Witch-Doctors Part 26

"As I have prophesied the breaking of the sacred circle has delivered us into the hands of the false magician, Eyes-in-the-hands. The daughter of Bakala is even now at the camp of the white man, whom they call Moonspirit."

"Ehh!" commented Zalu Zako.

"The brother of Eyes-in-the-hands hath taken her in concubinage,"

continued Bakahenzie.

Zalu Zako made no response. Grimly approached Marufa and squatted beside them.

"Even as I have prophesied," commented Marufa, who never failed to seize an opportunity of suggestion.

"I bade him render up the Bride of the Banana; but she hath bitten his soul in his sleep. He held her in his arms. He breathed upon her so that she would not obey. The magic of this brother of Eyes-in-the-hands hath indeed rotted the livers of our people, for they fled like young jackals."

"Eh!"

Zalu Zako stared cautiously at the compound fence; Marufa regarded Bakahenzie's left knee with interest. For fully five minutes no word was said. Then Bakahenzie portentously:

"Tarum demands the brother of Eyes-in-the-hands, this Moonspirit, for if one be taken then will the other, Eyes-in-the-hands, wither away and the Unmentionable One will be revealed."

"Thou hast spoken!" a.s.sented Marufa.

But Zalu Zako continued to stare blankly at the fence. His mind was aflame for Bak.u.ma. Bakahenzie had no suspicion of his pa.s.sion, yet the fear of his enmity acted like a douche of water in spite of the fact that the implicit faith in the doctors had been weakened. But disbelief was not positive enough to stimulate action. However, from the news of Bak.u.ma's proximity, he had gotten strength to doubt the efficacy of Bak.u.ma's sacrifice to restore the kingdom, a strength which prompted him to say:

"Who is he that has said that Moonspirit be the twin of Eyes-in-the-hands?

Enemies there are even among whites. If he be an enemy of Eyes-in-the-hands and he be a great magician, as they say, then through his magic may not Eyes-in-the-hands be slain?"

"He hath but young words," a.s.serted Bakahenzie stonily.

"But Mungongo, the son of Marula, saith that--"

"Dost thou ask an infant to teach thee to hunt?" retorted Bakahenzie.

"Doth a warrior ask his women to mend his wounds?" added Marufa, putting in a gentle reminder that Zalu Zako was merely a chief and not of the craft.

"He hath been exorcised, let him be brought and put to the test before me," persisted Zalu Zako.

"That may not be," objected Bakahenzie, "for thou art not yet anointed."

"But that which is necessary has not yet been done," objected Zalu Zako obstinately. "If he have no magic and his heart be not white, then let him be doomed for the Feast of the Moon." And gaining courage, added the royal phrase: "I have spoken."

The three sat motionless. The silence twittered and hummed. The shadows swelled. Bakahenzie rose slowly and stalked away through the compound.

Zalu Zako watched his departure without remark or expression. After an interval, Marufa also went.

Another person upon whom the news of the discovery had had a similar reaction was MYalu. Her proximity released the primitive desire to go forth and seize her. But such action was arrested by fear of the consequences from his fellows to whom the tabu was still real, and of the white man, Moonspirit. MYalu could never overcome the fiat of the witch-doctors while he remained with them. Yonder-his decision to go with Yabolo and Sakamata was clinched, but-he would take Bak.u.ma with him.

Straight to the hut of Bakahenzie, who seemed to be expecting him, stalked Marufa. Marufa squatted solemnly near to him. These catastrophic events had caused a general unrest which had weakened the discipline of superst.i.tion.

There are two types of magicians: those who are partially conscious hypocrites, and those who are gulled by their own fakes; for he who makes magic must be ever ready with an explanation of failure and very ingenious in the making. The fool, believing in his own medicine, is as much astounded at failure as the victim is angry. Bakahenzie and Marufa belonged to the first cla.s.s; yet being of their particular mental development they were possessed of beliefs just as deeply as the most credulous layman. That the wizard, personally, of his own individual power could slay an enemy by incantation they did not believe; but that the spirit of the Banana or of other inanimate objects could do so, they believed most profoundly. Their creed was a form of pure animism; the storms, the winds, the lightning, trees, rocks, rivers had separate and conscious souls; other inanimate objects not included in an arbitrary list, had unconscious souls, each and every one capable of doing mischief or of good; hence the essence of religion in the act of imploring the good offices of the most powerful spirits, or in moments of exasperation of threatening them with dire punishments. Their hypocrisy lay not in disbelief but in pretending to the people that their intercession with the G.o.ds was infallible; they knew only too well that the said G.o.ds would seldom incline an ear to the magician.

