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〃'Only what？' asked Bangu； hesitating。
〃'Only I wonder； Bangu； what you will think of the world in which you
will find yourself before to…morrow's moon arises。 Come back thence and
tell me； Bangu； for there are so many worlds beyond the sun； and I would
learn for certain which of them such a one as you inhabits： a man who
for hatred and for gain murders the father and the mother and then
butchers the childthe child that could slay a warrior who has seen
warwith the spear hot from his mother's heart。'
〃'Do you mean that I shall die if I kill this lad？' shouted Bangu in a
great voice。
〃'What else？' answered Zikali； taking another pinch of snuff。
〃'This； Wizard； that we will go together。'
〃'Good； good！' laughed the dwarf。 'Let us go together。 Long have I
wished to die； and what better companion could I find than Bangu； Chief
of the Amakoba； Slayer of Children； to guard me on a dark and terrible
road。 Come； brave Bangu； come； kill me if you can；' and again he
laughed at him。
〃Now； Macumazahn； the people of Bangu fell back muttering； for they
found this business horrible。 Yes； even those who held my arms let go
of them。
〃'What will happen to me； Wizard； if I spare the boy？' asked Bangu。
〃Zikali stretched out his hand and touched the scratch that the assegai
had made in me here。 Then he held up his finger red with my blood； and
looked at it in the light of the moon； yes； and tasted it with his
tongue。
〃'I think this will happen to you； Bangu；' he said。 'If you spare this
boy he will grow into a man who will kill you and many others one day。
But if you do not spare him I think that his spirit； working as spirits
can do； will kill you to…morrow。 Therefore the question is； will you
live a while or will you die at once； taking me with you as your
companion？ For you must not leave me behind； brother Bangu。'
〃Now Bangu turned and walked away； stepping over the body of my mother；
and all his people walked away after him； so that presently Zikali the
Wise and Little and I were left alone。
〃'What！ have they gone？' said Zikali； lifting up his eyes from the
ground。 'Then we had better be going also； Son of Matiwane； lest he
should change his mind and come back。 Live on； Son of Matiwane； that
you may avenge Matiwane。'〃
〃A nice tale；〃 I said。 〃But what happened afterwards？〃
〃Zikali took me away and nurtured me at his kraal in the Black Kloof；
where he lived alone save for his servants； for in that kraal he would
suffer no woman to set foot； Macumazahn。 He taught me much wisdom and
many secret things； and would have made a great doctor of me had I so
willed。 But I willed it not who find spirits ill company； and there are
many of them about the Black Kloof； Macumazahn。 So in the end he said：
'Go where your heart calls； and be a warrior； Saduko。 But know this：
You have opened a door that can never be shut again； and across the
threshold of that door spirits will pass in and out for all your life；
whether you seek them or seek them not。'
〃'It was you who opened the door； Zikali；' I answered angrily。
〃'Mayhap；' said Zikali； laughing after his fashion； 'for I open when I
must and shut when I must。 Indeed； in my youth； before the Zulus were a
people； they named me Opener of Doors； and now； looking through one of
those doors； I see something about you； O Son of Matiwane。'
〃'What do you see； my father？' I asked。
〃'I see two roads； Saduko： the Road of Medicine； that is the spirit
road； and the Road of Spears； that is the blood road。 I see you
travelling on the Road of Medicine； that is my own road； Saduko； and
growing wise and great； till at last； far； far away； you vanish over the
precipice to which it leads； full of years and honour and wealth； feared
yet beloved by all men； white and black。 Only that road you must travel
alone； since such wisdom may have no friends； and； above all； no woman
to share its secrets。 Then I look at the Road of Spears and see you；
Saduko； travelling on that road； and your feet are red with blood； and
women wind their arms about your neck； and one by one your enemies go
down before you。 You love much； and sin much for the sake of the love；
and she for whom you sin comes and goes and comes again。 And the road
is short； Saduko； and near the end of it are many spirits； and though
you shut your eyes you see them； and though you fill your ears with clay
you hear them； for they are the ghosts of your slain。 But the end of
your journeying I see not。 Now choose which road you will； Son of
