the red one(红色的那人)-第4章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Ngurn explained； as he drew forth from the filthy matting and placed in
Bassett's hands an indubitable white man's head。
Ancient it was beyond question； white it was as the blond hair attested。
He could have sworn it once belonged to an Englishman； and to an
Englishman of long before by token of the heavy gold circlets still
threaded in the withered ear…lobes。
〃Now your head 。 。 。 〃 the devil…devil doctor began on his favourite
topic。
〃I'll tell you what；〃 Bassett interrupted； struck by a new idea。 〃When I
die I'll let you have my head to cure； if； first； you take me to look upon the
Red One。〃
〃I will have your head anyway when you are dead；〃 Ngurn rejected the
proposition。 He added； with the brutal frankness of the savage：
〃Besides； you have not long to live。 You are almost a dead man now。
You will grow less strong。 In not many months I shall have you here
turning and turning in the smoke。 It is pleasant； through the long
afternoons； to turn the head of one you have known as well as I know you。
And I shall talk to you and tell you the many secrets you want to know。
Which will not matter； for you will be dead。〃
〃Ngurn；〃 Bassett threatened in sudden anger。 〃You know the Baby
Thunder in the Iron that is mine。〃 （This was in reference to his all…potent
and all…awful shotgun。） 〃I can kill you any time； and then you will not
get my head。〃
〃Just the same； will Vngngn； or some one else of my folk get it；〃
Ngurn complacently assured him。 〃And just the same will it turn here in
the and turn devil…devil house in the smoke。 The quicker you slay me
13
… Page 14…
THE RED ONE
with your Baby Thunder； the quicker will your head turn in the smoke。〃
And Bassett knew he was beaten in the discussion。
What was the Red One？ … Bassett asked himself a thousand times in
the succeeding week； while he seemed to grow stronger。 What was the
source of the wonderful sound？ What was this Sun Singer； this Star…Born
One； this mysterious deity； as bestial…conducted as the black and kinky…
headed and monkey…like human beasts who worshipped it； and whose
silver…sweet； bull…mouthed singing and commanding he had heard at the
taboo distance for so long？
Ngurn had he failed to bribe with the inevitable curing of his head
when he was dead。 Vngngn； imbecile and chief that he was； was too
imbecilic； too much under the sway of Ngurn； to be considered。 Remained
Balatta； who； from the time she found him and poked his blue eyes open to
recrudescence of her grotesque female hideousness； had continued his
adorer。 Woman she was； and he had long known that the only way to win
from her treason of her tribe was through the woman's heart of her。
Bassett was a fastidious man。 He had never recovered from the
initial horror caused by Balatta's female awfulness。 Back in England；
even at best the charm of woman； to him； had never been robust。 Yet
now； resolutely； as only a man can do who is capable of martyring himself
for the cause of science； he proceeded to violate all the fineness and
delicacy of his nature by making love to the unthinkably disgusting
bushwoman。
He shuddered； but with averted face hid his grimaces and swallowed
his gorge as he put his arm around her dirt…crusted shoulders and felt the
contact of her rancidoily and kinky hair with his neck and chin。 But he
nearly screamed when she succumbed to that caress so at the very first of
the courtship and mowed and gibbered and squealed little； queer； pig…like
gurgly noises of delight。 It was too much。 And the next he did in the
singular courtship was to take her down to the stream and give her a
vigorous scrubbing。
From then on he devoted himself to her like a true swain as frequently
and for as long at a time as his will could override his repugnance。 But
marriage； which she ardently suggested； with due observance of tribal
14
… Page 15…
THE RED ONE
custom； he balked at。 Fortunately； taboo rule was strong in the tribe。
Thus； Ngurn could never touch bone； or flesh； or hide of crocodile。 This
had been ordained at his birth。 Vngngn was denied ever the touch of
woman。 Such pollution； did it chance to occur； could be purged only by
the death of the offending female。 It had happened once； since Bassett's
arrival； when a girl of nine； running in play； stumbled and fell against the
sacred chief。 And the girl…child was seen no more。 In whispers； Balatta
told Bassett that she had been three days and nights in dying before the
