The Land of Foam

by Ivan Yefremov

  Breathing heavily from the exertion of his rapid journey he approached Cavius with his hands outstretched, palms upwards. The Etruscan recognized this as a sign of friendship and answered with the same gesture. The guide then squatted on his heels in the shade of the tree and, leaning on his long spear, began to talk rapidly, pointing towards the river and to the south. His listeners, however, were at a loss: the Nubian did not know more than ten words of the language of Tha-Quem while Cavius did not understand a single word of what the Nubian was saying. Amongst the slaves, however, they found interpreters.

  It turned out that the guide had dropped back from the party of soldiers and had returned in order to help the slaves find their way. The Nubian told them that the liberated slaves were driven out of the districts subordinate to Tha-Quem so that it would be dangerous for them to return to the river — they might be enslaved again. The guide advised Cavius to journey to the west where they would soon come to a big, dry valley. They must travel southwards through this valley for four days until they met peaceful nomad herdsmen.

  “You will give them this,” said the Nubian, taking out of a sheet, that was thrown across his shoulder, a kind of symbol made of red twigs, bent and plaited into a special shape, “then they will receive you hospitably and will give you asses to carry the wounded. Still farther to the south is the country of a rich and peaceful people, who hate Quemt. There the wounded can be healed. The farther you go to the south the more water you will find and the rains will be more frequent. You will always find water in the dry watercourse that you will follow if you dig a hole two cubits deep…”

  The Nubian rose to his feet, in a hurry to go; Cavius wanted to thank him but suddenly they were approached by one of the Asian slaves with a long, tangled and dirty beard and a mass of uncombed hair on his head.

  “Why do you advise us to go to the west and the south? Our home’s there.” And the Asian pointed to the east, in the direction of the river.

  The Nubian stared fixedly at the speaker and then answered slowly, pausing after each word:

  “If you cross the river, you will find a waterless stony desert in the east. If you cross the desert and the high mountains, you will reach the shores of the sea where Tha-Quem rules. If you are able to cross the sea, on the other side, it is said, there is a desert still more terrible. In the mountains and along the River of Perfumes there live tribes that provide slaves for Tha-Quem in exchange for weapons. Think it over for yourself!”

  “Is there no road to the north?” asked one of the Libyans in wheedling tones.

  “Two days journey to the north begins an endless desert: at first it is dry clay and stones and beyond them there is sand. How will you go that way and for what? It may be that there are roads and sources of water there, but I do not know them. I have told you of the easiest road, the one I know well…” Indicating with a gesture that the talk was at an end the Nubian left the shade of the tree.

  Cavius followed him, placed his arm round his shoulders and began to thank him, mixing Egyptian and Etruscan words; then he called an interpreter.

  “I have nothing I can give, I have nothing myself except..” the Etruscan touched his dirty loin-cloth, “… but I shall always keep you in my heart.”

  “I want no payment for my help, I, too, follow the dictates of my heart,” answered the Nubian with a smile. “Who of us that have known the oppression of Tha-Quem would not help you brave men who have gained your liberty at such a terrible price?! Look here, you take my advice and keep the symbol I gave you… I’ll tell you something else: there’s a water-hole to your right, about two thousand cubits from here, but you had better go away today, before nightfall. Good-bye, bold foreigner, my greetings to your comrades. I must hurry.”

  The guide disappeared and Cavius, wrapped in thought, looked long after him.

  No, they could not leave today and abandon their dying comrades to be torn to pieces by the hyenas. If there were water nearby that would be all the more reason for staying where they were.

  Cavius returned to his comrades who were discussing what was to be done next. Since they had quenched their thirst and eaten, the men had become cooler in their judgement and were carefully weighing up the next move.

  It was clear to all of them that it would be impossible to go north — they had to get away from the river as quickly as possible, but opinions were divided on the question of whether to go south or east.

  The Asians, who constituted almost a half of the survivors, did not want to go deeper into the Land of the Black People and insisted on travelling eastwards. The Nubians said that in three, weeks they could reach the shores of the narrow sea that divided Nubia from Asia and the Asians were ready to attempt another journey through the desert to get home more quickly.

  Cavius had been taken captive during an armed expedition. He had a family in his native land, and he hesitated: the possibility of a speedy return home was very tempting. His shortest way would be through Quemt, floating downstream in a boat until they reached the sea; but as an experienced soldier, who had spent much of his life wandering, he realized that a small group of people, lost in a strange land, especially in a desert, where every water-hole was known, could only survive by a miracle. So far the Etruscan had not met with any miracles in his life and did not have much faith in them.:

