the ivory child-第56章

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begun。〃



〃I　do　not　understand；　Lady　Ragnall。〃



〃Nor　do　I；　but　listen。　You　know　that　of　anything　which　happened　during

those　months　I　have　no　memory　at　all；　except　of　that　one　dream　when　I

seemed　to　see　George　and　Savage　in　the　hut。　I　remember　my　baby　being

killed　by　that　horrible　circus　elephant；　just　as　the　Ivory　Child　was

killed　or　rather　destroyed　by　Jana；　which　I　suppose　is　another　of　your

coincidences；　Mr。　Quatermain。　After　that　I　remember　nothing　until　I

woke　up　and　saw　George　standing　in　front　of　me　covered　with　blood；　and

you；　and　Jana　dead；　and　the　rest。〃



〃Because　during　that　time　your　mind　was　gone；　Lady　Ragnall。〃



〃Yes；　but　where　had　it　gone？　I　tell　you；　Mr。　Quatermain；　that　although

I　remember　nothing　of　what　was　passing　about　me　then；　I　do　remember　a

great　deal　of　what　seemed　to　be　passing　either　long　ago　or　in　some

time　to　come；　though　I　have　said　nothing　of　it　to　George；　as　I　hope

you　will　not　either。　It　might　upset　him。〃



〃What　do　you　remember？〃　I　asked。



〃That's　the　trouble；　I　can't　tell　you。　What　was　once　very　clear　to　me

has　for　the　most　part　become　vague　and　formless。　When　my　mind　tries　to

grasp　it；　it　slips　away。　It　was　another　life　to　this；　quite　a

different　life；　and　there　was　a　great　story　in　it　of　which　I　think

what　we　have　been　going　through　is　either　a　sequel　or　a　prologue。　I

see；　or　saw；　cities　and　temples　with　people　moving　about　them；　George

and　you　among　them；　also　that　old　priest；　Har？t。　You　will　laugh；　but

my　recollection　is　that　you　stood　in　some　relationship　to　me；　either

that　of　father　or　brother。〃



〃Or　perhaps　a　cousin；〃　I　suggested。



〃Or　perhaps　a　cousin；〃　she　repeated；　smiling；　〃or　a　great　friend；　at

any　rate　something　very　intimate。　As　for　George；　I　don't　know　what　he

was；　or　Har？t　either。　But　the　odd　thing　is　that　little　yellow　man；

Hans；　whom　I　only　saw　once　living　for　a　few　minutes　that　I　can

remember；　comes　more　clearly　back　to　my　mind　than　any　of　you。　He　was　a

dwarf；　much　stouter　than　when　I　saw　him　the　other　day；　but　very　like。

I　recall　him　curiously　dressed　with　feathers　and　holding　an　ivory　rod；

seated　upon　a　stool　at　the　feet　of　a　great　personagea　king；　I　think。

The　king　asked　him　questions；　and　everyone　listened　to　his　answers。

That　is　all；　except　that　the　scenes　seemed　to　be　flooded　with

sunlight。〃



〃Which　is　more　than　this　place　is。　I　think　we　had　better　be　moving；

Lady　Ragnall；　or　you　will　catch　a　chill　under　these　damp　cedars。〃



I　said　this　because　I　did　not　wish　to　pursue　the　conversation。　I

considered　it　too　exciting　under　all　her　circumstances；　especially　as

I　perceived　that　mystical　look　gathering　on　her　face　and　in　her

beautiful　eyes；　which　I　remembered　noting　before　she　was　married。



She　read　my　thoughts　and　answered　with　a　laugh：



〃Yes；　it　is　damp；　but　you　know　I　am　very　strong　and　damp　will　not　hurt

me。　For　the　rest　you　need　not　be　afraid；　Mr。　Quatermain。　I　did　not

lose　my　mind。　It　was　taken　from　me　by　some　power　and　sent　to　live

elsewhere。　Now　it　has　been　given　back　and　I　do　not　think　it　will　be

taken　again　in　that　way。〃



〃Of　course　it　won't；〃　I　exclaimed　confidently。　〃Whoever　dreamed　of

such　a　thing？〃



〃/You/　did；〃　she　answered；　looking　me　in　the　eyes。　〃Now　before　we　go　I

want　to　say　one　more　thing。　Har？t　and　the　head　priestess　have　made　me

a　present。　They　have　given　me　a　box　full　of　that　herb　they　called

tobacco；　but　of　which　I　have　discovered　the　real　name　is　Taduki。　It　is

the　same　that　they　burned　in　the　bowl　when　you　and　I　saw　visions　at

Ragnall　Castle；　which　visions；　Mr。　Quatermain；　by　another　of　your

coincidences；　have　since　been　translated　into　facts。〃



〃I　know。　We　saw　you　breathe　that　smoke　again　as　priestess　when　you

uttered　the　prophecy　as　Oracle　of　the　Child　at　the　Feast　of　the　First…

fruits。　But　what　are　you　going　to　do　with　this　stuff；　Lady　Ragnall？　I

think　you　have　had　enough　of　visions　just　at　present。〃



〃So　do　I；　though　to　tell　you　the　truth　I　like　them。　I　am　going　to　keep

it　and　do　nothingas　yet。　Still；　I　want　you　always　to　remember　one

thingdon't　laugh　at　me〃here　again　she　looked　me　in　the　eyes〃that

there　is　a　time　coming；　some　way　off　I　think；　when　I　and　youno　one

else；　Mr。　Quatermainwill　breathe　that　smoke　again　together　and　see

strange　things。〃



〃No；　no！〃　I　replied；　〃I　have　given　up　tobacco　of　the　Kendah　variety；

it　is　too　strong　for　me。〃



〃Yes；　yes！〃　she　said；　〃for　something　that　is　stronger　than　the　Kendah

tobacco　will　make　you　do　itwhen　I　wish。〃



〃Did　Har？t　tell　you　that；　Lady　Ragnall？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　she　answered　confusedly。　〃I　think　the　Ivory　Child　told

