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Updated: June 9, 2025
"Be silent, daughter," said the King; "and you, O Zikali, the Nyanga, be silent also." They obeyed, and, after thinking awhile, Panda made a motion with his hand, whereon the two councillors lifted the kaross from off Mameena, who looked about her calmly and asked if she were taking part in some child's game.
Yet for companion you give me only an ugly piece of ivory shaped as no man ever was," here I got one back at Zikali, "and from the look of it, steeped in blood, which ivory, if I had my way, I would throw into the camp fire. Who, then, am I to take with me?"
From the moment I heard this cunning appeal, I know what the end would be; all the rest was but of minor and semi-personal interest. I knew also for the first time how truly great was Zikali and wondered what he might have become had Fortune set him in different circumstances among a civilized people. Now he was speaking again, and quickly before the impression died away.
"Why do you wear that pretty likeness of the Great One yonder over your heart, as I have known you do with things that belonged to women in past days, Baas? Do you know that it is Zikali's Great Medicine, nothing less, as everyone does throughout the land? When Zikali sends an order far away, he always sends that image with it, for then he who receives the order knows that he must obey or die.
As it was, I was sure that you would not pierce the heart of one who might be a certain white woman, sure also that you would not pierce my heart whose death might bring about her death and that of another." "You are very subtle, Zikali," I said in astonishment. "So you hold because I am very simple, who understand the spirit of man and some other things.
"What do you see up there, Macumazahn, that you stare so hard?" he asked, pointing at the sky with his stick. "Impis fighting," I answered briefly. "Then you must be a 'heaven-doctor, Macumazahn, for I only see black and red clouds. Well, it is time to go to learn whether or no the impis will fight, for Zikali awaits us and the Council has started already.
These, so far as I could see, consisted of some withered roots, a small piece of human thigh bone, such as might have come from the skeleton of an infant, that had a little stopper of wood in its orifice, and what I took to be the fang of a snake. Panda looked at them and shrank away, saying: "Come hither, Zikali the Old, you who are skilled in magic, and tell us what is this medicine."
Then he wronged me" here Zikali took up the skull which he said was that of his daughter, and stroked it "and I left him. "He was not wise, he should have killed one whom he had wronged, but perhaps he knew that I could not be killed; perhaps he had tried and found that he was but throwing spears at the moon which fell back on his own head. I forget. It is so long ago, and what does it matter?
These questions, he said, did not interest him; I had wished to see the magic of Zikali, and Zikali had been pleased to show me some very good magic, quite of his best indeed. Also he had conversed alone with me afterwards, doubtless on high matters so high that he, Saduko, was not admitted to share the conversation which was an honour he accorded to very few.
The darkness won; no, the light broke out again and conquered it. And see, there above them both squatted a strange black presence crowned with fire. It might have been that of Zikali magnified ten thousand times, and hark! it laughed with the low reverberating voice of distant thunder. Suddenly I felt that I was no longer alone and looking round, saw Goza at my side.
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