  Kidogo, who had left Pandion in order to take part in the, council, now put in his word. It turned out that Kidogo was the son of a potter and came from a rich and numerous tribe living on the seacoast that forms the western boundary of the Land of the Black People. Here the dry land was indented by a huge bay called the Southern Horn…(The Gulf of Guinea.) Kidogo did not know the road home from Nubia: he had been taken captive on the edge of the Great Desert when he was on his way to Quemt, impelled by a passionate desire to see for himself the miracles of craftsmanship performed in that country. The Negro, however, believed that his homeland could not be very far to the south-west from the scene of the recent battle. Kidogo assured the others that they could learn the right road from that tribe to which the Nubian guide had advised them to go. Kidogo promised hospitality to all his comrades if they reached the country where his people lived; he then told Cavius that in his childhood he had heard that people like him and Pandion had sailed from the northern seas to visit his country. After Cavius had weighed everything up he advised his comrades to take the advice of the Nubian guide and journey to the south, for Kidogo’s words made the unknown Land of the Black People seem less hostile to him. The sea there was free, was not under the rule of the hated Tha-Quem and would provide the road by which they could return to their homes. The Etruscan trusted the sea more than he did the desert. The Asians protested and would not agree but the Libyans supported Cavius, to say nothing of the Negroes — all of them were prepared to journey to the south and the west: there lay the road to their homes.

  The Asians maintained that they did not know how the nomads would treat them, and especially how they would be received by that numerous tribe the guide had spoken of; they said that the symbol the guide had given Cavius might be a trap and that they would again be made slaves.

  It was then that the Negro who lay with a broken leg attracted attention to himself by snouts and gestures. Hurriedly, swallowing his words and spluttering, he said something, trying to smile and frequently beating his breast. From that impassioned speech, from that flood of unknown words, Cavius understood that the Negro came from that tribe the guide advised them to try to reach with the aid of the nomad herdsmen, and that he was avowing the peacefulness of his people. Then Cavius made his decision and took the side of the Negroes and Libyans; he spoke against the Asians who continued to insist on their plan. The sun was already sinking and they had to think about water and a bivouac for the night, so Cavius advised them to wait until morning. Although they all wanted to get away from that terrible glade, strewn with their dead, they had to stay there in order not to cause the dying unnecessary suffering by-moving them. Ten men went t
o the water-hole indicated by the Nubian and returned with jars full of warm, brackish water that smelled of clay. On the advice of the Negroes a fence of thorn branches was built between the trees to ward off the attacks of the hyenas. On the side facing the glade, three fires were built. Three men remained to watch the wounded and ten men with spears sat by the fires. In those parts night falls quickly. The clouds were still visible in the west when, from the north and the east, there came rolling a wave of darkness, that drowned the tops of the trees, lighting the countless lamps of the stars above them. Very soon Cavius, who was unacquainted with southern countries, understood why the guide had advised them to leave this place as soon as possible. The howling of the jackals filled the air and from all sides came the hysterical laughing of the hyenas. It seemed that hundreds of the animals had come running from all directions to devour not only the dead but the living as well. There was a fearful racket on the glade, grunting, the cracking of bones and sounds of gnawing. The sickly-sweet smell of bodies decomposing in the heat spread rapidly over the earth.

  The men shouted, threw clots of earth and stones, ran out with flaming brands, but it was all in vain — the number of carrion seekers steadily increased.

  Suddenly a dull rattling sound came from beyond the thorn barrier followed by a thunderous roar that seemed to roll along the ground and shake the earth. The animals feeding on the glade fell silent. The men who had been sleeping awoke and jumped to their feet; in the silence that ensued the wounded groaned more loudly. The roar drew nearer to them, a low sound of terrible strength that seemed to come from a huge trumpet. An indistinct silhouette with a huge head appeared beside the end tree — an enormous lion was approaching the frightened men and behind it slunk the sinuous shape of a lioness. Spears were turned in the direction of the animals, their bronze tips shining faintly in the dull flames of the fires. At the risk of firing the dry grass the men shouted and threw burning brands at the lions. The stupefied animals stopped in their tracks, then ran off to the glade. The men stood with their spears ready, for — a long time, but the lions did not attack.

  Those whose turn it was to rest had not had time to fall asleep before the air was again rent by the thunderous roar of a lion, followed by a second and a third. No less than three lions were wandering round the camp and the lioness, who had appeared earlier, made a fourth. The men realized that the low, carelessly built barrier was unpardonable neglect on their part. Four men with spears stood ready to repel any possible attack from behind, while the six other spearmen remained standing by the fires. Nobody slept any more. The men armed themselves with whatever they could and sat or stood staring into the darkness. Another roar rent the air and an enormous lion with a sand-coloured mane appeared near the end fire. The flickering flames of the fire made the huge beast seem still bigger and his eyes, fixed on the people, radiated a green gleam. By sheer bad luck one of the northern Asians, inexperienced in hunting, stood nearby with a bow. Frightened by the animal’s roar, he sent an arrow straight into its face. The roar broke off with a drawn-out moan, that turned to a hoarse cough and then ceased.

  “Look out!” came the desperate cry of one of the Nubians.

  The lion’s body whirled through the air; with a single bound the animal crossed the line of fires and landed between the people. It was not easy to cause confusion amongst the conquerors of the white rhinoceros — spears stopped the lion, biting into his flanks and chest while four arrows pierced his sinuous body. Two spear-shafts broke with a dry crack under the heavy blows of the lion’s paws and at that moment three tall Negroes, projecting themselves with round shields, thrust their heavy knives into the beast’s chest… The lion howled long and plaintively and the _men, covered with his blood, jumped back.

