The Ghost Kings: Chapter 7

Chapter 7

THE MESSAGE OF THE KING

So it chanced that Noie became a member of the Dove household. For obvious
reasons she changed her name, and thenceforward was called Nonha. Also it
happened that Mr. Dove abandoned his idea of settling as a missionary in
Zululand, and instead, took up his residence at this beautiful spot. He
called it Ramah because it was a place of weeping, for here all the family
and dependents of Seyapi had been destroyed by the spear. Mrs. Dove
thought it an ill-omened name enough, but after her manner gave way to her
husband in the matter.

"I think there will be more weeping here before everything is done," she
said.

Rachel answered, however, that it was as good as any other, since names
could alter nothing. Here, then, at Ramah, Mr. Dove built him a house on
that knoll where first he had pitched his camp. It was a very good house
after its fashion, for, as has been said, he did not lack for means, and
was, moreover, clever in such matters. He hired a mason who had drifted to
Natal to cut stone, of which a plenty lay at hand, and two half-breed
carpenters to execute the wood-work, whilst the Kaffirs thatched the whole
as only they can do. Then he set to work upon a church, which was placed
on the crest of the opposite knoll where the white man, Ishmael, had
appeared on the evening of their arrival. Like the house, it was excellent
of its sort, and when at length it was finished after more than a year of
labour, Mr. Dove felt a proud man.

Indeed at Ramah he was happier than he had ever been since he landed upon
the shores of Africa, for now at length his dream seemed to be in the way
of realisation. Very soon a considerable native village sprang up around
him, peopled almost entirely by remnants of the Natal tribes whom Chaka
had destroyed and who were but too glad to settle under the aegis of the
white man, especially when they discovered how good he was. Of the
doctrines which he preached to them day and night, most of them, it is
true, did not understand much. Still they accepted them as the price of
being allowed "to live in his shadow," but in the vast majority of cases
they sturdily refused to put away all wives but one, as he earnestly
exhorted them to do.

At first he wished to eject them from the settlement in punishment of this
sin, but when it came to the point they absolutely refused to go,
demonstrating to him that they had as much right to live there as he had,
an argument that he was unable to controvert. So he was obliged to submit
to the presence of this abomination, which he did in the hope that in time
their hard hearts would be softened.

"Continue to preach to us, O Shouter," they said, "and we will listen.
Mayhap in years to come we shall learn to think as you do. Meanwhile give
us space to consider the point."

So he continued to preach, and contented himself with baptising the
children and very old people who took no more wives. Except on this one
point, however, they got on excellently together. Indeed, never since
Chaka broke upon them like a destroying demon had these poor folk been so
happy. The missionary imported ploughs and taught them to improve their
agriculture, so that ere long this rich, virgin soil brought forth
abundantly. Their few cattle multiplied also in an amazing fashion, as did
their families, and soon they were as prosperous as they had been in the
good old days before they knew the Zulu assegai, especially as, to their
amazement, the Shouter never took from them even a calf or a bundle of
corn by way of tax. Only the shadow of that Zulu assegai still lay upon
them, for if Chaka was dead Dingaan ruled a few miles away across the
Tugela. Moreover, hearing of the rise of this new town, and of certain
strange matters connected with it, he sent spies to inspect and enquire.
The spies returned and reported that there dwelt in it only a white
medicine-man with his wife, and a number of Natal Kaffirs. Also they
reported in great detail many wonderful stories concerning the beautiful
maiden with a high name who passed as the white teacher's daughter, and
who had already become the subject of so much native talk and rumour. On
learning all these things Dingaan despatched an embassy, who delivered
this message:

