The Ivory Child

by H. Rider Haggard

  Hans was quite right about the Black Kendah. They cleared out, probablyin search of food, where I do not know and I do not care, though whetherthis were a temporary or permanent move on their part remains, and sofar as I am concerned is likely to remain, veiled in obscurity. Theywere great blackguards, though extraordinarily fine soldiers, and whatbecame of them is a matter of complete indifference to me. One thing iscertain, however, a very large percentage of them never migrated at all,for something over three thousand of their bodies did our people have tobury in the pass and about the temple, a purpose for which all the pitsand trenches we had dug came in very useful. Our loss, by the way, wasfive hundred and three, including those who died of wounds. It was agreat fight and, except for those who perished in the pitfalls duringthe first rush, all practically hand to hand.

  Jana we interred where he fell because we could not move him, within afew feet of the body of his slayer Hans. I have always regretted thatI did not take the exact measurements of this brute, as I believe therecord elephant of the world, but I had no time to do so and no rule ortape at hand. I only saw him for a minute on the following morning, justas he was being tumbled into a huge hole, together with the remains ofhis master, Simba the King. I found, however, that the sole wounds uponhim, save some cuts and scratches from spears, were those inflicted byHans--namely, the loss of one eye, the puncture through the skin overthe heart made when he shot at him for the second time with the littlerifle Intombi, and two neat holes at the back of the mouth through whichthe bullets from the elephant gun had driven upwards to the base of thebrain, causing his death from haemorrhage on that organ.

  I asked the White Kendah to give me his two enormous tusks, unequalled,I suppose, in size and weight in Africa, although one was deformedand broken. But they refused. These, I presume, they wished to keep,together with the chains off his breast and trunk, as mementoes of theirvictory over the god of their foes. At any rate they hewed the formerout with axes and removed the latter before tumbling the carcass intothe grave. From the worn-down state of the teeth I concluded that thisbeast must have been extraordinarily old, how old it is impossible tosay.

  That is all I have to tell of Jana. May he rest in peace, whichcertainly he will not do if Hans dwells anywhere in his neighbourhood,in the region which the old boy used to call that of the "fires thatdo not go out." Because of my horrible failure in connection with thisbeast, the very memory of which humiliates me, I do not like to think ofit more than I can help.

  For the rest the White Kendah kept faith with us in every particular. Ina curious and semi-religious ceremony, at which I was not present, LadyRagnall was absolved from her high office of Guardian or Nurse to a godwhereof the symbol no longer existed, though I believe that the priestscollected the tiny fragments of ivory, or as many of them as could befound, and preserved them in a jar in the sanctuary. After this hadbeen done women stripped the Nurse of her hallowed robes, of the ancientorigin of which, by the way, I believe that none of them, except perhapsHarut, had any idea, any more than they knew that the Child representedthe Egyptian Horus and his lady Guardian the moon-goddess Isis. Then,dressed in some native garments, she was handed over to Ragnall andthenceforth treated as a stranger-guest, like ourselves, being allowed,however, to live with her husband in the same house that she hadoccupied during all the period of her strange captivity. Here they abodetogether, lost in the mutual bliss of this wonderful reunion to whichthey had attained through so much bodily and spiritual darkness andmisery, until a month or so later we started upon our journey across themountains and the great desert that lay beyond them.

  Only once did I find any real opportunity of private conversation withLady Ragnall.

  This happened after her husband had recovered from the hurts he receivedin the battle, on an occasion when he was obliged to separate from herfor a day in order to attend to some matter in the Town of the Child.I think it had to do with the rifles used in the battle, which he hadpresented to the White Kendah. So, leaving me to look after her, hewent, unwillingly enough, who seemed to hate losing sight of his wifeeven for an hour.

  I took her for a walk in the wood, to that very point indeed on the lipof the crater whence we had watched her play her part as priestess atthe Feast of the First-fruits. After we had stood there a while we wentdown among the great cedars, trying to retrace the last part of ourmarch through the darkness of that anxious night, whereof now for thefirst time I told her all the story.

  Growing tired of scrambling among the fallen boughs, at length LadyRagnall sat down and said:

  "Do you know, Mr. Quatermain, these are the first words we have reallyhad since that party at Ragnall before I was married, when, as you mayhave forgotten, you took me in to dinner."

  I replied that there was nothing I recollected much more clearly, whichwas both true and the right thing to say, or so I supposed.

  "Well," she said slowly, "you see that after all there was something inthose fancies of mine which at the time you thought would best be dealtwith by a doctor--about Africa and the rest, I mean."

  "Yes, Lady Ragnall, though of course we should always remember thatcoincidence accounts for many things. In any case they are done withnow."

  "Not quite, Mr. Quatermain, even as you mean, since we have still a longway to go. Also in another sense I believe that they are but begun."

  "I do not understand, Lady Ragnall."

