the ivory child-第46章

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she　was　the　wife　of　one　of　you。　But　if　we　swear　this；　you　on　your　part

must　also　swear　that　you　will　stay　with　us　till　the　end　of　the　war；

making　our　cause　your　cause　and；　if　need　be；　giving　your　lives　for　us

in　battle。　You　must　swear　further　that　none　of　you　will　attempt　to　see

or　to　take　hence　that　lady　who　is　named　Guardian　of　the　Child　until　we

hand　her　over　to　you　unharmed。　If　you　will　not　swear　these　things；

then　since　no　blood　may　be　shed　in　this　holy　place；　here　we　will　ring

you　round　until　you　die　of　hunger　and　of　thirst；　or　if　you　escape　from

this　temple；　then　we　will　fall　upon　you　and　put　you　to　death　and　fight

our　own　battle　with　Jana　as　best　we　may。〃



〃And　if　we　make　these　promises　how　are　we　to　know　that　you　will　keep

yours？〃　I　interrupted。



〃Because　the　oath　that　we　shall　give　you　will　be　the　oath　of　the　Child

that　may　not　be　broken。〃



〃Then　give　it；〃　I　said；　for　although　I　did　not　altogether　like　the

security；　obviously　it　was　the　best　to　be　had。



So　very　solemnly　they　laid　their　right　hands　upon　the　altar　and　〃in

the　presence　of　the　Child　and　the　name　of　the　Child　and　of　all　the

White　Kendah　people；〃　repeated　after　Har？t　a　most　solemn　oath　of　which

I　have　already　given　the　substance。　It　called　down　on　their　heads　a

very　dreadful　doom　in　this　world　and　the　next；　should　it　be　broken

either　in　the　spirit　or　the　letter；　the　said　oath；　however；　to　be　only

binding　if　we；　on　our　part；　swore　to　observe　their　terms　and　kept　our

engagement　also　in　the　spirit　and　the　letter。



Then　they　asked　us　to　fulfil　our　share　of　the　pact　and　very

considerately　drew　out　of　hearing　while　we　discussed　the　matter；

Har？t；　the　only　one　of　them　who　understood　a　word　of　English；　retiring

behind　the　sanctuary。　At　first　I　had　difficulties　with　Ragnall；　who

was　most　unwilling　to　bind　himself　in　any　way。　In　the　end；　on　my

pointing　out　that　nothing　less　than　our　lives　were　involved　and

probably　that　of　his　wife　as　well；　also　that　no　other　course　was　open

to　us；　he　gave　way；　to　my　great　relief。



Hans　announced　himself　ready　to　swear　anything；　adding　blandly　that

words　mattered　nothing；　as　afterwards　we　could　do　whatever　seemed　best

in　our　own　interests；　whereon　I　read　him　a　short　moral　lecture　on　the

heinousness　of　perjury；　which　did　not　seem　to　impress　him　very　much。



This　matter　settled；　we　called　back　the　priests　and　informed　them　of

our　decision。　Har？t　demanded　that　we　should　affirm　it　〃by　the　Child；〃

which　we　declined　to　do；　saying　that　it　was　our　custom　to　swear　only

in　the　name　of　our　own　God。　Being　a　liberal…minded　man　who　had

travelled；　Har？t　gave　way　on　the　point。　So　I　swore　first　to　the　effect

that　I　would　fight　for　the　White　Kendah　to　the　finish　in　consideration

of　the　promises　that　they　had　made　to　us。　I　added　that　I　would　not

attempt　either　to　see　or　to　interfere　with　the　lady　here　known　as　the

Guardian　of　the　Child　until　the　war　was　over　or　even　to　bring　our

existence　to　her　knowledge；　ending　up；　〃so　help　me　God；〃　as　I　had　done

several　times　when　giving　evidence　in　a　court　of　law。



Next　Ragnall　with　a　great　effort　repeated　my　oath　in　English；　Har？t

listening　carefully　to　every　word　and　once　or　twice　asking　me　to

explain　the　exact　meaning　of　some　of　them。



Lastly　Hans；　who　seemed　very　bored　with　the　whole　affair；　swore；　also

repeating　the　words　after　me　and　finishing　on　his　own　account　with　〃so

help　me　the　reverend　Predikant；　the　Baas's　father；〃　a　form　that　he

utterly　declined　to　vary　although　it　involved　more　explanations。　When

pressed；　indeed；　he　showed　considerable　ingenuity　by　pointing　out　to

