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Now Eddo would have answered, but the priest Hana, who appeared to be much frightened by Nya's words, plucked at his sleeve, whispering in his ear, and he was silent. Presently he spoke again, but to Rachel, bidding Noie translate: "Thou White Maid," he said, "who wast called Princess of the Zulus, pay no heed to this old dotard, but listen to me.
Sometimes Eddo would look at them dreamily and curse them in his slow, hissing voice, bidding them waste in body and in mind, as he had done to the soldier at Umgugundhlovu, and die within one year, or two, or three, as the case might be.
Look, there are some of the gifts which were sent by Dingaan of the Zulus in payment for the oracle of his death. Thou broughtest them, Noie, my child." "Yes," answered Noie, "I brought them, and the Inkosazana here, she delivered the oracle. Eddo gave her the bowl, and she saw pictures in the bowl and showed them to Dingaan."
Now he was going on to speak of the question put by Dingaan to the Inkosazana, and the answer that she gave to him, when one of the little men who all this while sat as though they were asleep, blinking their eyes in the light it was Eddo said: "Surely thou forgettest something.
All these things are true, Eddo, yet ere I go I have a word to say to thee to which thou wilt do well to listen." "Speak on," said Eddo. "Without doubt thou hast wisdom of a sort; honey thou hast garnered during many years, and it is well that I should suck the store before it is too late." "Eddo," said Nya, "I am not the only one in this Holy Place who grows white and thin.
But first thy veins must be opened, and the veins of Eddo must be opened, and Eddo's blood must be poured into thee, and thy blood into him. Then thou wilt be able to read in the bowls as we can, and Eddo will be thy master, and thou must do his bidding while you both shall live." "If so," answered Rachel, "I think that neither of us will live long."
No although she knew that there were dangers before them, many and great dangers, Noie rejoiced that things had befallen thus. Also in her tender care already Rachel improved much, and Noie believed that one day she would be herself again. Only she wished that she and her lady were alone together; that there were no priests with them, and above all no Eddo.
"Before you begin to talk, Sister," broke in Noie, "let us go and see if we can close the cleft in the Wall, for otherwise how shall we sleep in peace? Eddo and the dwarfs might creep in by night and murder us." "I do not think they dare shed blood in their Holy Place," answered Rachel. "Still, let us see what we can do; it may be best."
"Perhaps; but now before it is too late I would send her body travelling also; only thou, who hast the power for a while, dost bar the road." "I know," said Eddo, nodding his bead and looking at his companion. "We all know, do we not, Hana? we who have heard certain beatings of drums in the night, and studied dew drops beneath the trees at dawn. Thou wouldst send her to meet another traveller."
Far-sighted and pure-souled as thou art, yet not having been instructed in their wizardry, thou wilt see nothing in the bowls of the dwarfs unless their blood is mingled with thy blood." "'Their blood mingled with my blood? What dost thou mean, Mother?" "What I say, neither more nor less. If Eddo has his will, thou wilt rule after me here as Mother of the Trees.
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