, as ever, political reasons for the hastening of the
offices of the god. Should the new King-God fail, as his father had done,
to accomplish the duties of the rainmaker, then, as no precedent had ever
been known for the failure of two kings in succession, an enemy might
accuse Bakahenzie of having committed some sacrilege which had displeased
the Unmentionable One. Politics and religion are often inseparable.
Therefore, as soon as Zalu Zako had witnessed the ascent of his father
into the dangerous zone of the gods, was he bidden as the victim apparent,
to produce the sacred rain-making paraphernalia. From the Keeper of the
Fire, Kingata Mata, Zalu Zako received one of the large gourds, which he
deposited at the feet of his father squatting before the sacred fire, and
retired to his allotted place among the other lay chiefs. Only Bakahenzie
and the four of the inner cult were permitted within the enclosure.

Fumbling within the pot Kawa Kendi produced a bundle of twigs tied with
banana fibre, which he unbound and cast into the fire. The herbs
smouldered and sent up a pungent smoke forming a heavy cloud like some
strange blue tree sheltering the form of the idol against the green sky.
Save for the faint wailing of the distant women there was silence, in
which an owl screeched harshly, a good omen. Little flames flickered. The
smoke grew denser, obliterating the figure of the King. The drums began to
mutter, Bakahenzie cried out in a loud voice:

"O great God, the Unmentionable One! let thy powers be made manifest!"

The Keeper of the Fires came forward upon his hands and thrust the other
sacred gourd in front of the King, a deep one containing water, and a wand
made from a sacred tree which had upon the end a crook. To the groaning of
the magicians, the King took from the one gourd two stones of quartz and
granite, the male and the female, and spat upon each one, thus placing
part of his royal body upon them; then did he put them on the ground, and
pouring water, chanted:

"Go forth, male spirit, with my ghost in thy hands!
Go forth, female soul, with my ghost in thy breast!
Make love together in the shade of great Tarum,
Of him whom fear of me hath frozen the breath!"
"Ough! Ough!"

grunted the priests and magicians.

"Go forth, male spirit, with my ghost in thy hand!
Go forth, female soul, with my ghost in thy breast!
Love one another that the crops of our land
May marry as well