prester john-第25章

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　earth。　　Later　I　was　to　have　the　handling　of　it；　and　could　examine　it　closely；　though　now　I　had　only　a　glimpse。　　There　were　fifty…five　rubies　in　it；　the　largest　as　big　as　a　pigeon's　egg；　and　the　least　not　smaller　than　my　thumbnail。　　In　shape　they　were　oval；　cut　on　both　sides　en　cabochon；　and　on　each　certain　characters　were　engraved。　No　doubt　this　detracted　from　their　value　as　gems；　yet　the　characters　might　have　been　removed　and　the　stones　cut　in　facets；　and　these　rubies　would　still　have　been　the　noblest　in　the　world。　　I　was　no　jewel　merchant　to　guess　their　value；　but　I　knew　enough　to　see　that　here　was　wealth　beyond　human　computation。　　At　each　end　of　the　string　was　a　great　pearl　and　a　golden　clasp。　　The　sight　absorbed　me　to　the　exclusion　of　all　fear。　　I；　David　Crawfurd；　nineteen　years　of　age；　an　assistant…　storekeeper　in　a　back…veld　dorp；　was　privileged　to　see　a　sight　to　which　no　Portuguese　adventurer　had　ever　attained。　　There；　floating　on　the　smoke…wreaths；　was　the　jewel　which　may　once　have　burned　in　Sheba's　hair。　As　the　priest　held　the　collar　aloft；　the　assembly　rocked　with　a　strange　passion。　　Foreheads　were　rubbed　in　the　dust；　and　then　adoring　eyes　would　be　raised；　while　a　kind　of　sobbing　shook　the　worshippers。　　In　that　moment　I　learned　something　of　the　secret　of　Africa；　of　Prester　John's　empire　and　Tchaka's　victories。

；　In　the　name　of　God；'　came　the　voice；　'I　deliver　to　the　heir　of　John　the　Snake　of　John。'

Laputa　took　the　necklet　and　twined　it　in　two　loops　round　his　neck　till　the　clasp　hung　down　over　his　breast。　　The　position　changed。　　The　priest　knelt　before　him；　and　received　his　hands　on　his　head。　　Then　I　knew　that；　to　the　confusion　of　all　talk　about　equality；　God　has　ordained　some　men　to　be　kings　and　others　to　serve。　　Laputa　stood　naked　as　when　he　was　born；　The　rubies　were　dulled　against　the　background　of　his　skin；　but　they　still　shone　with　a　dusky　fire。　　Above　the　blood…red　collar　his　face　had　the　passive　pride　of　a　Roman　emperor。　　Only　his　great　eyes　gloomed　and　burned　as　he　looked　on　his　followers。

'Heir　of　John；'　he　said；　'I　stand　before　you　as　priest　and　king。　　My　kingship　is　for　the　morrow。　　Now　I　am　the　priest　to　make　intercession　for　my　people。'

He　prayed　…　prayed　as　I　never　heard　man　pray　before　…　and　to　the　God　of　Israel！　　It　was　no　heathen　fetich　he　was　invoking；　but　the　God　of　whom　he　had　often　preached　in　Christian　kirks。　　I　recognized　texts　from　Isaiah　and　the　Psalms　and　the　Gospels；　and　very　especially　from　the　two　last　chapters　of　Revelation。　　He　pled　with　God　to　forget　the　sins　of　his　people；　to　recall　the　bondage　of　Zion。　　It　was　amazing　to　hear　these　bloodthirsty　savages　consecrated　by　their　leader　to　the　meek　service　of　Christ。　　An　enthusiast　may　deceive　himself；　and　I　did　not　question　his　sincerity。　　I　knew　his　heart；　black　with　all　the　lusts　of　paganism。　　I　knew　that　his　purpose　was　to　deluge　the　land　with　blood。　　But　I　knew　also　that　in　his　eyes　his　mission　was　divine；　and　that　he　felt　behind　him　all　the　armies　of　Heaven。

__'Thou　hast　been　a　strength　to　the　poor；'　said　the　voice；　'a　refuge　from　the　storm；　a　shadow　from　the　heat；　when　the　blast　of　the　Terrible　Ones　is　as　a　storm　against　a　wall。

__'Thou　shalt　bring　down　the　noise　of　strangers；　as　the　heat　in　a　dry　place；　the　branch　of　the　Terrible　Ones　shall　be　brought　low。

__'And　in　this　mountain　shall　the　Lord　of　Hosts　make　unto　all　people　a　feast　of　fat　things；　a　feast　of　wines　on　the　lees；　of　fat　things　full　of　marrow。

__'And　He　will　destroy　in　this　mountain　the　face　of　the　covering　cast　over　all　people；　and　the　vail　that　is　brought　over　all　nations。　__'And　the　rebuke　of　His　people　shall　He　take　away　from　off　all　the　earth；　for　the　Lord　hath　spoken　it。'_

I　listened　spellbound　as　he　prayed。　　I　heard　the　phrases　familiar　to　me　in　my　schooldays　at　Kirkcaple。　　He　had　some　of　the　tones　of　my　father's　voice；　and　when　I　shut　my　eyes　I　could　have　believed　myself　a　child　again。　　So　much　he　had　got　from　his　apprenticeship　to　the　ministry。　　I　wondered　vaguely　what　the　good　folks　who　had　listened　to　him　in　churches　and　halls　at　home　would　think　of　him　now。　　But　there　was　in　the　prayer　more　than　the　supplications　of　the　quondam　preacher。　There　was　a　tone　of　arrogant　pride；　the　pride　of　the　man　to　whom　the　Almighty　is　only　another　and　greater　Lord　of　Hosts。　He　prayed　less　as　a　suppliant　than　as　an　ally。　　A　strange　emotion　tingled　in　my　blood；　half　awe；　half　sympathy。　　As　I　have　said；　I　understood　that　there　are　men　born　to　kingship。

