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Updated: May 5, 2025
I interrupted angrily, for it was growing late and I was beginning to feel tired, while there seemed to be no sign of an intention on the part of my unwelcome visitor to leave. "Return now to Machenga," I continued, "describe to him the gifts which I have set aside for him, and say that if he will send thee for them to-morrow at sunrise they shall be his.
Machenga had obeyed my imperative command to halt, thus unconsciously demonstrating at once that his state of trance was merely a pretence; and when I ceased to speak he further betrayed himself by answering me. "Au, Chia'gnosi!" he exclaimed, "so thou, too, art a magician? And thou dost threaten to kill me!
Then, gliding meanwhile slowly hither and thither in a series of narrow circles and turns and twists, in a kind of slow waltz step, Machenga began a song, the burden of which was the glory, majesty, and power of the king, and the inexpressible wickedness of those who presumptuously dared to entertain evil thoughts of him.
And a smile of diabolical malice overspread his evil face as he shook his great spear aloft and began to dance very slowly, singing softly to himself. So that was it the villain was actually going to smell me out! But "Not if I know it," thought I; and starting to my feet as I drew a pistol from my belt and levelled it at him, I cried: "Halt there, Machenga! Halt, I say, or thou diest!
"Chia'gnosi has good eyes; nothing escapes him; he sees even the little red ticks that hide themselves on the blades of the grass. If his ears are as good as his eyes he will perchance have heard of one named Machenga." "I have heard of such an one," I answered cautiously. "What have you heard of him?" demanded the unknown.
Also, he is the king's friend: the friends of the king are his friends; and the enemies of the king are his enemies." "Come you to me with a message from Machenga?" I demanded. "If so, proceed; my ears are open." "Au!" ejaculated the unknown one. "Chia'gnosi is very wise; he understands.
He lied to thee and cheated thee by pretending that he could smell out thine enemies, whereas he possessed no such power; and he smelled out and caused to be destroyed Logwane, one of the most loyal and faithful of your indunas, because, after heavily bribing Machenga for several years, in order to obtain immunity, Logwane refused to submit to further robbery.
I know none of them save Logwane; but send thou and ascertain the names of the other indunas who have died to-day by the hands of the Slayers, and thou shalt find that, like Logwane, they were rich men, the half of whose riches would pass to Machenga; or they were men who had incurred Machenga's hatred.
"But," I exclaimed hotly, "that would be monstrous nothing short of deliberate, cold-blooded murder! Do you really think that the king will permit it? And if he should, will none of you intervene?" "The king will permit it, because he has absolute faith in Machenga," answered Mapela. "And, as for us, who are we that we should intervene to prevent that which the Great, Great One permits?"
Notwithstanding his great age, this man who, of course, was Machenga, the dreaded chief witch doctor capered and pirouetted with astounding agility in the centre of the arena for fully five minutes; then he suddenly dashed forward, and, prostrating himself at Lomalindela's feet, proceeded to do bonga, or homage, by shouting the various titles of the king, and exalting His Majesty to the skies as the greatest, most potent, most wonderful, most glorious monarch in the universe, the only king, in fact, worthy of serious mention.
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