登陆注册
5421800000035

第35章

"Thou knowest naught of it, Mopo?" said the king. And again he looked at me terribly through the reek of the fire. "Thou knowest naught of it, Mopo? Surely thou art a-cold; thy hands shake with cold. Nay, man, fear not--warm them, warm them, Mopo. See, now, plunge that hand of thine into the heart of the flame!" And he pointed with his little assegai, the assegai handled with the royal wood, to where the fire glowed reddest--ay, he pointed and laughed.

Then, my father, I grew cold indeed--yes, I grew cold who soon should be hot, for I saw the purpose of Chaka. He would put me to the trial by fire.

For a moment I sat silent, thinking. Then the king spoke again in a great voice: "Nay, Mopo, be not so backward; shall I sit warm and see thee suffer cold? What, my councillors, rise, take the hand of Mopo, and hold it to the flame, that his heart may rejoice in the warmth of the flame while we speak together of this matter of the child that was, so my mother sang, born to Baleka, my wife, the sister of Mopo, my servant.""There is little need for that, O king," I answered, being made bold by fear, for I saw that if I did nothing death would swiftly end my doubts. Once, indeed, I bethought me of the poison that I bore, and was minded to swallow it and make an end, but the desire to live is great, and keen is the thirst for vengeance, so I said to my heart, "Not yet awhile; I will endure this also; afterwards, if need be, Ican die."

"I thank the king for his graciousness, and I will warm me at the fire. Speak on, O king, while I warm myself, and thou shalt hear true words," I said boldly.

Then, my father, I stretched out my left hand and plunged it into the fire--not into the hottest of the fire, but where the smoke leapt from the flame. Now my flesh was wet with the sweat of fear, and for a little moment the flames curled round it and did not burn me. But Iknew that the torment was to come.

For a short while Chaka watched me, smiling. Then he spoke slowly, that the fire might find time to do its work.

"Say, then, Mopo, thou knowest nothing of this matter of the birth of a son to thy sister Baleka?""I know this only, O king!" I answered, "that a son was born in past years to thy wife Baleka, that I killed the child in obedience to thy word, and laid its body before thee."Now, my father, the steam from my flesh had been drawn from my hand by the heat, and the flame got hold of me and ate into my flesh, and its torment was great. But of this I showed no sign upon my face, for Iknew well that if I showed sign or uttered cry, then, having failed in the trial, death would be my portion.

Then the king spoke again, "Dost thou swear by my head, Mopo, that no son of mine was suckled in thy kraals?""I swear it, O king! I swear it by thy head," I answered.

And now, my father, the agony of the fire was such as may not be told.

I felt my eyes start forward in their sockets, my blood seemed to boil within me, it rushed into my head, and down my face their ran two tears of blood. But yet I held my hand in the fire and made no sign, while the king and his councillors watched me curiously. Still, for a moment Chaka said nothing, and that moment seemed to me as all the years of my life.

"Ah!" he said at length, "I see that thou growest warm, Mopo! Withdraw thy hand from the flame. I am answered; thou hast passed the trial;thy heart is clean; for had there been lies in it the fire had given them tongue, and thou hadst cried aloud, making thy last music, Mopo!"Now I took my hand from the flame, and for awhile the torment left me.

"It is well, O king," I said calmly. "Fire has no power of hurt on those whose heart is pure."But as I spoke I looked at my left hand. It was black, my father--black as a charred stick, and the nails were gone from the twisted fingers. Look at it now, my father; you can see, though my eyes are blind. The hand is white, like yours--it is white and dead and shrivelled. These are the marks of the fire in Chaka's hut--the fire that kissed me many, many years ago; I have had but little use of that hand since this night of torment. But my right arm yet remained to me, my father, and, ah! I used it.

"It seems that Nobela, the doctress, who is dead, lied when she prophesied evil on me from thee, Mopo," said Chaka again. "It seems that thou art innocent of this offence, and that Baleka, thy sister, is innocent, and that the song which the Mother of the Heavens sang through the singing flames was no true song. It is well for thee, Mopo, for in such a matter my oath had not helped thee. But my mother is dead--dead in the flames with thy wives and children, Mopo, and in this there is witchcraft. We will have a mourning, Mopo, thou and I, such a mourning as has not been seen in Zululand, for all the people on the earth shall weep at it. And there shall be a 'smelling out' at this mourning, Mopo. But we will summon no witch-doctors, thou and Iwill be witch-doctors, and ourselves shall smell out those who have brought these woes upon us. What! shall my mother die unavenged, she who bore me and has perished by witchcraft, and shall thy wives and children die unavenged--thou being innocent? Go forth, Mopo, my faithful servant, whom I have honoured with the warmth of my fire, go forth!" And once again he stared at me through the reek of the flame, and pointed with his assegai to the door of the hut.

