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Lobelatatutu, the king, the Great One, is about to question you further concerning the conspiracy in which ye have been engaged with Sekosini, and it is my will that ye shall answer his every question truthfully and without reservation or concealment of any kind. Ye hear?" "We hear, O Healer, and we will obey," answered the four, as with one voice. "It is well," said Dick.
But if he and his fellow conspirators can be brought to admit their guilt publicly, you at once become the righteous judge, and score accordingly. And I can make them confess if they are really guilty, as Sekosini asserts." "Then tell me, O Healer! what do you advise?" asked the king. "This," answered Dick.
Sekosini did so, and Dick noted down the names very carefully, so that there should be no mistake, for some of the native names are quite embarrassingly similar in sound. "Now," resumed Dick, when he had done this, "to return to 'Nkuni. What is the poison that you have been administering to him?"
"It is contained in those roots," answered Sekosini, pointing to a bundle of bulb-like objects also suspended from the roof. "The method of preparation is simple. A root is taken, cleaned from the adhering soil, and boiled in water until it is soft enough to crush between the fingers. Then the liquid is allowed to cool and strained through cloth. This liquid is of a dark colour, almost black.
Let the four chiefs, Ingona, Lambati, Moroosi, and Sekukuni, be brought hither in charge of the guards which you have placed over them; then will I lay my magic upon them so that they shall speak only the plain, simple truth, even as Sekosini spoke it just now to his own condemnation; and thus shall ye be able to judge exactly how far each man may be trusted in the future.
His aspect of perfect serenity, due to the fact that he was still completely under Dick's hypnotic influence, seemed to reassure certain of the assembled chiefs, whose faces had shown signs of anxiety; but the fact that The Healer, sitting there silent and impassive beside the king, had been able to summon Sekosini from a distance, and compel his presence, had been duly noted, and hands were placed over mouths, and low murmurs of "Au!
"Yes, it is true," admitted the king reluctantly; "Sekosini is very obstinate; and if he were so minded he would refuse to confess, even were he staked out on an ant's nest." "Of course he would," agreed Dick. "Therefore you see for yourself how futile anything of that kind would be. It would only make of him a martyr, and of you a cruel, revengeful, suspicious brute in the eyes of your people.
But it was no part of his policy to show that he had observed these things; he therefore responded to the king: "Ah, it may be that the sickness from which 'Nkuni is suffering is a sickness new to this country; and if it should prove to be so it is not surprising that Sekosini is unable to conquer it.
"I understand, and will obey," answered Sekosini. "Good!" returned Dick. "Now I command you to tell me the absolute truth. Know you anything relative to the sickness from which the chief 'Nkuni is suffering, or the sickness from which 'Mtatu and the other five chiefs died?" "Yes," answered Sekosini and the answer in nowise surprised Dick; "I know all.
Beside Sekosini stood Ingona, apparently impassive, but his quick, irregular breathing betrayed the fact that he was labouring under a considerable amount of excitement.
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