Then Zikali rose from the corner where he had been sitting so silently,
and waddled heavily across the open space to where the shield lay in
front of the King. As he passed Mameena, she bent down over the dwarf
and began to whisper to him swiftly; but he placed his hands upon his
big head, covering up his ears, as I suppose, that he might not hear her
words.
"What have I to do with this matter, O King?" he asked.
"Much, it seems, O Opener-of-Roads," said Panda sternly, "seeing that
you were the doctor who smelt out Masapo, and that it was in your kraal
that yonder woman hid herself while her lover, the Prince, my son, who
is dead, went down to the battle, and that she was brought thence with
you. Tell us, now, the nature of this muti, and, being wise, as you are,
be careful to tell us truly, lest it should be said, O Zikali, that you
are not a Nyanga only, but an umtakati as well. For then," he added with
meaning, and choosing his words carefully, "perchance, O Zikali, I might
be tempted to make trial of whether or no it is true that you cannot
be killed like other men, especially as I have heard of late that your
heart is evil towards me and my House."
For a moment Zikali hesitated--I think to give his quick brain time
to work, for he saw his great danger. Then he laughed in his dreadful
fashion and said: "Oho! the King thinks that the otter is in the trap," and he glanced
at the fence of the isi-gohlo and at the fierce executioners, who stood
watching him sternly. "Well, many times before has this otter seemed to
be in a trap, yes, ere your father saw light, O Son of Senzangakona,
and after it also. Yet here he stands living. Make no trial, O King, of
whether or no I be mortal, lest if Death should come to such a one as I,
he should take many others with him also. Have you not heard the saying
that when the Opener-of-Roads comes to the end of his road there will be
no more a King of the Zulus, as when he began his road there was no King
of the Zulus, since the days of his manhood are the days of all the
Zulu kings?"
Thus he spoke, glaring at Panda and at Cetewayo, who shrank before his
gaze.
"Remember," he went on, "that the Black One who is 'gone down' long ago,
the Wild Beast who fathered the Zulu herd, threatened him whom he named
the 'Thing-that-should-not-have-been-born,' aye, and slew those whom he
loved, and afterwards was slain by others, who also are 'gone down,'
and that you alone, O Panda, did not threaten him, and that you alone,
O Panda, have not been slain. Now, if you would make trial of whether I
die as other men die, bid your dogs fall on, for Zikali is ready," and
he folded his arms and waited.