the yellow god-第34章

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that　from　time　to　time　he　was　talking　with　Barbara；　which　even　then　he
knew　must　be　absurd；　for　how　could　they　talk　across　thousands　of　miles
of　land　and　sea。

At　length　his　mind　cleared　suddenly；　and　he　awoke　as　from　a　nightmare
to　find　himself　lying　in　the　hall　or　room　where　he　had　always　been；
feeling　quite　cool　and　without　pain；　but　so　weak　that　it　was　an　effort
to　him　to　lift　his　hand。　He　stared　about　him　and　was　astonished　to　see
the　white　head　of　Jeekie　rolling　uneasily　to　and　fro　upon　the　cushions
of　another　bed　near　by。

〃Jeekie；〃　he　said；　〃are　you　ill　too；　Jeekie？〃

At　the　sound　of　that　voice　his　retainer　started　up　violently。

〃What；　Major；　you　awake？〃　he　said。　〃Thanks　be　to　all　gods；　white　and
black；　yes；　and　yellow　too；　for　I　thought　your　goose　cooked。　No；　no；
Major；　I　not　ill；　only　Asika　say　so。　You　go　to　bed；　so　she　make　me　go
to　bed。　You　get　worse；　she　treat　me　cruel；　you　seem　better；　she　stuff
me　with　food　till　I　burst。　All　because　you　tell　her　that　you　and　I　die
same　day。　Oh；　Lord！　poor　Jeekie　think　his　end　very　near　just　now；　for
he　know　quite　well　that　she　not　let　him　breathe　ten　minutes　after　you
peg　out。　Jeekie　never　pray　so　hard　for　anyone　before　as　he　pray　this
week　for　you；　and　by　Jingo！　I　think　he　do　the　trick；　he　and　that
medicine　stuff　which　make　him　feel　very　bad　in　stomach；〃　and　he
groaned　under　the　weight　of　his　many　miseries。

Weak　as　he　was　Alan　began　to　laugh；　and　that　laugh　seemed　to　do　him
more　good　than　anything　that　he　could　remember；　for　after　it　he　was
sure　that　he　would　recover。

Just　then　an　agonized　whisper　reached　him　from　Jeekie。

〃Look　out！〃　it　said；　〃here　come　Asika。　Go　sleep　and　seem　better；
Major；　please；　or　I　catch　it　hot。〃

So　Alan　almost　shut　his　eyes　and　lay　still。　In　another　moment　she　was
standing　over　him　and　he　noticed　that　her　hair　was　dishevelled　and　her
eyes　were　red　as　though　with　weeping。　She　scanned　him　intently　for　a
little　while；　then　passed　round　to　where　Jeekie　lay　and　appeared　to
pinch　his　ear　so　hard　that　he　wriggled　and　uttered　a　stifled　groan。

〃How　is　your　lord；　dog？〃　she　whispered。

〃Better；　O　Asika；　I　think　that　last　medicine　do　us　good；　though　it
make　me　very　sick　inside。　Just　now　he　spoke　to　me　and　said　that　he
hoped　that　your　heart　was　not　sad　because　of　him　and　that　all　this
time　in　his　dreams　he　had　seen　and　thought　of　nobody　but　you；　O
Asika。〃

〃Did　he？〃　asked　that　lady；　becoming　intensely　interested。　〃Then　tell
me；　dog；　why　is　he　ever　calling　upon　one　Bar…bar…a？　Surely　that　is　a
woman's　name？〃

〃Yes；　O　Asika；　that　is　the　name　of　his　mother；　also　of　one　of　his
sisters；　whom；　after　you；　he　loves　best　of　anyone　in　the　whole　world。
When　you　are　here　he　talks　of　them；　but　when　you　are　not　here　he　talks
of　no　one　but　you。　Although　he　is　so　sick　he　remembers　white　man's
custom；　which　tells　him　that　it　is　very　wrong　to　say　sweet　things　to
lady's　face　till　he　is　quite　married　to　her。　After　that　they　say　them
always。〃

She　looked　at　him　suspiciously　and　muttering；　〃Here　it　is　otherwise。
For　your　own　sake；　man；　I　trust　that　you　do　not　lie；〃　left　him；　and
drawing　a　stool　up　beside　Alan's　bed；　sat　herself　down　and　examined
him　carefully；　touching　his　face　and　hands　with　her　long　thin　fingers。
Then　noting　how　white　and　wasted　he　was；　of　a　sudden　she　began　to
weep；　saying　between　her　sobs：