"I, Dingaan, king of the Zulus, have heard that you, O White Shouter, have
built a town upon my borders, and peopled it with the puppies of the
jackals whom Chaka hunted. I send to you now to say that you and your
jackals shall have peace from me so long as you harbour none of my
runaways, but if I find but one of them there, then an Impi shall wipe you
out. I hear also that there dwells with you a beautiful white maiden said
to be your daughter, who is known, throughout the land as
Inkosazana-y-Zoola. Now that is the name of our Spirit who, the doctors
say, is also white, and it is strange to us that this maiden should bear
that great name. Some of the _Isanusis_, the prophetesses, declare that
she is our Spirit in the flesh, but that meat sticks in my throat, I
cannot swallow it. Still, I invite this maiden to visit me that I may see
her and judge of her, and I swear to you, and to her, by the ghosts of my
ancestors, that no harm shall come to her then or at any time. He who so
much as lays a finger upon her shall die, he and all his house. Because of
her name, which I am told she has borne from a child, all the territories
of the Zulus are her kraal and all the thousands of the Zulus are her
servants. Yea, because of her high name I give to her power of life and
death wherever men obey my word, and for an offering I send to her twelve
of my royal white cattle and a bull, also an ox trained to riding. When
she visits me let her ride upon the white ox that she may be known, but
let no man come with her, for among the people of the Zulus she must be
attended by Zulus only. I have spoken. I pray that she who is named
Princess of the Zulus will appear before my messengers and acknowledge the
gift of the King of the Zulus, that they may see her in the flesh and make
report of her to me."

Now when Mr. Dove had received this message, one evening at sundown, he
went into the house and repeated it to Rachel, for it puzzled him much,
and he knew not what to answer.

Rachel in her turn took counsel with Noie who was hidden, away lest some
of the embassy should see and recognise her.

"Speak with the messengers," said Noie, "it is well to have power among
the Zulus. I, who have some knowledge of this business, say, speak with
them alone, and speak softly, saying that one day you will come."

So having explained the matter to her father, and obtained his consent,
Rachel, who desired to impress these savages, threw a white shawl about
her, as Noie instructed her to do. Then, letting her long, golden hair
hang down, she went out alone carrying a light assegai in her hand, to the
place where the messengers, six of them, and those who had driven the
cattle from Zululand, were encamped in the guest kraal, at the gate of
which, as it chanced, lay a great boulder of rock. On this boulder she
took her stand, unobserved, waiting there till the full moon shone out
from behind a dark cloud, turning her white robe to silver. Now of a
sudden the messengers who were seated together, talking and taking snuff,
looked up and saw her.

"_Inkosazana-y-Zoola_!" exclaimed one of them, rising, whereon they all
sprang to their feet and perceiving this beautiful and mysterious figure,
by a common impulse lifted their right arms and gave to her what no woman
had ever received before--the royal salute.

"Bay�te!" they cried, "Bay�te!" then stood silent.

"I hear you," said Rachel, who spoke their tongue as well as she did her
own. "It has been reported to me that you wished to see me, O Mouths of
the King. Behold I am pleased to appear before you. What would you of
Inkosazana-y-Zoola, O Mouths of the King?"

Then their spokesman, an old man of high rank, with a withered hand,
stepped forward from the line of his companions, stared at her for a
while, and saluted again.

"Lady," he said humbly, "Lady or Spirit, we would know how thou earnest by
that great name of thine."

"It was given me as a child far away from here," she answered, "because in
a mighty tempest the lightnings turned aside and smote me not; because the
waters raged yet drowned me not; because the lions slept with me yet
harmed me not. It came to me from the high Heaven that was my friend. I do
not know how it came."

"We have heard the story," answered the old man (which indeed they had
with many additions), "and we believe. We believe that the Heavens above
gave thee their own name which is the name of the Spirit of our people.
That Spirit I have seen in a dream, and she was like to thee, O
Inkosazana-y-Zoola."

"It may be so, Mouth of the King, still I am woman, not spirit."

"Yet in every woman there dwells a spirit, or so we believe, and in thee a
great one, or so we have heard and believe, O Lady of the Heavens. To
thee, then, again we repeat the words of Dingaan and of his council which
to-day we have said in the ears of him who thinks himself thy father. To
thee the roads are open; thine are the cattle and the kraals; here is an
earnest of them. Thine are the lives of men. Command now, if thou wilt,
that one of us be slain before thee, and whilst thou watchest, he shall
look his last upon the moon."

