Копи царя Соломона
Solomon’s Road
"Putdownyourguns!"Ihalloedtotheothers, seeingthatouronlychanceofsafetylayinconciliation. Theyobeyed,andwalkingtothefrontIaddressedtheelderlymanwhohadcheckedtheyouth.
"Greeting,"IsaidinZulu,notknowingwhatlanguagetouse. TomysurpriseIwasunderstood.
"Greeting,"answeredtheoldman,not,indeed,inthesametongue,butinadialectsocloselyalliedtoitthatneitherUmbopanormyselfhadanydifficultyinunderstandinghim. Indeed,asweafterwardsfoundout,thelanguagespokenbythispeopleisanold-fashionedformoftheZulutongue, bearingaboutthesamerelationshiptoitthattheEnglishofChaucerdoestotheEnglishofthenineteenthcentury.
"Whencecomeyou?"hewenton,"whoareyou?andwhyarethefacesofthreeofyouwhite,andthefaceofthefourthasthefaceofourmother’ssons?"andhepointedtoUmbopa. IlookedatUmbopaashesaidit,anditflashedacrossmethathewasright. ThefaceofUmbopawaslikethefacesofthemenbeforeme,andsowashisgreatformliketheirforms. ButIhadnottimetoreflectonthiscoincidence.
"Wearestrangers,andcomeinpeace,"Ianswered,speakingveryslowly,sothathemightunderstandme,"andthismanisourservant."
"Youlie,"heanswered;"nostrangerscancrossthemountainswhereallthingsperish. Butwhatdoyourliesmatter? —ifyearestrangersthenyemustdie,fornostrangersmayliveinthelandoftheKukuanas. Itistheking’slaw.Preparethentodie,Ostrangers!"