同类推荐
  • 东槎纪略

    东槎纪略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 饯济阴梁明府各探一

    饯济阴梁明府各探一

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 针经指南

    针经指南

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • On Dreams

    On Dreams

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 句

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 快穿之灵异女配

    快穿之灵异女配

    灵异女配无外乎两种选择:1,专职吓唬人;2,专职被吓唬。胆子奇小无比的陶小倩表示她两个都不想选,可惜她还是莫名穿进了各种灵异世界,完成不得不完成的灵异女配任务。陶小倩:完成任务有奖励吗?系统:有啊,看上哪个男鬼了?我免费送你!陶小倩:能不要男鬼吗?系统:女鬼也行,说,看上哪个了,不要客气!陶小倩:……老娘不要鬼,老娘要人!【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 我想去太空

    我想去太空

    万事万物,有因就有果。得到就会有失去。只要做对一件事,生活就会有意义。
  • 佛说忠心经

    佛说忠心经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 尸心不改

    尸心不改

    控尸门的欢乐二缺弟子江篱炼了一具美得人神共愤引得天雷阵阵的男尸,以为好日子开始了,结果没想到门派惨遭灭门。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 格兰特船长的儿女

    格兰特船长的儿女

    一个温情激荡、神秘莫测,因而你不能不读的故事。格里那凡爵士拾获的鲨鱼腹中滚出了一个漂流瓶,里面有三张被海水侵蚀得残缺不全的分别用英文,法文和德文写的文字。航海者们分别把三张纸上所能看清的词汇翻译了出来,然后连猜带想地用一种语言将这些文字填补全,原来是一封求救信!是苏格兰航海家格兰特船长两年前发出的求救信。求救信引动了航海者们极大的探险兴趣和蕴藏在心中的英雄主义情结。于是格里那凡爵士和他温柔贤惠的夫人海伦,还有他们的朋友麦克那布斯少校、地理学家巴加内尔,带上了格兰特船长两个坚强的儿女——聪慧的玛丽小姐和勇敢的小罗伯特,乘坐着“邓肯号”帆船,踏上了寻找、解救格兰特船长的冒险之路……
  • 异界之最强泰坦

    异界之最强泰坦

    林炎,一个外冷内热甚至于有些桀骜不驯的年轻人,由于世界末日,来到泰坦大陆,莫名其妙的成为泰坦之子,与骸骨议会、鲜血议会、光明议会三大神秘组织的对抗,绵绵无止的亡灵大军,与同为穿越者身份的雷赢之间的勾心斗角,神秘的泰坦领域奥杜尔,古神复苏带给整个泰坦大陆的威胁,面对这些无止尽的困难危险,林炎该何去何从,而冒险之旅也从此展开,且看林炎如何在这个混乱的世界,成就无上的荣耀,谱写一卷壮阔的征伐史诗,建立不朽的荣耀
  • 圣母

    圣母

    一代圣母的故事。圣母光芒耀四方!世人讨厌圣母,但,我就是圣母你奈我何!
  • 我是如何失踪的

    我是如何失踪的

    光盘,广西第四、六、七届签约作家,中国作家协会会员、广西作家协会理事。获广西、全国报纸副刊好作品二等奖以上30余次。创作及出版长篇小说6部,在花城、上海文学、作家、钟山、北京文学等中国核心刊物发表作品若干,迄今共发表各类作品150余万字。
  • 二十几岁要懂得的99条人生经验

    二十几岁要懂得的99条人生经验

    本书为二十几岁的年轻人精心提炼了90条富含哲理的人生经验,从道德修养、处世方法、人际关系、生活态度等方面进行了深刻的阐释。每一条人生经验都以寓意深远的哲理点拨,挖掘人生深层的内涵,向人们阐释了人生的智慧和生活的哲理,让你在轻松阅读中心灵得陶冶,领悟成功的真谛,把握人生的航向。
  • 疯丫头拒爱:误吻恶魔校草

    疯丫头拒爱:误吻恶魔校草

    她,外表娇柔甜美,时而装纯装嫩,时而妖媚,时而小白兔般可怜兮兮,然却是古灵精怪。遇上了他,楠圣高中四大天王之一,外表温润如玉,实则邪恶如火。当她与他相遇,腹黑与邪恶的对抗,水与火的不容,慢慢的相遇,相知,他们是否会冰释前嫌??