〃Oh！　if　you　should　die；　Vernoon；　I　will　die　also　and　be　born　again　not
as　Asika；　as　I　have　been　for　so　many　generations；　but　as　a　white　woman
that　I　may　be　with　you。　Only　first；〃　she　added；　setting　her　teeth；　〃I
will　sacrifice　every　wizard　in　this　land；　for　they　have　brought　the
sickness　on　you　by　their　magic；　and　I　will　burn　Bonsa…town　and　cast
its　gods　to　melt　in　the　flames；　and　the　Mungana　with　them。　And　then
amid　their　ashes　I　will　let　out　my　life；〃　and　again　she　began　to　weep
very　piteously　and　to　call　him　by　endearing　names　and　pray　him　that　he
would　not　die。

Now　Alan　thought　it　time　to　wake　up。　He　opened　his　eyes；　stared　at　her
vacantly；　and　asked　if　it　were　raining；　which　indeed　it　might　have
been；　for　her　big　tears　were　falling　on　his　face。　She　uttered　a　gasp
of　joy。

〃No；　no；〃　she　answered；　〃the　weather　is　very　fine。　It　is　II　who　have
rained　because　I　thought　you　die。〃　She　wiped　his　forehead　with　the
soft　linen　of　her　robe；　then　went　on；　〃But　you　will　not　die；　say　that
you　will　live；　say　that　you　will　live　for　me；　Vernoon。〃

He　looked　at　her；　and　feeble　though　he　was；　the　awfulness　of　the
situation　sank　into　his　soul。

〃I　hope　that　I　shall　live；〃　he　answered。　〃I　am　hungry；　please　give　me
some　food。〃

Next　instant　there　was　a　tumult　near　by；　and　when　Alan　looked　up　again
it　was　to　see　Jeekie；　very　lightly　clad；　flying　through　the　door。

〃It　will　be　here　presently；〃　she　said。　〃Oh！　if　you　knew　what　I　have
suffered；　if　you　only　knew。　Now　you　will　recover　whom　I　thought　dead；
for　this　fever　passes　quickly　and　there　shall　be　such　a　sacrificeno；
I　forgot；　you　hate　sacrificesthere　shall　be　no　sacrifice；　there
shall　be　a　thanksgiving；　and　every　woman　in　the　land　shall　break　her
bonds　to　husband　or　to　lover　and　take　him　whom　she　desires　without
reproach　or　loss。　I　will　do　as　I　would　be　done　by；　that　is　the　law　you
taught　me；　is　it　not？〃

This　novel　interpretation　of　a　sacred　doctrine；　worthy　of　Jeekie
himself；　so　paralyzed　Alan's　enfeebled　brain　that　he　could　make　no
answer；　nor　do　anything　except　wonder　what　would　happen　in　Asiki…land
when　the　decree　of　its　priestess　took　effect。　Then　Jeekie　arrived　with
something　to　drink　which　he　swallowed　with　the　eagerness　of　the
convalescent　and　almost　immediately　went　to　sleep　in　good　earnest。

Alan's　recovery　was　rapid；　since　as　the　Asika　had　told　him；　if　a
patient　lives　through　it；　the　kind　of　fever　that　he　had　taken　did　not
last　long　enough　to　exhaust　his　vital　forces。　When　she　asked　him　if　he
needed　anything　to　make　him　well；　he　answered：

〃Yes；　air　and　exercise。〃

She　replied　that　he　should　have　both；　and　next　morning　his　hated　mask
was　put　upon　his　face　and　he　was　supported　by　priests　to　a　door　where
a　litter；　or　rather　litters　were　waiting；　one　for　himself　and　another
for　Jeekie　who；　although　in　robust　health；　was　still　supposed　to　be
officially　ill　and　not　allowed　to　walk　upon　his　own　legs。　They　entered
these　litters　and　were　borne　off　till　presently　they　met　a　third
litter　of　particularly　gorgeous　design　carried　by　masked　bearers；
wherein　was　the　Asika　herself；　wearing　her　coronet　and　a　splendid
robe。

Into　this　litter；　which　was　fitted　with　a　second　seat；　Alan　was
transferred；　the　Mungana；　for　whom　it　was　designed；　being　placed　in
that　vacated　by　Alan；　which　either　by　accident　or　otherwise；　was　no
more　seen　that　day。　They　went　up　the　mountain　side　and　to　the　edge　of
the　great　fall　and　watched　the　waters　thunder　down；　though　the　crest
of　them　they　could　not　reach。　Next　they　wandered　off　into　the　huge
forests　that　clothed　the　slopes　of　the　hills　and　there　halted　and　ate。
Then　as　the　sun　sank　they　returned　to　the　gloomy　Bonsa…Town　beneath
them。

For　Alan；　notwithstanding　his　weakness　and　anxieties；　it　was　a
heavenly　day。　The　Asika　was　passive；　some　new　mood　being　on　her；　and
scarcely　troubled　him　at　all　except　to　call　his　attention　to　a　tree；　a
flower；　or　a　prospect　of　the　scenery。　Here　on　the　mountain　side；　too；
the　air　was　sweet；　and　for　the　restwell；　he　who　had　been　so　near　to
death；　was　escaped　for　an　hour　from　that　gloomy　home　of　bloodshed　and
superstition；　and　saw　God's　sky　again。

