She and Allan | Page 5

were recommended to me. These were
full of fine words, undiscoverable in a pocket dictionary, but really
took me no forwarder, since in them I found nothing that I could not
have invented myself, although while I was actually studying them,
they seemed to convince me. I even tackled Swedenborg, or rather
samples of him, for he is very copious, but without satisfactory results.
[Ha!-- JB]
Then I gave up the business.

Some months later I was in Zululand and being near the Black Kloof
where he dwelt, I paid a visit to my acquaintance of whom I have
written elsewhere, the wonderful and ancient dwarf, Zikali, known as
"The-Thing-that-should-never-have-been-born," also more universally
among the Zulus as "Opener-of-Roads." When we had talked of many
things connected with the state of Zululand and its politics, I rose to
leave for my waggon, since I never cared for sleeping in the Black
Kloof if it could be avoided.
"Is there nothing else that you want to ask me, Macumazahn?" asked
the old dwarf, tossing back his long hair and looking at--I had almost
written through--me.
I shook my head.
"That is strange, Macumazahn, for I seem to see something written on

your mind--something to do with spirits."
Then I remembered all the problems that had been troubling me,
although in truth I had never thought of propounding them to Zikali.
"Ah! it comes back, does it?" he exclaimed, reading my thought. "Out
with it, then, Macumazahn, while I am in a mood to answer, and before
I grow tired, for you are an old friend of mine and will so remain till
the end, many years hence, and if I can serve you, I will."
I filled my pipe and sat down again upon the stool of carved red-wood
which had been brought for me.
"You are named 'Opener-of-Roads,' are you not, Zikali?" I said.
"Yes, the Zulus have always called me that, since before the days of
Chaka. But what of names, which often enough mean nothing at all?"
"Only that /I/ want to open a road, Zikali, that which runs across the
River of Death."
"Oho!" he laughed, "it is very easy," and snatching up a little assegai
that lay beside him, he proffered it to me, adding, "Be brave now and
fall on that. Then before I have counted sixty the road will be wide
open, but whether you will see anything on it I cannot tell you."
Again I shook my head and answered,
"It is against our law. Also while I still live I desire to know whether I
shall meet certain others on that road after my time has come to cross
the River. Perhaps you who deal with spirits, can prove the matter to
me, which no one else seems able to do."
"Oho!" laughed Zikali again. "What do my ears hear? Am I, the poor
Zulu cheat, as you will remember once you called me, Macumazahn,
asked to show that which is hidden from all the wisdom of the great
White People?"
"The question is," I answered with irritation, "not what you are asked to

do, but what you can do."
"That I do not know yet, Macumazahn. Whose spirits do you desire to
see? If that of a woman called Mameena is one of them, I think that
perhaps I whom she loved----"[*]
[*] For the history of Mameena see the book called "Child of Storm."--
Editor.
"She is /not/ one of them, Zikali. Moreover, if she loved you, you paid
back her love with death."
"Which perhaps was the kindest thing I could do, Macumazahn, for
reasons that you may be able to guess, and others with which I will not
trouble you. But if not hers, whose? Let me look, let me look! Why,
there seems to be two of them, head-wives, I mean, and I thought that
white men only took one wife. Also a multitude of others; their faces
float up in the water of your mind. An old man with grey hair, little
children, perhaps they were brothers and sisters, and some who may be
friends. Also very clear indeed that Mameena whom you do not wish to
see. Well, Macumazahn, this is unfortunate, since she is the only one
whom I can show you, or rather put you in the way of finding. Unless
indeed there are other Kaffir women----"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I mean, Macumazahn, that only black feet travel on the road which I
can open; over those in which ran white blood I have no power."
"Then it is finished," I said, rising again and taking a step or two
towards the gate.
"Come back and sit down, Macumazahn. I did not say so. Am I the
only ruler of magic in