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Were Machenga to take one of my fire tubes in his hand, one of two things would happen. Either the tube would refuse to slay at all, or it would turn upon Machenga and kill him." "Au! white man, that is not true, and when you speak lies you talk as a fool," exclaimed my visitor, displaying much righteous indignation. "I know, for I have seen the magic fire tubes before.
Also I am glad that the king has promised to abolish the system of `smelling out', for in the first place I do not in the least believe in it, and, in the next, it is perfectly evident that an unscrupulous scoundrel like Machenga would only be too likely to use it for his own vile purposes. And now let us talk about something else.
Did not I say that my snake told me thou wouldst save many lives? "Well," I replied, "to be quite candid with you, Mapela, I believe it is a very good thing for the Mashona that Machenga is dead; and I am not sorry that he compelled me to kill him.
He was a mere nobody, just a common soldier from the ranks, who had probably never harboured in his simple heart a single thought disloyal to the king; but Machenga was cunning enough to realise that a certain number of such unconsidered and inconspicuous victims must be sacrificed if he would avoid attracting undue attention to the fact that the holocaust included all those whose death advantaged him either pecuniarily or as the gratification of his revenge.
Say also that I have here many other gifts, equally precious, and that, if the king continues to regard me with favour, and grants me a certain request which I think of preferring, a generous share of these gifts shall find their way to the hut of Machenga."
"They will not need to be found," I replied; "for if such there be, rest assured that they will betray themselves, even as Machenga betrayed himself to me. I repeat, let there be no more smelling out; but if any man be discovered meditating evil, let his accusers bring him before thee and bear witness against him, and if he be found guilty, let him suffer."
"I have heard that Machenga is the name of the king's chief witch doctor," I replied, with still greater caution. "But who are you, and why have you come to my wagon at this time of night? Is it to talk to me of Machenga?" "Machenga is a very great man," observed my visitor. "Next to the king, he is the greatest man in all Mashonaland.
I enquired whether there was any sign of our visitor of the previous night, and was told that there was not, at which information I was sorrier than ever for my hasty behaviour; for it was now evident that Machenga definitely refused the gifts that I had set out for his acceptance, and for a savage to refuse a gift is tantamount to a declaration of enmity, and I could ill afford to make an enemy of anyone in Mashonaland, still less of so powerful a personage as Machenga, the chief witch doctor and confidential adviser of the king.
Then Machenga, at a nod from the king, raised his bangwan, and immediately his satellites began to circle hither and thither, with a slow, waltz-like movement, similar to that with which he had begun his own mad dance; and as they moved, gradually widening their circles until they were strung out all along the face of the motionless regiments, they hummed a low, weird, wordless song that was somehow inexpressibly suggestive of vague, nameless horror.
He understands that when Machenga speaks the king listens; and those who like Chia'gnosi are wise and desire the king's favour, do well first to secure the favour of Machenga." "Piet," I called, "come hither and open for me the bale containing the handkerchiefs and printed calico; also find for me the pliers and the brass chain."
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