Of course nearly every doctor had a slightly different dogma, usually based upon an incorrect deduction from a false premise. One doctor would place all his confidence in the spirit of the Banana-the most popular spirit; and another in the spirit of the river, because out of a dozen times that he had implored aid, five "miracles" at least had been vouchsafed, therefore, argued he, the spirit of the river is the true and most powerful G.o.d. The arguments of others were equally unsound as they were dominated by some hidden desire, much as reputable scientists, while rejecting phenomena accepted by the populace, cling fatuously to a belief in spooks in order to satisfy a subconscious desire for immortality, fear of death.

Hence the confusion in the heart of Bakahenzie. To him it appeared that the spirits had deserted him entirely; to him it seemed that perhaps these white men had indeed the true "magic," the art of controlling the spirits to their will. This terror had urged him to the destruction of the white man, Moonspirit. Now Zalu Zako had mutinied, and being unaware of the powerful impulse from which Zalu Zako had gotten this sudden strength, Bakahenzie attributed it to the magic influence of Moonspirit. At any cost, he argued, must Zalu Zako and the white man be kept apart.

But other pressing points were how to accomplish the slaughter of the white man, and what he should do now after the attempt to kill him had failed. Either Moonspirit would flee, which would be most happy proof to Bakahenzie that he was an impostor and no magician, or he would seek revenge immediately. No other action was conceivable to Bakahenzie.

Therefore in such a case the obvious act was to strike the quicker. He contemplated his colleague without looking at him. What was his att.i.tude?

Bakahenzie, on general principles, was suspicious. If Marufa thought that by supporting the white man he might be able to attain Bakahenzie's overthrow and gain the position of chief witch-doctor, he would do it, even as he, Bakahenzie, would have done in his place. Therefore upon these matters did he talk very guardedly with Marufa, who was unusually reticent. However, after communing with himself in sphinx-like gravity, Marufa a.s.sented to the proposal that Zalu Zako be isolated in the G.o.dhood immediately.

So the slow rhythmic beat, which was the summons to the craft to a.s.semble, throbbed in the clammy air. Before the humid shadows had lengthened a hand's breadth, were some twenty wizards, greater and lesser, fully dressed in the green feathers of the order, collected within the compound of Bakahenzie. Silently and woodenly they squatted in a half circle before the chief witch-doctor, each and every one excited by the marvellous stories circulated by the warriors returned from the camp of Moonspirit, stories which amply corroborated the tales of Mungongo. Those who supported Bakahenzie's party believed implicitly, because they wished so to do, the "reason" for the impotence of their united magic to be the breaking of the magic circle by Bak.u.ma. But others who cherished personal ambitions for the head witch-doctors.h.i.+p were suspicious of each other and of Bakahenzie, each one according to his grade and consequent knowledge in the craft.

When the drum had ceased and they sat in impressive silence, Bakahenzie, squatting motionless on the threshold of his hut, began to mutter incantations and to rock from side to side. Now every one of the inner cult knew well enough that this performance was merely a ceremony prescribed by tradition and expediency; yet for that very reason and particularly for the benefit of the lesser wizards, they solemnly accepted it, grunting in chorus as heartily as the others to the chant of Bakahenzie. As suddenly as dramatically, Bakahenzie stopped with eyes staring upon another world and fell upon his back, to scream and to writhe realistically as practice a.s.sured him. Then when the mouth was flecked with foam, the spirit of Tarum spake through the rigid body which lay as in catalepsy with eyes inverted:

"Aie! Aie! I am the spirit of Kintu!

Aie! Aie! I am he who first was!

Aie! Aie! I am the banana from whom I was made!

Aie! Aie! The time of the nuptial draweth nigh!

Aie! Aie! But where is the bride of my bed?

Aie! Aie! Let her be found and prepared!