This　journey　was　the　first　of　many。　Every　day　the　litters　were　waiting
and　they　visited　some　new　place；　although　into　the　town　itself　they
never　went。　Moreover；　if　they　passed　through　outlying　villages；　though
Alan　was　forced　to　wear　his　mask；　their　inhabitants　had　been　warned　to
absent　themselves；　so　that　they　saw　no　one。　The　crops　were　left
untended　and　the　cattle　and　sheep　lowed　hungrily　in　their　kraals。　On
certain　days；　at　Alan's　request；　they　were　taken　to　the　spots　where
the　gold　was　found　in　the　gravel　bed　of　an　almost　dry　stream　that
during　the　rains　was　a　torrent。

He　descended　from　the　litter　and　with　the　help　of　the　Asika　and
Jeekie；　dug　a　little　in　this　gravel；　not　without　reward；　for　in　it
they　found　several　nuggets。　Above；　too；　where　they　went　afterwards；
was　a　huge　quartz　reef　denuded　by　water；　which　evidently　had　been
worked　in　past　ages　and　was　still　so　rich　that　in　it　they　saw　plenty
of　visible　gold。　Looking　at　it　Alan　bethought　him　of　his　City　days　and
of　the　hundreds　of　thousands　of　pounds　capital　with　which　this　unique
proposition　might　have　been　floated。　Afterwards　they　were　carried　to
the　places　where　the　gems　were　found；　stuck　about　in　the　clay；　like
plums　in　a　pudding；　though　none　ever　sought　them　now。　But　all　these
things　interested　the　Asika　not　at　all。

〃What　is　the　good　of　gold；〃　she　asked　of　Alan；　〃except　to　make　things
of；　or　the　bright　stones　except　to　play　with？　What　is　the　good　of
anything　except　food　to　eat　and　power　and　wisdom　that　can　open　the
secret　doors　of　knowledge；　of　things　seen　and　things　unseen；　and　love
that　brings　the　lover　joy　and　forgetfulness　of　self　and　takes　away　the
awful　loneliness　of　the　soul；　if　only　for　a　little　while？〃

Not　wishing　to　drift　into　discussion　on　the　matter　of　love；　Alan　asked
the　priestess　to　define　her　〃soul；〃　whence　it　came　and　whither　she
believed　it　to　be　going。

〃My　soul　is　I；　Vernoon；〃　she　answered；　〃and　already　very；　very　old。
Thus　it　has　ruled　amongst　this　people　for　thousands　of　years。〃

〃How　is　that？〃　he　asked；　〃seeing　that　the　Asika　dies？〃

〃Oh！　no；　Vernoon；　she　does　not　die；　she　only　changes。　The　old　body
dies；　the　spirit　enters　into　another　body　which　is　waiting。　Thus　until
I　was　fourteen　I　was　but　a　common　girl；　the　daughter　of　a　headman　of
that　village　yonder；　at　least　so　they　tell　me；　for　of　this　time　I　have
no　memory。　Then　the　Asika　died　and　as　I　had　the　secret　marks　and　the
beauty　that　is　hers　the　priests　burnt　her　body　before　Big　Bonsa　and
suffocated　me；　the　child；　in　the　smoke　of　the　burning。　But　I　awoke
again　and　when　I　awoke　the　past　was　gone　and　the　soul　of　the　Asika
filled　me；　bringing　with　it　its　awful　memories；　its　gathered　wisdom；
its　passion　of　love　and　hate；　and　its　power　to　look　backward　and
before。〃

〃Do　you　ever　do　these　things？〃　asked　Alan。

〃Backward；　yes；　before　very　little；　since　you　came；　not　at　all；
because　my　heart　is　a　coward　and　I　fear　what　I　might　see。　Oh！　Vernoon；
Vernoon；　I　know　you　and　your　thoughts。　You　think　me　a　beautiful　beast
who　loves　like　a　beast；　who　loves　you　because　you　are　white　and
different　from　our　men。　Well；　what　there　is　of　the　beast　in　me　the
gods　of　my　people　gave；　for　they　are　devils　and　I　am　their　servant。
But　there　is　more　than　that；　there　is　good　also　which　I　have　won　for
myself。　I　knew　you　would　come　even　before　I　had　seen　your　face；　I　knew
you　would　come；〃　she　went　on　passionately；　〃and　that　is　why　I　was
yours　already。　But　what　would　befall　after　you　came；　that　I　neither
knew；　nor　know；　because　I　will　not　seek；　who　could　learn　it　all。〃

He　looked　at　her　and　she　saw　the　doubt　in　his　eyes。

〃You　do　not　believe　me；　Vernoon。　Very　well；　this　night　you　shall　see；
you　and　that　black　dog　of　yours；　that　you　may　know　I　do　n