me；　it　used　to　talk　to　me　often。　You　know　that　Child　isn't　really

destroyed。　Like　my　reason　that　seemed　to　be　lost；　it　has　only　gone

backwards　or　forwards　where　you　and　I　shall　see　it　again。　You　and　I

and　no　othersunless　it　be　the　little　yellow　man。　I　repeat　that　I　do

not　know　when　that　will　be。　Perhaps　it　is　written　in　those　rolls　of

papyrus；　which　they　have　given　me　also；　because　they　said　they

belonged　to　me　who　am　'the　first　priestess　and　the　last。'　They　told

me；　however；　or　perhaps；〃　she　added；　passing　her　hand　across　her

forehead；　〃it　was　the　Child　who　told　me；　that　I　was　not　to　attempt　to

read　them　or　have　them　read；　until　after　a　great　change　in　my　life。

What　the　change　will　be　I　do　not　know。〃



〃And　had　better　not　inquire；　Lady　Ragnall；　since　in　this　world　most

changes　are　for　the　worse。〃



〃I　agree；　and　shall　not　inquire。　Now　I　have　spoken　to　you　like　this

because　I　felt　that　I　must　do　so。　Also　I　want　to　thank　you　for　all　you

have　done　for　me　and　George。　Probably　we　shall　not　talk　in　such　a　way

again；　as　I　am　situated　the　opportunity　will　be　lacking；　even　if　the

wish　is　present。　So　once　more　I　thank　you　from　my　heart。　Until　we　meet

againI　mean　really　meetgood…bye；〃　and　she　held　her　right　hand　to

me　in　such　a　fashion　that　I　knew　she　meant　me　to　kiss　it。



This　I　did　very　reverently　and　we　walked　back　to　the　temple　almost　in

silence。







That　month　of　rest；　or　rather　the　last　three　weeks　of　it；　since　for

the　first　few　days　after　the　battle　I　was　quite　prostrate；　I　occupied

in　various　ways；　amongst　others　in　a　journey　with　Har？t　to　Simba　Town。

This　we　made　after　our　spies　had　assured　us　that　the　Black　Kendah　were

really　gone　somewhere　to　the　south…west；　in　which　direction　fertile

and　unoccupied　lands　were　said　to　exist　about　three　hundred　miles

away。　It　was　with　very　strange　feelings　that　I　retraced　our　road　and

looked　once　more　upon　that　wind…bent　tree　still　scored　with　the　marks

of　Jana's　huge　tusk；　in　the　boughs　of　which　Hans　and　I　had　taken

refuge　from　the　monster's　fury。　Crossing　the　river；　quite　low　now；　I

travelled　up　the　slope　down　which　we　raced　for　our　lives　and　came　to

the　melancholy　lake　and　the　cemetery　of　dead　elephants。



Here　all　was　unchanged。　There　was　the　little　mount　worn　by　his　feet；

on　which　Jana　was　wont　to　stand。　There　were　the　rocks　behind　which　I

had　tried　to　hide；　and　near　to　them　some　crushed　human　bones　which　I

knew　to　be　those　of　the　unfortunate　Mar？t。　These　we　buried　with　due

reverence　on　the　spot　where　he　had　fallen；　I　meanwhile　thanking　God

that　my　own　bones　were　not　being　interred　at　their　side；　as　but　for

Hans　would　have　been　the　caseif　they　were　ever　interred　at　all。　All

about　lay　the　skeletons　of　dead　elephants；　and　from　among　these　we

collected　as　much　of　the　best　ivory　as　we　could　carry；　namely　about

fifty　camel　loads。　Of　course　there　was　much　more；　but　a　great　deal　of

the　stuff　had　been　exposed　for　so　long　to　sun　and　weather　that　it　was

almost　worthless。



Having　sent　this　ivory　back　to　the　Town　of　the　Child；　which　was　being

rebuilt　after　a　fashion；　we　went　on　to　Simba　Town　through　the　forest；

