of an enemy. Always had the first born male of his
family been doomed to the kingly office. There was never a second born
male, for it was not meet that a god should have paternal brothers. The
wives of his youth and his concubines could have as many children as they
could bear; but according to the law, did he select the chief wife from
whom should spring the one regal son only when he had become heir
apparent; for then was he not already half divine, being so near the
sacred enclosure up on the hill?

The choice of that chief wife was free as there were no royal families in
the sense of divine descent save the direct male line of the King-God. But
the mind of Zalu Zako dwelt more upon his personal career. The life of a
warrior was frequently short and that of a god even briefer. MFunya MPopo
had reigned but twenty moons; MKoffo, so said the elders, had reigned for
full two hundred moons; but then he had been a mighty magician.

With a harsh squawk a brilliant scarlet and blue bird with an enormous
yellow bill perched on the palisade of the compound. Immediately the young
man forgot his musing and rose, calling for his spear. A stocky man, coal
black, with a fuzzy tuft of a beard, came out of the hut. From the slave
Zalu Zako took a broad-bladed spear with a short haft. Watching to see
that the bird was still sitting on the fence as he passed out of the
compound, he set off rapidly through the village and into the banana
plantations in search of a wart hog which had been rooting up one of his
fields of sweet potatoes. Just as he came within sight of them a black
field rat sprang out of the grass in his path, glanced round at him, and
disappeared. The young man's steps slackened, for he knew that the black
rat had spoiled the luck which the banana eater had portended. Scarcely
troubling to glance around the field, he diverged across at an angle
making for a break in the jungle where he knew was the trail of the boar.
But he grunted contemptuously as he examined the last spoor, which was at
least half a day old. Of course the hog would not be there.

He bethought himself of another field where sometimes came buck. But there
was no game. The black rat again! Yet if one waited long enough a good
omen might appear. As he squatted beneath a banana plant to take snuff
came a squawk and the banana eater--for it appeared to be the same
one--alighted on a frond near to him. Zalu Zako waited. Leisurely and
cautiously he arose.