"I hear you," said Rachel, quietly, "but I seek the life of none who are
good. I thank the King for his gift; I wish the King well. I remember that
life and death lie in my hands. Say these words to the King."

"We will say them, but wilt thou not come, O Lady, as the King desires? A
regiment shall meet thee on the river bank and lead thee to his house.
Unharmed shalt thou come, unharmed shalt thou return, and what thou askest
that shall be given thee."

"One day, perchance, I will come, but not now. Go in peace, O Mouths of
the King."

As she spoke another dark cloud floated across the moon, and when it had
passed away she stood no more upon the rock. Then, seeing that she was
gone, those messengers gathered up their spears and mats, and returned
swiftly to Zululand.

When she readied the house again Rachel told her father and mother all
that had passed, laughing as she spoke.

"It seems scarcely right, my dear," said Mr. Dove, when she had done.
"Those benighted heathens will really believe that you are something
unearthly."

"Then let them," she answered. "It can do no one any harm, and the power
of life and death with the rest of it, unless it was all talk as I
suspect, might be very useful one day. Who knows? And now the Princess of
the Heavens will go and set the supper, as Noie--I beg pardon, Nonha--is
off duty for the present."

Afterwards she asked Noie who was the old man with a withered hand who had
spoken as the "King's Mouth."

"Mopo is his name, Mopo or Umbopo, none other, O Zoola," she answered. "It
was he who stabbed T'Chaka, the Black One. It is said also that alone
among men living, he has seen the White Spirit: the Inkosazana. Thrice he
has seen her, or so goes the tale that my father, who knew everything,
told to me. That is why Dingaan sent him here to make report of you." And
she told her all the wonderful story of Mopo and of the death of T'Chaka,
which Rachel treasured in her mind. [Footnote: For the history of Mopo,
see "Nada the Lily."--AUTHOR.]

Such was Rachel's first introduction to the Zulus, an occasion on which
her undoubted histrionic abilities stood her in good stead.

This matter of the embassy happened and in due course was almost
forgotten, that is until a certain event occurred which brought it into
mind. For some time, however, Rachel thought of it a good deal, wondering
how it came about that her native name and the strange significance which
they appeared to give to it had taken such a hold of the imagination of
the Zulus. Ultimately she discovered that the white man, Ishmael, was the
chief cause of these things. He had lived so long among savages that he
had caught something of their mind and dark superstitions. To him, as to
them, it seemed a marvellous thing that she should have acquired the title
of the legendary Spirit of the Zulu people. The calm courage, too, so
unusual in a woman, which she showed when she shot the warrior, and at the
risk of her own life saved that of the girl, Noie, impressed him as
something almost ultra-human, especially when he remembered his own
conduct on that occasion. All of this story, of course, he did not tell to
the Zulus for he feared lest they should take vengeance for his share in
it. But of Rachel he discoursed to the King and his _indunas_, or great
men, as a white witch-doctoress of super-natural power, whose name showed
that she was mixed up with the fortunes of the race. Therefore, in the
end, Dingaan sent Mopo, "he who knew the Spirit," to make report of her.

When he was not absent upon his hunting or trading expeditions, Ishmael
visited Ramah a great deal and, as Rachel soon discovered, not without an
object. Indeed, almost from the first, her feminine instincts led her to
suspect that this man who, notwithstanding his good looks, repelled her so
intensely, was falling in love with her, which in truth he had done once
and for all at their first meeting. In the beginning he did not, it is
true, say much that could be so interpreted, but his whole attitude
towards her suggested it, as did other things. For instance, when he came
to visit the Doves, he discarded his garments of hide, including the
picturesque zebra-skin trousers, and appeared dressed in smart European
clothes which he had contrived to obtain from Durban, and a large hat with
a white ostrich feather, that struck Rachel as even more ludicrous than
the famous trousers. Also he was continuously sending presents of game and
of skins, or of rare karosses, that is, fur rugs, which he ordered to be
delivered to her personally--tokens, all of them, that she could not
misunderstand. Her father, however, misunderstood them persistently,
although her mother saw something of the truth, and did her best to shield
her from attentions which she knew to be unwelcome. Mr. Dove believed that
it was his company which Ishmael sought. Indeed in this matter the man was
very clever, contriving to give the clergyman the impression that he
required spiritual instruction and comfort, which, of course, he found
forthcoming in an abundant supply. When Mrs. Dove remonstrated, saying
that she misdoubted her of him and his character, her husband answered
obstinately, that it was his duty to turn a sinner from his way, and
declined to pursue the conversation. So Ishmael continued to come.

