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and； after all is said； it is well to die； who go hence awaited by
thousands upon thousands that I have sent before me； and who shall be
greeted presently by your son； Indhlovu…ene…Sihlonti； and his warriors；
greeted as the Inkosazana of Death； with red； lifted spears and with the
royal salute！
〃Now； I have spoken。 Walk your little road； O King and Prince and
Councillors； till you reach the gulf into which I sink； that yawns for
all of you。 O King； when you meet me again at the bottom of that gulf；
what a tale you will have to tell me； you who are but the shadow of a
king； you whose heart henceforth must be eaten out by a worm that is
called _Love…of…the…Lost_。 O Prince and Conqueror Cetewayo； what a tale
you will have to tell me when I greet you at the bottom of that gulf；
you who will bring your nation to a wreck and at last die as I must
dieonly the servant of others and by the will of others。 Nay； ask me
not how。 Ask old Zikali； my master； who saw the beginning of your House
and will see its end。 Oh； yes； as you say； I am a witch； and I know； I
know！ Come； I am spent。 You men weary me； as men have always done；
being but fools whom it is so easy to make drunk； and who when drunk are
so unpleasing。 Piff！ I am tired of you sober and cunning； and I am
tired of you drunken and brutal； you who； after all； are but beasts of
the field to whom Mvelingangi； the Creator； has given heads which can
think； but which always think wrong。
〃Now； King； before you unchain your dogs upon me； I ask one moment。 I
said that I hated all men； yet； as you know； no woman can tell the
truthquite。 There is a man whom I do not hate； whom I never hated；
whom I think I love because he would not love me。 He sits there；〃 and
to my utter dismay； and the intense interest of that company； she
pointed at me； Allan Quatermain！
〃Well； once by my 'magic；' of which you have heard so much； I got the
better of this man against his will and judgment； and； because of that
soft heart of mine； I let him go； yes； I let the rare fish go when he
was on my hook。 It is well that I should have let him go； since； had I
kept him； a fine story would have been spoiled and I should have become
nothing but a white hunter's servant； to be thrust away behind the door
when the white Inkosikazi came to eat his meatI； Mameena； who never
loved to stand out of sight behind a door。 Well； when he was at my feet
and I spared him； he made me a promise； a very small promise； which yet
I think he will keep now when we part for a little while。 Macumazahn；
did you not promise to kiss me once more upon the lips whenever and
wherever I should ask you？〃
〃I did；〃 I answered in a hollow voice； for in truth her eyes held me as
they had held Saduko。
〃Then come now； Macumazahn； and give me that farewell kiss。 The King
will permit it； and since I have now no husband； who take Death to
husband； there is none to say you nay。〃
I rose。 It seemed to me that I could not help myself。 I went to her；
this woman surrounded by implacable enemies； this woman who had played
for great stakes and lost them； and who knew so well how to lose。 I
stood before her； ashamed and yet not ashamed； for something of her
greatness； evil though it might be； drove out my shame； and I knew that
my foolishness was lost in a vast tragedy。
Slowly she lifted her languid arm and threw it about my neck； slowly she
bent her red lips to mine and kissed me； once upon the mouth and once
upon the forehead。 But between those two kisses she did a thing so
swiftly that my eyes could scarcely follow what she did。 It seemed to
me that she brushed her left hand across her lips； and that I saw her
throat rise as though she swallowed something。 Then she thrust me from
her； saying：
〃Farewell； O Macumazana； you will never forget this kiss of mine； and
when we meet again we shall have much to talk of； for between now and
then your story will be long。 Farewell； Zikali。 I pray that all your
plannings may succeed； since those you hate are those I hate； and I bear
you no grudge because you told the truth at last。 Farewell； Prince
Cetewayo。 You will never be the man your brother would have been； and
your lot is very evil； you who are doomed to pull down a House built by
One who was great。 Farewell； Saduko the fool； who threw away your
fortune for a woman's eyes； as though the world were not full of women。
Nandie the Sweet and the Forgiving will nurse you well until your
haunted end。 Oh！ why does Umbelazi lean over your shoulder； Saduko； and