dispatching　pickets　ahead　of　us　to　search　and　make　sure　that　it　was

empty。　Empty　it　was　indeed；　never　did　I　see　such　a　place　of

desolation。



The　Black　Kendah　had　left　it　just　as　it　stood；　except　for　a　pile　of

corpses　which　lay　around　and　over　the　altar　in　the　market…place；　where

the　three　poor　camelmen　were　sacrificed　to　Jana；　doubtless　those　of

wounded　men　who　had　died　during　or　after　the　retreat。　The　doors　of　the

houses　stood　open；　many　domestic　articles；　such　as　great　jars

resembling　that　which　had　been　set　over　the　head　of　the　dead　man　whom

we　were　commanded　to　restore　life；　and　other　furniture　lay　about

because　they　could　not　be　carried　away。　So　did　a　great　quantity　of

spears　and　various　weapons　of　war；　whose　owners　being　killed　would

never　want　them　again。　Except　a　few　starved　dogs　and　jackals　no　living

creature　remained　in　the　town。　It　was　in　its　own　way　as　waste　and　even

more　impressive　than　the　graveyard　of　elephants　by　the　lonely　lake。



〃The　curse　of　the　Child　worked　well；〃　said　Har？t　to　me　grimly。　〃First；

the　storm；　the　hunger；　then　the　battle；　and　now　the　misery　of　flight

and　ruin。〃



〃It　seems　so；〃　I　answered。　〃Yet　that　curse；　like　others；　came　back　to

roost；　for　if　Jana　is　dead　and　his　people　fled；　where　are　the　Child

and　many　of　its　people？　What　will　you　do　without　your　god；　Har？t？〃



〃Repent　us　of　our　sins　and　wait　till　the　Heavens　send　us　another；　as

doubtless　they　will　in　their　own　season；〃　he　replied　very　sadly。



I　wonder　whether　they　ever　did　and；　if　so；　what　form　that　new　divinity

put　on。



I　slept；　or　rather　did　not　sleep；　that　night　in　the　same　guest…house

in　which　Mar？t　and　I　had　been　imprisoned　during　our　dreadful　days　of

fear；　reconstructing　in　my　mind　every　event　connected　with　them。　Once

more　I　saw　the　fires　of　sacrifice　flaring　upon　the　altar　and　heard　the

roar　of　the　dancing　hail　that　proclaimed　the　ruin　of　the　Black　Kendah

as　loudly　as　the　trumpet　of　a　destroying　angel。　Very　glad　was　I　when

the　morning　came　at　length　and；　having　looked　my　last　upon　Simba　Town；

I　crossed　the　moats　and　set　out　homewards　through　the　forest　whereof

the　stripped　boughs　also　spoke　of　death；　though　in　the　spring　these

would　grow　green　again。



Ten　days　later　we　started　from　the　Holy　Mount；　a　caravan　of　about　a

hundred　camels；　of　which　fifty　were　laden　with　the　ivory　and　the　rest

ridden　by　our　escort　under　the　command　of　Har？t　and　our　three　selves。

But　there　was　an　evil　fate　upon　this　ivory；　as　on　everything　else　that

had　to　do　with　Jana。　Some　weeks　later　in　the　desert　a　great　sandstorm

overtook　us　in　which　we　barely　escaped　with　our　lives。　At　the　height

of　the　storm　the　ivory…laden　camels　broke　loose；　flying　before　it。

Probably　they　fell　and　were　buried　beneath　the　sand；　at　any　rate　of

the　fifty　we　only　recovered　ten。



Ragnall　wished　to　pay　me　the　value　of　the　remaining　loads；　which　ran

into　thousands　of　pounds；　but　I　would　not　take　the　money；　saying　it

was　outside　our　bargain。　Sometimes　since　then　I　have　thought　that　I

was　foolish；　especially　when　on　glancing　at　that　codicil　to　his　will

in　after　days；　the　same　which　he　had　given　me　before　the　battle；　I

found