the　priests　that　to　his　mind　my　poor　father　stood　in　exactly　the　same

relation　to　the　Power　above　us　as　their　Oracle　did　to　the　Child。　He

offered　generously；　however；　to　throw　in　the　spirits　of　his

grandfather　and　grandmother　and　some　extraordinary　divinity　they

worshipped；　I　think　it　was　a　hare；　as　an　additional　guarantee　of　good

faith。　This　proposal　the　priests　accepted　gravely；　whereon　Hans

whispered　into　my　ear　in　Dutch：



〃Those　fools　do　not　remember　that　when　pressed　by　dogs　the　hare　often

doubles　on　its　own　spoor；　and　that　your　reverend　father　will　be　very

pleased　if　I　can　play　them　the　same　trick　with　the　white　lady　that

they　played　with　the　Lord　Igeza。〃



I　only　looked　at　him　in　reply；　since　the　morality　of　Hans　was　past

argument。　It　might　perhaps　be　summed　up　in　one　sentence：　To　get　the

better　of　his　neighbour　in　his　master's　service；　honestly　if　possible；

if　not；　by　any　means　that　came　to　his　hand　down　to　that　of　murder。　At

the　bottom　of　his　dark　and　mysterious　heart　Hans　worshipped　only　one

god；　named　Love；　not　of　woman　or　child；　but　of　my　humble　self。　His

principles　were　those　of　a　rather　sly　but　very　high…class　and

exclusive　dog；　neither　better　nor　worse。　Still；　when　all　is　said　and

done；　there　are　lower　creatures　in　the　world　than　high…class　dogs。　At

least　so　the　masters　whom　they　adore　are　apt　to　think；　especially　if

their　watchfulness　and　courage　have　often　saved　them　from　death　or

disaster。







CHAPTER　XVIII



THE　EMBASSY



The　ceremonies　were　over　and　the　priests；　with　the　exception　of　Har？t

and　two　who　remained　to　attend　upon　him；　vanished；　probably　to　inform

the　male　and　female　hierophants　of　their　result；　and　through　these　the

whole　people　of　the　White　Kendah。　Old　Har？t　stared　at　us　for　a　little

while；　then　said　in　English；　which　he　always　liked　to　talk　when

Ragnall　was　present；　perhaps　for　the　sake　of　practice：



〃What　you　like　do　now；　eh？　P'r'aps　wish　fly　back　to　Town　of　Child；　for

suppose　this　how　you　come。　If　so；　please　take　me　with　you；　because

that　save　long　ride。〃



〃Oh！　no；〃　I　answered。　〃We　walked　here　through　that　hole　where　lived

the　Father　of　Snakes　who　died　of　fear　when　he　saw　us；　and　just　mixed

with　the　rest　of　you　in　the　court　of　the　temple。〃



〃Good　lie；〃　said　Har？t　admiringly；　〃very　first…class　lie！　Wonder　how

you　kill　great　snake；　which　we　all　think　never　die；　for　he　live　there

hundred；　hundred　years；　our　people　find　him　there　when　first　they　come

to　this　country；　and　make　him　kind　of　god。　Well；　he　nasty　beast　and

best　dead。　I　say；　you　like　see　Child？　If　so；　come；　for　you　our

brothers　now；　only　please　take　off　hat　and　not　speak。



I　intimated　that　we　should　〃like　see　Child；〃　and　led　by　Har？t　we

entered　the　little　sanctuary　which　was　barely　large　enough　to　hold　all

of　us。　In　a　niche　of　the　end　wall　stood　the　sacred　effigy　which

Ragnall　and　I　examined　with　a　kind　of　reverent　interest。　It　proved　to

be　the　statue　of　an　infant　about　two　feet　high；　cut；　I　imagine；　from

the　base　of　a　single　but　very　large　elephant's　tusk；　so　ancient　that

the　yellowish　ivory　had　become　rotten　and　was　covered　with　a　multitude

of　tiny　fissures。　Indeed；　for　its　appearance　I　made　up　my　mind　that

several　thousands　of　years　must　have　passed　since　the　beast　died　from

which　this　ivory　was　taken；　especially　as　it　had；　I　presume；　always

been　carefully　preserved　under　cover。



The　workmanship　of　the　object　was　excellent；　that　of　a　fine　artist

who；　I　should　think；　had　taken　some　living　infant　for　his　model；

perhaps　a　child　of　the　Pharaoh　of　the　day。　Here　I　may　say　at　once　that

there　could　be　no　doubt　of　its　Egyptian　origin；　since　on　one　side　of