look at me so strangely？ Farewell； Panda the Shadow。 Now let loose
your slayers。 Oh！ let them loose swiftly； lest they should be balked of
my blood！〃
Panda lifted his hand and the executioners leapt forward； but ere ever
they reached her； Mameena shivered； threw wide her arms and fell
backdead。 The poisonous drug she had taken worked well and swiftly。
Such was the end of Mameena； Child of Storm。
A deep silence followed； a silence of awe and wonderment； till suddenly
it was broken by a sound of dreadful laughter。 It came from the lips of
Zikali the Ancient； Zikali； the
〃Thing…that…should…never…have…been…born。〃
CHAPTER XVI
MAMEENAMAMEENAMAMEENA！
That evening at sunset； just as I was about to trek； for the King had
given me leave to go； and at that time my greatest desire in life seemed
to be to bid good…bye to Zululand and the ZulusI saw a strange；
beetle…like shape hobbling up the hill towards me； supported by two big
men。 It was Zikali。
He passed me without a word； merely making a motion that I was to follow
him； which I did out of curiosity； I suppose； for Heaven knows I had
seen enough of the old wizard to last me for a lifetime。 He reached a
flat stone about a hundred yards above my camp； where there was no bush
in which anyone could hide； and sat himself down； pointing to another
stone in front of him； on which I sat myself down。 Then the two men
retired out of earshot； and； indeed； of sight； leaving us quite alone。
〃So you are going away； O Macumazana？〃 he said。
〃Yes； I am；〃 I answered with energy； 〃who； if I could have had my will；
would have gone away long ago。〃
〃Yes； yes； I know that； but it would have been a great pity； would it
not？ If you had gone； Macumazahn； you would have missed seeing the end
of a strange little story； and you； who love to study the hearts of men
and women； would not have been so wise as you are to…day。〃
〃No； nor as sad； Zikali。 Oh！ the death of that woman！〃 And I put my
hand before my eyes。
〃Ah！ I understand； Macumazahn； you were always fond of her； were you
not； although your white pride would not suffer you to admit that black
fingers were pulling at your heartstrings？ She was a wonderful witch；
was Mameena； and there is this comfort for youthat she pulled at other
heartstrings as well。 Masapo's； for instance； Saduko's； for instance；
Umbelazi's； for instance； none of whom got any luck from her
pullingyes； and even at mine。〃
Now； as I did not think it worth while to contradict his nonsense so far
as I was concerned personally； I went off on this latter point。
〃If you show affection as you did towards Mameena to…day； Zikali； I pray
my Spirit that you may cherish none for me；〃 I said。
He shook his great head pityingly as he answered：
〃Did you never love a lamb and kill it afterwards when you were hungry；
or when it grew into a ram and butted you； or when it drove away your
other sheep； so that they fell into the hands of thieves？ Now； I am
very hungry for the fall of the House of Senzangakona； and the lamb；
Mameena； having grown big； nearly laid me on my back to…day within the
reach of the slayer's spear。 Also； she was hunting my sheep； Saduko；
into an evil net whence he could never have escaped。 So； somewhat
against my will； I was driven to tell the truth of that lamb and her
tricks。〃
〃I daresay；〃 I exclaimed； 〃but； at any rate； she is done with； so what
is the use of talking about her？〃
〃Ah！ Macumazahn； she is done with； or so you think； though that is a
strange saying for a white man who believes in much that we do not know；
but at least her work remains； and it has been a great work。 Consider
now。 Umbelazi and most of the princes； and thousands upon thousands of
the Zulus； whom I； the Dwande； hate； dead； dead！ _Mameena's work_；
Macumazahn！ Panda's hand grown strengthless with sorrow and his eyes
blind with tears。 _Mameena's work_； Macumazahn！ Cetewayo； king in all
but name； Cetewayo； who shall bring the House of Senzangakona to the
dust。 _Mameena's work_； Macumazahn！ Oh！ a mighty work。 Surely she has
lived a great and worthy life； and she died a great and worthy death！
And how well she did it！ Had you eyes to see her take the poison which
I gave hera good poison； was it not？between her kisses； Macumazahn？〃
〃I believe it was your work； and not hers；〃 I blurted out； ignoring his
mocking questions。 〃You pulled the strings； you were the wind that
caused the grass to bend till the fire caught it and set the town in
flamesthe town of your foes。〃
〃How clever you are； Macumazahn！ If your wits grow so sharp； one day
they will cut your t