the red one-第3章

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had　Ngurn　informed　him；　was　the　Red　One　more　bestial　powerful　than

the　neighbour　tribal　gods；　ever　athirst　for　the　red　blood　of　living

human　sacrifices；　but　the　neighbour　gods　themselves　were　sacrificed

and　tormented　before　him。　　He　was　the　god　of　a　dozen　allied

villages　similar　to　this　one；　which　was　the　central　and　commanding

village　of　the　federation。　　By　virtue　of　the　Red　One　many　alien

villages　had　been　devastated　and　even　wiped　out；　the　prisoners

sacrificed　to　the　Red　One。　　This　was　true　to…day；　and　it　extended

back　into　old　history　carried　down　by　word　of　mouth　through　the

generations。　　When　he；　Ngurn；　had　been　a　young　man；　the　tribes

beyond　the　grass　lands　had　made　a　war　raid。　　In　the　counter　raid；

Ngurn　and　his　fighting　folk　had　made　many　prisoners。　　Of　children

alone　over　five　score　living　had　been　bled　white　before　the　Red

One；　and　many；　many　more　men　and　women。



The　Thunderer　was　another　of　Ngurn's　names　for　the　mysterious

deity。　　Also　at　times　was　he　called　The　Loud　Shouter；　The　God…

Voiced；　The　Bird…Throated；　The　One　with　the　Throat　Sweet　as　the

Throat　of　the　Honey…Bird；　The　Sun　Singer；　and　The　Star…Born。



Why　The　Star…Born？　　In　vain　Bassett　interrogated　Ngurn。　　According

to　that　old　devil…devil　doctor；　the　Red　One　had　always　been；　just

where　he　was　at　present；　for　ever　singing　and　thundering　his　will

over　men。　　But　Ngurn's　father；　wrapped　in　decaying　grass…matting

and　hanging　even　then　over　their　heads　among　the　smoky　rafters　of

the　devil…devil　house；　had　held　otherwise。　　That　departed　wise　one

had　believed　that　the　Red　One　came　from　out　of　the　starry　night；

else　why　…　so　his　argument　had　run　…　had　the　old　and　forgotten　ones

passed　his　name　down　as　the　Star…Born？　　Bassett　could　not　but

recognize　something　cogent　in　such　argument。　　But　Ngurn　affirmed

the　long　years　of　his　long　life；　wherein　he　had　gazed　upon　many

starry　nights；　yet　never　had　he　found　a　star　on　grass　land　or　in

jungle　depth　…　and　he　had　looked　for　them。　　True；　he　had　beheld

shooting　stars　（this　in　reply　to　Bassett's　contention）；　but

likewise　had　he　beheld　the　phosphorescence　of　fungoid　growths　and

rotten　meat　and　fireflies　on　dark　nights；　and　the　flames　of　wood…

fires　and　of　blazing　candle…nuts；　yet　what　were　flame　and　blaze　and

glow　when　they　had　flamed　and　blazed　and　glowed？　　Answer：

memories；　memories　only；　of　things　which　had　ceased　to　be；　like

memories　of　matings　accomplished；　of　feasts　forgotten；　of　desires

that　were　the　ghosts　of　desires；　flaring；　flaming；　burning；　yet

unrealized　in　achievement　of　easement　and　satisfaction。　　Where　was

the　appetite　of　yesterday？　the　roasted　flesh　of　the　wild　pig　the

hunter's　arrow　failed　to　slay？　the　maid；　unwed　and　dead　ere　the

young　man　knew　her？



A　memory　was　not　a　star；　was　Ngurn's　contention。　　How　could　a

memory　be　a　star？　　Further；　after　all　his　long　life　he　still

observed　the　starry　night…sky　unaltered。　　Never　had　he　noted　the

absence　of　a　single　star　from　its　accustomed　place。　　Besides；　stars

were　fire；　and　the　Red　One　was　not　fire　…　which　last　involuntary

betrayal　told　Bassett　nothing。



〃Will　the　Red　One　speak　to…morrow？〃　he　queried。



Ngurn　shrugged　his　shoulders　as　who　should　say。



〃And　the　day　after？　…　and　the　day　after　that？〃　Bassett　persisted。



〃I　would　like　to　have　the　curing　of　your　head；〃　Ngurn　changed　the

subject。　　〃It　is　different　from　any　other　head。　　No　devil…devil　has

a　head　like　it。　　Besides；　I　would　cure　it　well。　　I　would　take

months　and　months。　　The　moons　would　come　and　the　moons　would　go；

and　the　smoke　would　be　very　slow；　and　I　should　myself　gather　the

materials　for　the　curing　smoke。　　The　skin　would　not　wrinkle。　　It

would　be　as　smooth　as　your　skin　now。〃



He　stood　up；　and　from　the　dim　rafters；　grimed　with　the　smoking　of

countless　heads；　where　day　was　no　more　than　a　gloom；　took　down　a

matting…wrapped　parcel　and　began　to　open　it。



〃It　is　a　head　like　yours；〃　he　said；　〃but　it　is　poorly　cured。〃



Bassett　had　pricked　up　his　ears　at　the　suggestion　that　it　was　a

white　man's　head；　for　he　had　long　since　come　to　accept　that　these

jungle…dwellers；　in　the　midmost　centre　of　the　great　island；　had

never　had　intercourse　with　white　men。　　Certainly　he　had　found　them

without　the　almost　universal　beche…de…mer　English　of　the　west　South

Pacific。　　Nor　had　they　knowledge　of　tobacco；　nor　of　gunpowder。

Their　few　precious　knives；　made　from　lengths　of　hoop…iron；　and

their　few　and　more　precious　tomahawks　from　cheap　trade　hatchets；　he

had　surmised　they　had　captured　in　war　from　the　bushmen　of　the

jungle　beyond　the　grass　lands；　and　that　they；　in　turn；　had

similarly　gained　them　from　the　salt…water　men　who　fringed　the　coral

beaches　of　the　shore　and　had　contact　with　the　occasional　white　men。



〃The　folk　in　the　out　beyond　do　not　know　how　to　cure　heads；〃　old

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　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　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　m