stronghold　of　the

mountain。



〃We　do；　Lord；〃　he　answered；　〃since　we　are　not　strong　enough　to　attack

the　Black　Kendah　in　their　own　country　or　to　meet　them　in　pitched

battle　on　the　plain。　Here　and　in　no　other　place　must　be　fought　the

last　fight　between　Jana　and　the　Child。　Therefore　it　will　be　your　task

to　build　walls　cunningly；　so　that　when　they　come　we　may　defeat　Jana

and　the　hosts　of　the　Black　Kendah。〃



〃Do　you　mean　that　this　elephant　will　accompany　Simba　and　his　soldiers；

Har？t？〃



〃Without　doubt；　Lord；　since　he　has　always　done　so　from　the　beginning。

Jana　is　tame　to　the　king　and　certain　priests　of　the　Black　Kendah；

whose　forefathers　have　fed　him　for　generations；　and　will　obey　their

orders。　Also　he　can　think　for　himself；　being　an　evil　spirit　and

invulnerable。〃



〃His　left　eye　and　the　tip　of　his　trunk　are　not　invulnerable；〃　I

remarked；　〃though　from　what　I　saw　of　him　I　should　say　there　is　no

doubt　about　his　being　able　to　think　for　himself。　Well；　I　am　glad　the

brute　is　coming　as　I　have　an　account　to　settle　with　him。〃



〃As　he；　Lord；　who　does　not　forget；　has　an　account　to　settle　with　you

and　your　servant；　Light…in…Darkness；〃　commented　Har？t　in　an　unpleasant

and　suggestive　tone。



Then　after　we　had　taken　a　few　measurements　and　Ragnall；　who

understands　such　matters；　had　drawn　a　rough　sketch　of　the　place　in　his

pocket…book　to　serve　as　data　for　our　proposed　scheme　of

fortifications；　we　pursued　our　journey　back　to　the　town；　where　we　had

left　all　our　stores　and　there　were　many　things　to　be　arranged。　It

proved　to　be　quite　a　long　ride；　down　the　eastern　slope　of　the　mountain

which　was　easy　to　negotiate；　although　like　the　rest　of　this　strange

hill　it　was　covered　with　dense　cedar　forests　that　also　seemed　to　me　to

have　defensive　possibilities。　Reaching　its　foot　at　length　we　were

obliged　to　make　a　detour　by　certain　winding　paths　to　avoid　ground　that

was　too　rough　for　the　camels；　so　that　in　the　end　we　did　not　come　to

our　own　house　in　the　Town　of　the　Child　till　about　midday。



Glad　enough　were　we　to　reach　it；　since　all　three　of　us　were　tired　out

with　our　terrible　night　journey　and　the　anxious　emotions　that　we　had

undergone。　Indeed；　after　we　had　eaten　we　lay　down　and　I　rejoiced　to

see　that；　notwithstanding　the　state　of　mental　excitement　into　which

the　discovery　of　his　wife　had　plunged　him；　Ragnall　was　the　first　of　us

to　fall　asleep。



About　five　o'clock　we　were　awakened　by　a　messenger　from　Har？t；　who

requested　our　attendance　on　important　business　at　a　kind　of　meeting…

house　which　stood　at　a　little　distance　on　an　open　place　where　the

White　Kendah　bartered　produce。　Here　we　found　Har？t　and　about　twenty　of

the　headmen　seated　in　the　shade　of　a　thatched　roof；　while　behind　them；

at　a　respectful　distance；　stood　quite　a　hundred　of　the　White　Kendah。

Most　of　these；　however；　were　women　and　children；　for　as　I　have　said

the　greater　part　of　the　male　population　was　absent　from　the　town

because　of　the　commencement　of　the　harvest。



We　were　conducted　to　chairs；　or　rather　stools　of　honour；　and　when　we

two　had　seated　ourselves；　Hans　taking　his　stand　behind　us；　Har？t　rose

and　informed　us　that　an　embassy　had　arrived　from　the　Black　Kendah

which　was　about　to　be　admitted。



Presently　they　came；　five　of　them；　great；　truculent…looking　fellows　of

a　surprising　blackness；　unarmed；　for　they　had　not　been　allowed　to

bring　their　weapons　in　to　the　town；　but　adorned　with　the　usual　silver

chains　across　their　breasts　to　show　their　rank；　and　other　savage

finery。　In　the　man　who　was　their　leader　I　recognized　one　of　those

messengers　who　had　accosted　us　when　first　we　entered　their　territory

on　our　way　from　the　south；　before　that　fight　in　which　I　was　taken

prisoner。　Stepping　forward　and　addressing　himself　to　Har？t；　he　said：



〃A　while　ago；　O　Prophet　of　the　Child；　I；　the　messenger　of　the　god

Jana；　speaking