Child of Storm

"What would you have of me, Son of Senzangakona?" he asked. "Many years

have passed since last we met. Why do you drag me from my hut, I who

have visited the kraal of the King of the Zulus but twice since the

'Black One' [Chaka] sat upon the throne--once when the Boers were killed

by him who went before you, and once when I was brought forth to see

all who were left of my race, shoots of the royal Dwandwe stock, slain

before my eyes. Do you bear me hither that I may follow them into the

darkness, O Child of Senzangakona? If so I am ready; only then I have

words to say that it may not please you to hear."

His deep, rumbling voice echoed into silence, while the great audience

waited for the King's answer. I could see that they were all afraid of

this man, yes, even Panda was afraid, for he shifted uneasily upon his

stool. At length he spoke, saying: "Not so, O Zikali. Who would wish to do hurt to the wisest and most

ancient man in all the land, to him who touches the far past with one

hand and the present with the other, to him who was old before our

grandfathers began to be? Nay, you are safe, you on whom not even the

'Black One' dared to lay a finger, although you were his enemy and he

hated you. As for the reason why you have been brought here, tell it

to us, O Zikali. Who are we that we should instruct you in the ways of

wisdom?"

When the dwarf heard this he broke into one of his great laughs.

"So at last the House of Senzangakona acknowledges that I have wisdom.

Then before all is done they will think me wise indeed."

He laughed again in his ill-omened fashion and went on hurriedly, as

though he feared that he should be called upon to explain his words: "Where is the fee? Where is the fee? Is the King so poor that he expects

an old Dwandwe doctor to divine for nothing, just as though he were

working for a private friend?"

Panda made a motion with his hand, and ten fine heifers were driven into

the circle from some place where they had been kept in waiting.

"Sorry beasts!" said Zikali contemptuously, "compared to those we used

to breed before the time of Senzangakona"--a remark which caused a loud

"Wow!" of astonishment to be uttered by the multitude that heard it.

"Still, such as they are, let them be taken to my kraal, with a bull,

for I have none."

The cattle were driven away, and the ancient dwarf squatted himself down

and stared at the ground, looking like a great black toad. For a long

while--quite ten minutes, I should think--he stared thus, till I, for

one, watching him intently, began to feel as though I were mesmerised.