He　ceased　with　a　benediction。　　Then　he　put　on　his　leopard…　skin　cloak　and　kilt；　and　received　from　the　kneeling　chief　a　spear　and　shield。　　Now　he　was　more　king　than　priest；　more　barbarian　than　Christian。　　It　was　as　a　king　that　he　now　spoke。

I　had　heard　him　on　board　the　liner；　and　had　thought　his　voice　the　most　wonderful　I　had　ever　met　with。　　But　now　in　that　great　resonant　hall　the　magic　of　it　was　doubled。　　He　played　upon　the　souls　of　his　hearers　as　on　a　musical　instrument。　　At　will　he　struck　the　chords　of　pride；　fury；　hate；　and　mad　joy。　Now　they　would　be　hushed　in　breathless　quiet；　and　now　the　place　would　echo　with　savage　assent。　　I　remember　noticing　that　the　face　of　my　neighbour；　'Mwanga；　was　running　with　tears。

He　spoke　of　the　great　days　of　Prester　John；　and　a　hundred　names　I　had　never　heard　of。　　He　pictured　the　heroic　age　of　his　nation；　when　every　man　was　a　warrior　and　hunter；　and　rich　kraals　stood　in　the　spots　now　desecrated　by　the　white　man；　and　cattle　wandered　on　a　thousand　hills。　　Then　he　told　tales　of　white　infamy；　lands　snatched　from　their　rightful　possessors；　unjust　laws　which　forced　the　Ethiopian　to　the　bondage　of　a　despised　caste；　the　finger　of　scorn　everywhere；　and　the　mocking　word。　　If　it　be　the　part　of　an　orator　to　rouse　the　passion　of　his　hearers；　Laputa　was　the　greatest　on　earth。　　'What　have　ye　gained　from　the　white　man？'　he　cried。　　'A　bastard　civilization　which　has　sapped　your　manhood；　a　false　religion　which　would　rivet　on　you　the　chains　of　the　slave。　　Ye；　the　old　masters　of　the　land；　are　now　the　servants　of　the　oppressor。　　And　yet　the　oppressors　are　few；　and　the　fear　of　you　is　in　their　hearts。　　They　feast　in　their　great　cities；　but　they　see　the　writing　on　the　wall；　and　their　eyes　are　anxiously　turning　lest　the　enemy　be　at　their　gates。'　　I　cannot　hope　in　my　prosaic　words　to　reproduce　that　amazing　discourse。　　Phrases　which　the　hearers　had　heard　at　mission　schools　now　suddenly　appeared；　not　as　the　white　man's　learning；　but　as　God's　message　to　His　own。　　Laputa　fitted　the　key　to　the　cipher；　and　the　meaning　was　clear。　　He　concluded；　I　remember；　with　a　picture　of　the　overthrow　of　the　alien；　and　the　golden　age　which　would　dawn　for　the　oppressed。　　Another　Ethiopian　empire　would　arise；　so　majestic　that　the　white　man　everywhere　would　dread　its　name；　so　righteous　that　all　men　under　it　would　live　in　ease　and　peace。

By　rights；　I　suppose；　my　blood　should　have　been　boiling　at　this　treason。　　I　am　ashamed　to　confess　that　it　did　nothing　of　the　sort。　　My　mind　was　mesmerized　by　this　amazing　man。　　I　could　not　refrain　from　shouting　with　the　rest。　　Indeed　I　was　a　convert；　if　there　can　be　conversion　when　the　emotions　are　dominant　and　there　is　no　assent　from　the　brain。　　I　had　a　mad　desire　to　be　of　Laputa's　party。　　Or　rather；　I　longed　for　a　leader　who　should　master　me　and　make　my　soul　his　own；　as　this　man　mastered　his　followers。　　I　have　already　said　that　I　might　have　made　a　good　subaltern　soldier；　and　the　proof　is　that　I　longed　for　such　a　general。

As　the　voice　ceased　there　was　a　deep　silence。　　The　hearers　were　in　a　sort　of　trance；　their　eyes　fixed　glassily　on　Laputa's　face。　　It　was　the　quiet　of　tense　nerves　and　imagination　at　white…　heat。　　I　had　to　struggle　with　a　spell　which　gripped　me　equally　with　the　wildest　savage。　　I　forced　myself　to　look　round　at　the　strained　faces；　the　wall　of　the　cascade；　the　line　of　torches。　　It　was　the　sight　of　Henriques　that　broke　the　charm。　　Here　was　one　who　had　no　part　in　the　emotion。　　I　caught　his　eye　fixed　on　the　rubies；　and　in　it　I　read　only　a　devouring　greed。　　It　flashed　through　my　mind　that　Laputa　had　a　foe　in　his　own　camp；　and　the　Prester's　collar　a　votary　whose　passion　was　not　that　of　worship。

The　next　thing　I　remember　was　a　movement　among　the　first　ranks。　　The　chiefs