For her part Rachel did her best to avoid him, instructing Noie to keep a
constant look-out both with her eyes and through the Kaffirs, and to warn
her of his advent. Then she would slip away into the bush or down to the
seashore, and remain there till he was gone, or if he came when she could
not do so, in the evening for instance, would keep Noie at her side, and
on the first opportunity retire to her own room.

Now the result of this method of self-protection was to cause Ishmael to
hate Noie as bitterly as she hated him. He guessed that the girl knew the
dreadful truth about him; that it was he, and no other, who had counselled
Dingaan to kill her father and all his family, and take her by force into
his house, and although she said nothing of it, he suspected that she had
told everything to Rachel. Moreover, it was she who always thwarted him,
who prevented him time upon time from having a single word alone with her
mistress. Therefore he determined to be revenged upon Noie whenever an
opportunity occurred.

But as yet he could find none, since if he were to tell the Zulus that
she still lived, and cause her to be killed or taken away, he was sure
that it would mean a final breach with the Dove family, all of whom had
learned to love this beautiful orphan maid. So he nursed his rage in
secret.

Meanwhile his passion increased daily, burning ever more fiercely for its
continued repression, until at length the chance for which he had waited
so long came to him.

Having become aware of Rachel's habit of slipping away whenever he
appeared, he showed himself on horseback at a little distance, then waited
a while and, instead of going up to the mission station, rode round it,
and hid in some bush whence he could command a view of the surrounding
country. Presently he saw Rachel, who was alone, for she had not waited to
call Noie, hurrying towards the seashore, along the edge of that kloof
down which ran the stream where the crocodiles lived. Presently, when she
had gone too far to return to the house if she caught sight of him, he
followed after her, and, leaving his horse, at last came up with her
seated on a rock by the pool in which she had bathed on the morning of the
massacre.

Walking softly in his veld-schoens, or shoes made of raw hide, on the
sand, Rachel knew nothing of his coming until his shadow fell upon her.
Then she sprang up and saw him, smiling and bowing, the ostrich-plume hat
in his hand. Her first impulse was to run away, but recovering herself she
nodded in a friendly fashion, and bade him "Good day," adding:

"What are you doing here, Mr. Ishmael, hunting?"

"Yes," he answered, "that's it. Hunting you. It has been a long chase, but
I have caught you at last."

"Really, I am not a wild creature, Mr. Ishmael," she said indignantly.

"No," he answered, "you are more beautiful and more dangerous than any
wild creature."

Rachel looked at him. Then she made, as though she would pass him, saying
that she was going home. Now Ishmael stood between two rocks filling the
only egress from this place.

He stretched out his arms so that his fingers touched the rocks on either
side, and said:

"You can't. You must listen to me first. I came here to say what I have
wanted to tell you for a long time. I love you, and I ask you to marry
me."

"Indeed," she replied, setting her face. "How can that be? I understood
that you were already married--several times over."

"Who told you that?" he asked, angrily. "I know--that accursed little
witch, Noie."

"Don't speak any ill of Noie, please; she is my friend."

"Then you have a liar for your friend. Those women are only my servants."

"It doesn't matter to me what they are, Mr. Ishmael. I have no wish to
know your private affairs. Shall we stop this talk, which is not
pleasant?"

