Then he studied the first of the markings and asked: "What am I here
for? What am I here for? Does he who sits upon the Throne desire to know
how long he has to reign?"
Now, those of the inner circle of the spectators, who at these
"smellings-out" act as a kind of chorus, looked at the King, and, seeing
that he shook his head vigorously, stretched out their right hands,
holding the thumb downwards, and said simultaneously in a cold, low
voice: "Izwa!" (That is, "We hear you.") Zikali stamped upon this set of markings.
"It is well," he said. "He who sits upon the Throne does not desire to
know how long he has to reign, and therefore the dust has forgotten and
shows it not to me."
Then he walked to the next markings and studied them.
"Does the Child of Senzangakona desire to know which of his sons shall
live and which shall die; aye, and which of them shall sleep in his hut
when he is gone?"
Now a great roar of "Izwa!" accompanied by the clapping of hands, rose
from all the outer multitude who heard, for there was no information
that the Zulu people desired so earnestly as this at the time of which I
write.
But again Panda, who, I saw, was thoroughly alarmed at the turn things
were taking, shook his head vigorously, whereon the obedient chorus
negatived the question in the same fashion as before.
Zikali stamped upon the second set of markings, saying: "The people desire to know, but the Great Ones are afraid to learn, and
therefore the dust has forgotten who in the days to come shall sleep in
the hut of the King and who shall sleep in the bellies of the jackals
and the crops of the vultures after they have 'gone beyond' by the
bridge of spears."
Now, at this awful speech (which, both because of all that it implied of
bloodshed and civil war and of the wild, wailing voice in which it was
spoken, that seemed quite different from Zikali's, caused everyone who
heard it, including myself, I am afraid, to gasp and shiver) the King
sprang from his stool as though to put a stop to such doctoring. Then,
after his fashion, he changed his mind and sat down again. But Zikali,
taking no heed, went to the third set of marks and studied them.
"It would seem," he said, "that I am awakened from sleep in my Black
House yonder to tell of a very little matter, that might well have been
dealt with by any common Nyanga born but yesterday. Well, I have taken
my fee, and I will earn it, although I thought that I was brought here
to speak of great matters, such as the death of princes and the fortunes
of peoples. Is it desired that my Spirit should speak of wizardries in
this town of Nodwengu?"