  "Nor do I, but listen. You know that of anything which happened duringthose months I have no memory at all, except of that one dream when Iseemed to see George and Savage in the hut. I remember my baby beingkilled by that horrible circus elephant, just as the Ivory Child waskilled or rather destroyed by Jana, which I suppose is another of yourcoincidences, Mr. Quatermain. After that I remember nothing until I wokeup and saw George standing in front of me covered with blood, and you,and Jana dead, and the rest."

  "Because during that time your mind was gone, Lady Ragnall."

  "Yes, but where had it gone? I tell you, Mr. Quatermain, that althoughI remember nothing of what was passing about me then, I do remember agreat deal of what seemed to be passing either long ago or in some timeto come, though I have said nothing of it to George, as I hope you willnot either. It might upset him."

  "What do you remember?" I asked.

  "That's the trouble; I can't tell you. What was once very clear to mehas for the most part become vague and formless. When my mind tries tograsp it, it slips away. It was another life to this, quite a differentlife; and there was a great story in it of which I think what we havebeen going through is either a sequel or a prologue. I see, or saw,cities and temples with people moving about them, George and you amongthem, also that old priest, Harut. You will laugh, but my recollectionis that you stood in some relationship to me, either that of father orbrother."

  "Or perhaps a cousin," I suggested.

  "Or perhaps a cousin," she repeated, smiling, "or a great friend; at anyrate something very intimate. As for George, I don't know what he was,or Harut either. But the odd thing is that little yellow man, Hans, whomI only saw once living for a few minutes that I can remember, comes moreclearly back to my mind than any of you. He was a dwarf, much stouterthan when I saw him the other day, but very like. I recall him curiouslydressed with feathers and holding an ivory rod, seated upon a stoolat the feet of a great personage--a king, I think. The king asked himquestions, and everyone listened to his answers. That is all, exceptthat the scenes seemed to be flooded with sunlight."

  "Which is more than this place is. I think we had better be moving, LadyRagnall, or you will catch a chill under these damp cedars."

  I said this because I did not wish to pursue the conversation. Iconsidered it too exciting under all her circumstances, especially as Iperceived that mystical look gathering on her face and in her beautifuleyes, which I remembered noting before she was married.

  She read my thoughts and answered with a laugh:

  "Yes, it is damp; but you know I am very strong and damp will not hur
tme. For the rest you need not be afraid, Mr. Quatermain. I did not losemy mind. It was taken from me by some power and sent to live elsewhere.Now it has been given back and I do not think it will be taken again inthat way."

  "Of course it won't," I exclaimed confidently. "Whoever dreamed of sucha thing?"

  "_You_ did," she answered, looking me in the eyes. "Now before we go Iwant to say one more thing. Harut and the head priestess have made me apresent. They have given me a box full of that herb they called tobacco,but of which I have discovered the real name is Taduki. It is the samethat they burned in the bowl when you and I saw visions at RagnallCastle, which visions, Mr. Quatermain, by another of your coincidences,have since been translated into facts."

  "I know. We saw you breathe that smoke again as priestess when youuttered the prophecy as Oracle of the Child at the Feast of theFirst-fruits. But what are you going to do with this stuff, LadyRagnall? I think you have had enough of visions just at present."

  "So do I, though to tell you the truth I like them. I am going to keepit and do nothing--as yet. Still, I want you always to remember onething--don't laugh at me"--here again she looked me in the eyes--"thatthere is a time coming, some way off I think, when I and you--no oneelse, Mr. Quatermain--will breathe that smoke again together and seestrange things."

  "No, no!" I replied, "I have given up tobacco of the Kendah variety; itis too strong for me."

  "Yes, yes!" she said, "for something that is stronger than the Kendahtobacco will make you do it--when I wish."

  "Did Harut tell you that, Lady Ragnall?"

  "I don't know," she answered confusedly. "I think the Ivory Childtold me; it used to talk to me often. You know that Child isn't reallydestroyed. Like my reason that seemed to be lost, it has only gonebackwards or forwards where you and I shall see it again. You and I andno others--unless it be the little yellow man. I repeat that I do notknow when that will be. Perhaps it is written in those rolls of papyrus,which they have given me also, because they said they belonged to mewho am 'the first priestess and the last.' They told me, however, orperhaps," she added, passing her hand across her forehead, "it was theChild who told me, that I was not to attempt to read them or have themread, until after a great change in my life. What the change will be Ido not know."

  "And had better not inquire, Lady Ragnall, since in this world mostchanges are for the worse."

  "I agree, and shall not inquire. Now I have spoken to you like thisbecause I felt that I must do so. Also I want to thank you for all youhave done for me and George. Probably we shall not talk in such a wayagain; as I am situated the opportunity will be lacking, even if thewish is present. So once more I thank you from my heart. Until we meetagain--I mean really meet--good-bye," and she held her right hand to mein such a fashion that I knew she meant me to kiss it.

  This I did very reverently and we walked back to the temple almost insilence.