that
there is but one man in Zululand who knows the truth. It is he
for whom the new huts are being built up yonder."

"You think he really knows, Goza?"

"No, Macumazahn, I do not think, I am sure. He is the greatest
of all wizards, as he was when my father held on to his mother's
apron. He pulls the strings and the Great-ones of the country
dance. If he wishes war, there will be war. If he wishes peace,
there will be peace."

"And which does he wish, Goza?"

"I thought perhaps you could tell me that, Macumazahn, who, he
says, are such an old friend of his; also why he chooses to
sojourn in a dark hole among the dead instead of in the sunshine
among the living, here at Ulundi."

"Well, I cannot, Goza, since the Opener of Roads does not open
his heart to me but keeps his secrets to himself. For the rest,
those who talk with the dead may prefer to dwell among the dead."

"Now as always you speak truth, Macumazahn," said Goza, looking
at me in a way which suggested to me that he believed I spoke
anything but the truth.

Indeed I am convinced he thought that I was in the council of
Zikali and acquainted with his plans. Also I am sure he knew
that I had not come to Zululand alone, the incident of the
blankets, which I had promised to him a bribe to keep silence,
showed it, and suspected that my companions were parties to some
plot together with myself. And yet at the time I could not be
quite sure, and therefore dared not ask anything concerning them
lest thus I should reveal their existence and bring them to
death.

As a matter of fact I need not have been anxious on this point,
since if Goza, who I may state, was a kind of secret service
officer as well as a head messenger, knew, as I think probable,
he had been commanded by Zikali to hold his tongue under penalty
of a curse. Perhaps the same was true of the soldiers who had
come with him to take me to Ulundi. The hint of Zikali was as
powerful as the word of the king, since they, like thousands of
others, believed that whereas Cetewayo could kill them, Zikali,
like Satan, could blast their spirits as well as their bodies.
But how was I to guess all these things at that time?

During the next two days nothing happened, though I heard that
there had been one if not two meetings of the Council at the
King's House during which the position of affairs was discussed.
Cetewayo I did not see, although twice he sent messengers to me
bringing gifts of fo