the　head　was　a　single　lock　of　hair；　while　the　fourth　finger　of　the

right　hand　was　held　before　the　lips　as　though　to　enjoin　silence。　Both

of　these　peculiarities；　it　will　be　remembered；　are　characteristic　of

the　infant　Horus；　the　child　of　Osiris　and　Isis；　as　portrayed　in

bronzes　and　temple　carvings。　So　at　least　Ragnall；　who　recently　had

studied　many　such　effigies　in　Egypt；　informed　me　later。　There　was

nothing　else　in　the　place　except　an　ancient；　string…seated　chair　of

ebony；　adorned　with　inlaid　ivory　patterns；　an　effigy　of　a　snake　in

porcelain；　showing　that　serpent　worship　was　in　some　way　mixed　up　with

their　religion；　and　two　rolls　of　papyrus；　at　least　that　is　what　they

looked　like；　which　were　laid　in　the　niche　with　the　statue。　These

rolls；　to　my　disappointment；　Har？t　refused　to　allow　us　to　examine　or

even　to　touch。



After　we　had　left　the　sanctuary　I　asked　Har？t　when　this　figure　was

brought　to　their　land。　He　replied　that　it　came　when　they　came；　at　what

date　he　could　not　tell　us　as　it　was　so　long　ago；　and　that　with　it　came

the　worship　and　the　ceremonies　of　their　religion。



In　answer　to　further　questions　he　added　that　this　figure；　which　seemed

to　be　of　ivory；　contained　the　spirits　which　ruled　the　sun　and　the

moon；　and　through　them　the　world。　This；　said　Ragnall；　was　just　a　piece

of　Egyptian　theology；　preserved　down　to　our　own　times　in　a　remote

corner　of　Africa；　doubtless　by　descendants　of　dwellers　on　the　Nile　who

had　been　driven　thence　in　some　national　catastrophe；　and　brought　away

with　them　their　faith　and　one　of　the　effigies　of　their　gods。　Perhaps

they　fled　at　the　time　of　the　Persian　invasion　by　Cambyses。



After　we　had　emerged　from　this　deeply　interesting　shrine；　which　was

locked　behind　us；　Har？t　led　us；　not　through　the　passage　connecting　it

with　the　stone　house　that　we　knew　was　occupied　by　Ragnall's　wife　in

her　capacity　as　Guardian　of　the　Child；　or　a　latter…day　personification

of　Isis；　Lady　of　the　Moon；　at　which　house　he　cast　many　longing

glances；　but　back　through　the　two　courts　and　the　pylon　to　the　gateway

of　the　temple。　Here　on　the　road　by　which　we　had　entered　the　place；　a

fact　which　we　did　not　mention　to　him；　he　paused　and　addressed　us。



〃Lords；〃　he　said；　〃now　you　and　the　People　of　the　White　Kendah　are　one；

your　ends　are　their　ends；　your　fate　is　their　fate；　their　secrets　are

your　secrets。　You；　Lord　Igeza；　work　for　a　reward；　namely　the　person　of

that　lady　whom　we　took　from　you　on　the　Nile。〃



〃How　did　you　do　that？〃　interrupted　Ragnall　when　I　had　interpreted。



〃Lord；　we　watched　you。　We　knew　when　you　came　to　Egypt；　we　followed　you

in　Egypt；　whither　we　had　journeyed　on　our　road　to　England　once　more　to

seek　our　Oracles；　till　the　day　of　our　opportunity　dawned。　Then　at

night　we　called　her　and　she　obeyed　the　call；　as　she　must　do　whose　mind

we　have　taken　awayask　me　not　howand　brought　her　to　dwell　with　us；

she　who　is　marked　from　her　birth　with　the　holy　sign　and　wears　upon　her

breast　certain　charmed　stones　and　a　symbol　that　for　thousands　of　years

have　adorned　the　body　of　the　Child　and　those　of　its　Oracles。　Do　you

remember　a　company　of　Arabs　whom　you　saw　riding　on　the　banks　of　the

Great　River　on　the　day　before　the　night　when　she　was　lost　to　you？　We

were　with　that　company　and　on　our　camels　we　bore　her　thence；　happy　and

unharmed　to　this　our　land；　as　I　trust；　when　all　is　done；　we　shall　bear

her　back　again　and　you　with　her。〃



〃I　trust　so　also；　for　you　have　wrought　me　a　great　wrong；〃　said　Ragnall

briefly；　〃perhaps　a　greater　wrong　than　I　know　at　present；　for　how　came

it　that　my　boy　was　killed　by　an　elephant？〃



〃Ask　that　question　of　Jana　and　not　of　me；〃　Har？t　answered