Red One。 As for Balatta； the breadfruit was taboo to her。 For which
Bassett was thankful。 The taboo might have been water。
For himself； he fabricated a special taboo。 Only could he marry； he
explained； when the Southern Cross rode highest in the sky。 Knowing his
astronomy； he thus gained a reprieve of nearly nine months； and he was
confident that within that time he would either be dead or escaped to the
coast with full knowledge of the Red One and of the source of the Red
One's wonderful voice。 At first he had fancied the Red One to be some
colossal statue； like Memnon； rendered vocal under certain temperature
conditions of sunlight。 But when； after a war raid； a batch of prisoners was
brought in and the sacrifice made at night； in the midst of rain； when the
sun could play no part； the Red One had been more vocal than usual；
Bassett discarded that hypothesis。
In company with Balatta； sometimes with men and parties of women；
the freedom of the jungle was his for three quadrants of the compass。
But the fourth quadrant； which contained the Red One's abiding place； was
taboo。 He made more thorough love to Balatta … also saw to it that she
scrubbed herself more frequently。 Eternal female she was； capable of
any treason for the sake of love。 And； though the sight of her was
provocative of nausea and the contact of her provocative of despair；
although he could not escape her awfulness in his dream…haunted
nightmares of her； he nevertheless was aware of the cosmic verity of sex
that animated her and that made her own life of less value than the
happiness of her lover with whom she hoped to mate。 Juliet or Balatta？
Where was the intrinsic difference？ The soft and tender product of ultra…
civilization； or her bestial prototype of a hundred thousand years before
15
… Page 16…
THE RED ONE
her？ … there was no difference。
Bassett was a scientist first； a humanist afterward。 In the jungle…heart
of Guadalcanal he put the affair to the test； as in the laboratory he would
have put to the test any chemical reaction。 He increased his feigned ardour
for the bushwoman； at the same time increasing the imperiousness of his
will of desire over her to be led to look upon the Red One face to face。 It
was the old story； he recognized； that the woman must pay； and it occurred
when the two of them； one day； were catching the unclassified and
unnamed little black fish； an inch long； half…eel and half…scaled； rotund
with salmon…golden roe； that frequented the fresh water； and that were
esteemed； raw and whole； fresh or putrid； a perfect delicacy。 Prone in the
muck of the decaying jungle…floor； Balatta threw herself； clutching his
ankles with her hands kissing his feet and making slubbery noises that
chilled his backbone up and down again。 She begged him to kill her rather
than exact this ultimate love… payment。 She told him of the penalty of
breaking the taboo of the Red One … a week of torture； living； the details of
which she yammered out from her face in the mire until he realized that he
was yet a tyro in knowledge of the frightfulness the human was capable of
wreaking on the human。
Yet did Bassett insist on having his man's will satisfied； at the woman's
risk； that he might solve the mystery of the Red One's singing； though she
should die long and horribly and screaming。 And Balatta； being mere
woman； yielded。 She led him into the forbidden quadrant。 An abrupt
mountain； shouldering in from the north to meet a similar intrusion from
the south； tormented the stream in which they had fished into a deep and
gloomy gorge。 After a mile along the gorge； the way plunged sharply
upward until they crossed a saddle of raw limestone which attracted his
geologist's eye。 Still climbing； although he paused often from sheer
physical weakness； they scaled forest…clad heights until they emerged on a
naked mesa or tableland。 Bassett recognized the stuff of its composition
as black volcanic sand； and knew that a pocket magnet could have
captured a full load of the sharply angular grains he trod upon。
And then holding Balatta by the hand and leading her onward； he came
to it … a tremendous pit； obviously artificial； in the heart of the plateau。
16
… Page 17…
THE RED ONE
Old history； the South Seas Sailing Directions； scores of remembered data
and connotations swift and furious； surged through his brain。 It was
Mendana who had discovered the islands and named them Solomon's；
believing that he had found