  A momentary silence was broken by deafening shouts of victory that rolled across the plain. The body of the dead lion was thrown down in front of the fires and the men set about binding the injuries of two freshly wounded, who were still trembling with the fever of battle.

  The lions wandered round the encampment until sunrise, roaring furiously from time to time, but they made no further attacks.

  With the dawn of a new day, that came with blinding suddenness, five of the badly wounded men died. Another seven were found to have died during the night — in the excitement of the scuffle with the lion nobody had noticed when it occurred. Akhnii was still breathing, his grey lips moving faintly from time to time.

  Pandion lay with his eyes open, his breast rose and fell with calm, regular breathing. Kidogo bent over him and was horrified to discover that his friend could not see him. But when he brought water Pandion drank it immediately and slowly closed his eyes.

  After a breakfast from the remnants of yesterday’s food Cavius proposed to start out. The Asians had come to an agreement amongst themselves during the night and objected. They shouted that in a country where there were so many beasts of prey they must inevitably perish; they must hurry to escape from this diabolical plain and the desert was safer and better known to them. No matter how much Cavius and the Negroes tried to persuade them they remained resolute.

  “Very well, do as you please,” said the Etruscan with determination. “I’m going south with Kidogo. Let those who want to go with us come here, those who want to go east, over there to the left.”

  A group of black and bronze-coloured bodies immediately formed around the Etruscan — the Negroes, Libyans and Nubians were with him, altogether thirty-seven men, not counting Pandion and the Negro with the broken leg who had raised himself on one elbow and was listening intently to what was going on.

  Thirty-two men went to the left and stood with their heads stubbornly bowed.

  The weapons and vessels for water were divided equally between the two groups so that the Asians would not be able to blame their comrades for a possible failure.

  As soon as the things had been shared out, the long-bearded leader of the Asians led his people away to the east, towards the river, as though their affection for their comrades might shake their determination. Those who remained stood for a long time looking after those who had parted from them on the threshold of liberty, then with sighs of sadness set about their own affairs.

  Cavius and Kidogo examined Pandion and the wounded Negro and carried them over to another thin-branched tree. When they tried to lift Akhmi, a howl escaped the Libyan’s throat and the last breath of life left the body of that bold fighter for freedom.

  Cavius advised the Libyans to lift the dead man on to a tree and tie him securely with ropes. This was immediately done although they knew that the body would be torn to pieces by carrion birds; nevertheless it seemed less repulsive than leaving him as food for the foul hyenas.

  In silence, without a single word, Cavius and Kidogo cut a number of branches.

  “What are you doing?” asked one of the tall Negroes, approaching the Etruscan.

  “Litters. Kidogo and I will carry him.” Cavius pointed to Pandion. “And you will carry him,” he pointed to the Negro with his leg in splints. “The Libyan will be able to walk without help with his arm in a sling.”

  “We’ll all carry the man who was the first to jump on to the rhinoceros,” answered the Negro, turning to his companions. “That brave man saved us all. How can we forget it? Wait a bit, we can make better litters.”

  Four Negroes set to work with great skill making litters. They were soon ready — the many ropes left lying on the scene of the battle with the rhinoceros were plaited between long poles which were kept rigid by double struts’ between them. In the centre of the struts they placed little cushions made of hard bark and covered with a piece of lion’s skin. The Negro with the broken leg watched them at work, smiling joyously, his dark eyes filled with an expression of loyalty.

  The wounded men were placed on the litters and everything was ready for the departure. The Negroes stood in pairs by the litters, lifted them high to the full length of their arms, and fixed the little cushions firmly on their heads. The litte
r-bearers started out first, marching easily and in step.

  Thus it was that Pandion set out on his journey without having recovered consciousness. Two Nubians and a Negro, armed with spears and a bow, undertook to act as guides; they went ahead and the other thirty men followed in single file behind the litters. The end of the procession was brought up by another three armed men, two with spears and one with a bow. The travellers passed round the edge of the open glade westwards, trying not to look at the remains of their comrades and carrying with them a bitter memory of guilt at not having been able to shield them from the nocturnal depredations of the carrion eaters.

  Shortly after their midday halt they reached a wide dry watercourse that even from a distance was visible on account of the lines of bushes that edged it and stood out clearly against the yellow grass of the plain.

  The watercourse took them due south and they continued without further halts until sundown. That day they did not have to dig for water — a small spring sent its waters to the surface through a crack between two blocks of coarse-grained, friable stone; but they had to work hard preparing their camp and encircling it with a wall of thorn-bushes. That night they all slept soundly, not in the least troubled by the distant roars of lions and hyenas prowling in the darkness.

  The second and third days passed quietly. Only once did they see the black mass of a rhinoceros plodding through the grass with lowered head. In their confusion the men stood still — their recent experience was still fresh in their memories. The travellers lay down in the grass. The rhinoceros raised its head and again, as at that terrible moment, they saw its curved ears set wide apart, with the tip of the horn rising between them. The folds of its thick skin encircled its shoulders and hung down in rolls to its heavy legs that were hidden by the grass. The massive animal stood still and then turned and continued on its way in the former direction.