"No," he answered. "I tell you that I love you and I mean to marry you,
with your will or without it. Let it be with your will, Rachel," he added,
pleadingly, "for I will make you a good husband. Also I am well-born, much
better than you think, and I am rich, rich enough to take you out of this
country, if you like. I have thousands of cattle, and a great deal of
money put by, good English gold that I have got from the sale of ivory.
You shall come with me from among all these savage people back to England,
and live as you like."

"Thank you, but I prefer the savages, as you seem to have done until now.
No, do not try to touch me; you know that I can defend myself if I
choose," and she glanced at the pistol which she always carried in that
wild land, "I am not afraid of you, Mr. Ishmael; it is you who are afraid
of me."

"Perhaps I am," he exclaimed, "because those Zulus are right, you are
_tagati_, an enchantress, not like other women, white or black. If it were
not so, would you have driven me mad as you have done? I tell you I can't
sleep for thinking of you. Oh! Rachel, Rachel, don't be angry with me.
Have pity on me. Give me some hope. I know that my life has been rough in
the past, but I will become good again for your sake and live like a
Christian. But if you refuse me, if you send me back to hell--then you
shall learn what I can be."

"I know what you are, Mr. Ishmael, and that is quite enough. I do not wish
to be unkind, or to say anything that will pain you, but please go away,
and never try to speak to me again like this, as it is quite useless. You
must understand that I will never marry you, never."

"Are you in love with somebody else?" he asked hoarsely, and at the
question, do what she would to prevent it, Rachel coloured a little.

"How can I be in love here, unless it were with a dream?"

"A dream, a dream of a man you mean. Well, don't let him cross my path, or
it will soon be the dream of a ghost. I tell you I'd kill him. If I can't
have you, no one else shall. Do you understand?"

"I understand that I am tired of this. Let me go home, please."

"Home! Soon you will have no home to go to except mine--that is, if you
don't change your mind about me. I have power here--don't you understand?
I have power."

As he spoke these words the man looked so evil that Rachel shivered a
little. But she answered boldly enough:

"I understand that you have no power at all against me; no one has. It is
I who have the power."

"Yes, because as I said, you are _tagati_, but there are others----"

As these words passed his lips someone slipped by him. Starting back, he
saw that it was Noie, draped in her usual white robe, for nothing would
induce her to wear European clothes. Passing him as though she saw him
not, she went to Rachel and said:

"Inkosazana, I was at my work in the house yonder and I thought that I
heard you calling me down here by the seashore, so I came. Is it your
pleasure that I should accompany you home?"

"For instance," he went on furiously, "there is that black slut whom you
are fond of. Well, if I can't hurt you, I can hurt her. Daughter of
Seyapi, you know how runaways die in Zululand, or if you don't you shall
soon learn. I will pay you back for all your tricks," and he stopped,
choking with rage.

Noie looked him up and down with her soft, dreamy brown eyes.

"Do you think so, Night-prowler?" she asked. "Do you think that what you
did to the father and his house, you will do to the daughter also? Well,
it is strange, but last night, just before the cock crew, I sat by
Seyapi's grave, and he spoke to me of you, White Man. Listen, now, and I
will tell you what he said," and stepping forward she whispered in his
ear.

Rachel, watching, saw the man's swarthy face turn pale as he hearkened,
then he lifted his hand as though to strike her, let it fall again, and
muttering curses in English and in Zulu, turned and walked, or rather
staggered away.

"What did you tell him, Noie?" asked Rachel.

"Never mind, Zoola," she answered. "Perhaps the truth; perhaps what came
into my mind. At any rate I frightened him away. He was making love to
you, was he not, the low _silwana _(wild beast)? Ah! I thought so, for
that he has wished to do for long. And he threatened, did he not? Well,
you are right; he cannot hurt you at all, and me only a little, I think.
But he is very dangerous and very strong, and can hurt others. If your
father is wise he will leave this place, Zoola."

"I think so too," answered Rachel. "Let us go home and tell him so."

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