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!" 

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Roboto Lora
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