Aie! Aie! For my lips are athirst for her blood!

Aie! Aie! Let the son of the Snake be anointed!

Aie! Aie! Let him be ready to a.s.sist at my feast!

Aie! Aie! I have spoken, I, the father of Men!

Aie! Aie! I, Tarum, the soul of your ancestors!"

From the a.s.sembly came the low belly grunt of acceptance, for they were, by suggestion, infected with the induced hysteria almost as much as the superb actor himself; they believed; even the members of the inner cult were convinced for the moment that indeed the mighty spirit of their ancestors was speaking.

Slowly, with many prodigious grunts and twists, did Bakahenzie's soul return to his body. He sat up and after a long pause said impressively:

"What hath He said unto you?"

And Marufa, as solemnly, related all that He had said.

"Eh!" said Bakahenzie tonelessly, "it is even as I have prophesied. These indeed are the words of wisdom. Is it not so, O my brethren?" Again came the low grunt of a.s.sent. "Let us obey, that these foul spirits may pa.s.s and the Unmentionable One return unto his children!"

Then, according to custom, all save those of the inner cult arose and went forth silently. In the heart of Yabolo, as he squatted as expressionless as the others, was satisfaction, for he saw, or thought he saw, that Eyes-in-the-hands would be pleased with the destruction of a man who might possibly become his rival; and on that principle imagined himself introduced by his relative, Sakamata, to Eyes-in-the-hands as the slayer, or initiator of the slaying, of his rival, Moonspirit. That Zalu Zako should be anointed King-G.o.d suited him as well as the other wizards and for the same reason. Therefore Yabolo for once raised no objection to the behests of Bakahenzie.

Already from the encampment rose the excited voices of the warriors who had been informed of the decision of the a.s.sembly of wizards. But the shadows were long. The forest was even more thickly peopled with spirits than their own park-like country. One of the inner cult of five suggested that the attack be made at dawn; but Bakahenzie, still baited by uncertainty regarding the reality of the magic of Moonspirit and the possible influence of Zalu Zako now that he had apparently developed a will of his own before they could shut him up in the G.o.dhead, was for immediate action, and insisted that they call together the warriors and make special magic to protect them from the forest demons. Yabolo, as anxious as Bakahenzie, became his ally in urging that this be done. But Marufa was not at all of this way of thinking. While the fate of Zalu Zako was quite immaterial, his att.i.tude to Moonspirit was much the same as the young man's, but prompted by a different motive; a power possible to utilize for his benefit. But he said no word, listening indifferently apparently to the throbbing of the drums summoning the warriors. When the inner circle broke up he stalked solemnly to his own hut, but when he was within he took from a gourd a special amulet, slipped through a hole in the palisade behind the hut, and disappeared into the forest.

CHAPTER 18

Meanwhile the object of Bakahenzie's political perplexities was also holding a council of war. Mungongo and Bak.u.ma were divided in opinion. The former had recovered his complete confidence in Moonspirit. After the repulse of the greatest magician and his warriors he became filled with a martial ardour and strongly advocated advancing upon the village immediately. Birnier smiled and considered. As a matter of fact the plan was not so utterly insane as it appeared. Did he follow up swiftly upon the heels of the terror-stricken warriors the probability was that the whole camp would be infected by the spirit of panic and bolt. However, he could not see any object to be attained by stampeding the village.

Mungongo, ever eager for a miracle, urged that Moonspirit should take upon him the spirit form and descend upon them at night. To his disgust Moonspirit refused, so Mungongo retired to the fire and consoled himself by another vivid description of the powers of his master-growing every day!-to Bak.u.ma, who sat and listened dully with ever an anxious eye and ear upon the forest trail.

Bak.u.ma was obsessed by terror inspired by the fact that Bakahenzie had discovered her presence; the inherent awe of the witch-doctor which had been temporarily allayed by the presence of the white, was revived, as well as the inevitability of her doom. Only the strict injunctions of Moonspirit prevented her fleeing through the jungle to take refuge in some distant goatherd village. She was convinced the wizard would soon find out where she had gone; for she was persuaded that Bakahenzie had discovered her former hiding place by magic divination, maintaining as proof that although she had been as usual completely hidden in the undergrowth, Bakahenzie had walked directly to her.