Witch-Doctors | Page 8

wizards and chiefs in the council house. Attracted by the movement,
the goat stopped bleating and stared at the King; then, putting down its
head, charged him.
With a horrified click, the Keeper of the Fires sprang. But he was not
swift enough to prevent the impact of the animal's horns with the royal
arm thrust out in self-defence. Three young chiefs came running; one
caught up the goat and carried it away bleating bellicosely; the others
knelt, and while one carefully collected a gout of blood upon the King's
forearm in a piece of banana leaf, his companion wiped the wound.
When they were satisfied that the bleeding had ceased, the pieces were
meticulously wrapped in another leaf and borne away by the Keeper of
the Fires to be deposited in the temple: for as every man knows, the
royal blood must not be spilt upon the ground lest the site be accursed
for ever and like the tooth of the dragon of Colchis, arise from the spot

ghostly warriors to annihilate the tribe.
Neither upon the face of any of the elders nor upon the features of
MFunya MPopo, the King, had a muscle moved. Yet the incident was
regarded as an evil omen.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} Then
suddenly did Bakahenzie, the chief witch-doctor, plumed with a tall
scarlet feather in addition to the green ones and a necklace of finger
bones upon his bronze chest, who sat in the centre with Kawa Kendi,
the King's son upon his right, and Zalu Zako, the grandson, upon his
left, begin to chant in a high wailing voice to the rapid rhythm of the
drums:
"Is there not a shadow come over the land? The frown of the
One-not-to-be-mentioned? I, Bakahenzie, have seen it! have seen it!"
And from the group within the council house, immobile, came the bass
chorus of assent:
"Ough! Ough!"
"Is there not a dry curse come over the land? Is it not the hot breath of
the soul of the Snake? I, Bakahenzie, have seen it! have seen it!" "Ough!
Ough!"
"Where is the false spirit that hath sinned in the act? He that hath
sinned in the shade of the name? I, Bakahenzie, have seen him! have
seen him!" "Ough! Ough!"
"Does not the keen sting of him scorch up the land? Hath not the young
bread of our bellies been slain? I, Bakahenzie, have seen it! have seen
it!" "Ough! Ough!"
The throb of the drums grew faster. Bakahenzie leaped from the crowd.
Immediately in front of the King he began to dance and to scream:
"Is the Burden too great for the Guard of the Name? Aie! Aie! Hath the
Bearer, too, fumbled the weight of the World? Aie! Aie! Is His spirit
bewitched by the soul of a girl? Aie! Aie! Hath His magical power been

slain by the sin? Aie! Aie! Hath a prophet made words in the act of a
goat? Aie! Aie! Does a saviour in hairs thirst the blood of a King? Aie!
Aie! Shall we hearken, O Chiefs, to the wish of the One? Aie! Aie! Or
be shrivelled and die in the drought of His wrath? Aie! Aie!"
Kawa Kendi, a man in early middle age, powerful and lithe-limbed, sat
as motionless as the King, his father, staring, as did all, with the fixed
stare of the anagogic.
Abruptly the drums ceased. Again came a hot silence as Bakahenzie
paused in front of MFunya MPopo. Then with a piercing yell, the
witch-doctor spun on his toes. The drums broke into an hysterical
rhythm. Bakahenzie leaped high in the air; whirled around and around
screaming hoarsely; leaped and spun continually.
The chiefs and doctors began to grunt; continued in crescendo until the
whole body throbbed and grunted to the rhythm of the drums. Yet
immobile sat MFunya MPopo.
Suddenly Bakahenzie changed the erratic course of his wild dance. He
whirled and screamed in front of the King and fell headlong, as if in a
fit, with eyes injected and foam upon the black tufts of beard.
Bakahenzie clutched his belly and began to howl like a hyena at the
moon. The drums stopped. Howl and writhe did Bakahenzie as if a
thousand fiends were tearing out his entrails.
He lay rigid. The air seemed to quiver. The lines of every man's limbs,
except the King's, were drawn in tension. Then from the prostrate body
of the witch-doctor, whose legs and arms were twisted as in agony,
whose dribbling mouth was closed like a vise, came a ventriloquous
falsetto:
"Aie-e! Aie-e! I am the spirit of Kintu! Aie-e! Aie-e! I am he who first
was! Aie-e! Aie-e! I am the banana from whom I was made! Aie-e!
Aie-e! The Keeper of the Name hath betrayed me! Aie-e! Aie-e! The
Bride of