Matiwane； and choose swiftly； for I speak no more of this matter。'
〃Then； Macumazahn； I thought a while of the safe and lonely path of
wisdom； also of the blood…red path of spears where I should find love
and war； and my youth rose up in me andI chose the path of spears and
the love and the sin and the unknown death。〃
〃A foolish choice； Saduko； supposing that there is any truth in this
tale of roads； which there is not。〃
〃Nay； a wise one； Macumazahn； for since then I have seen Mameena and
know why I chose that path。〃
〃Ah！〃 I said。 〃MameenaI forgot her。 Well； after all； perhaps there
is some truth in your tale of roads。 When _I_ have seen Mameena I will
tell you what I think。〃
〃When you have seen Mameena； Macumazahn； you will say that the choice
was very wise。 Well； Zikali； Opener of Doors； laughed loudly when he
heard it。 'The ox seeks the fat pasture； but the young bull the rough
mountainside where the heifers graze；' he said； 'and after all； a bull
is better than an ox。 Now begin to travel your own road； Son of
Matiwane； and from time to time return to the Black Kloof and tell me
how it fares with you。 I will promise you not to die before I know the
end of it。'
〃Now； Macumazahn； I have told you things that hitherto have lived in my
own heart only。 And； Macumazahn； Bangu is in ill favour with Panda；
whom he defies in his mountain； and I have a promisenever mind
howthat he who kills him will be called to no account and may keep his
cattle。 Will you come with me and share those cattle； O
Watcher…by…Night？〃
〃Get thee behind me； Satan；〃 I said in English； then added in Zulu： 〃I
don't know。 If your story is true I should have no objection to helping
to kill Bangu； but I must learn lots more about this business first。
Meanwhile I am going on a shooting trip to…morrow with Umbezi the Fat；
and I like you； O Chooser of the Road of Spears and Blood。 Will you be
my companion and earn the gun with two mouths in payment？〃
〃Inkoosi；〃 he said； lifting his hand in salute with a flash of his dark
eyes； 〃you are generous； you honour me。 What is there that I should
love better？ Yet；〃 he added； and his face fell； 〃first I must ask
Zikali the Little； Zikali my foster…father。〃
〃Oh！〃 I said； 〃so you are still tied to the Wizard's girdle； are you？〃
〃Not so； Macumazahn； but I promised him not long ago that I would
undertake no enterprise； save that you know of； until I had spoken with
him。〃
〃How far off does Zikali live？〃 I asked Saduko。
〃One day's journeying。 Starting at sunrise I can be there by sunset。〃
〃Good！ Then I will put off the shooting for three days and come with
you if you think that this wonderful old dwarf will receive me。〃
〃I believe that he will； Macumazahn； for this reasonhe told me that I
should meet you and love you； and that you would be mixed up in my
fortunes。〃
〃Then he poured moonshine into your gourd instead of beer；〃 I answered。
〃Would you keep me here till midnight listening to such foolishness when
we must start at dawn？ Begone now and let me sleep。〃
〃I go；〃 he answered with a little smile。 〃But if this is so； O
Macumazana； why do you also wish to drink of the moonshine of Zikali？〃
and he went。
Yet I did not sleep very well that night； for Saduko and his strange and
terrible story had taken a hold of my imagination。 Also； for reasons of
my own； I greatly wished to see this Zikali； of whom I had heard a great
deal in past years。 I wished further to find out if he was a common
humbug； like so many witch…doctors； this dwarf who announced that my
fortunes were mixed up with those of his foster…son； and who at least
could tell me something true or false about the history and position of
Bangu； a person for whom I had conceived a strong dislike； possibly
quite unjustified by the facts。 But more than all did I wish to see
Mameena； whose beauty or talents produced so much impression upon the
native mind。 Perhaps if I went to see Zikali she would be back at her
father's kraal before we started on our shooting trip。
Thus it was then that fate wove me and my doings into the web of some
very strange events； terrible； tragic and complete indeed as those of a
Greek play； as it has often done both before and since those days。
CHAPTER II
THE MOONSHINE OF ZIKALI
On the following morning I awoke； as a good hunter always should do；
just at that time when； on looking out of the wagon； nothing can be seen
but a little grey glint of light which he knows is reflected from the
horns of the cattle tied to the trek…tow。 Presently； however； I saw
another glint of light which I guessed came from the s