t me any longer?" went on the murmuring. "Say, am I
Nombe now? Or--or am I in truth that Mameena, whose kiss thrills
your lips and soul? Hearken, Macumazahn, for the time is short.
In the rout of the great battle that shall be, do not fly with
the white men, but set your face towards Ulundi. One who was
your friend will guard you, and whoever dies, no harm shall come
to you now that the fire which burns in my heart has set all
Zululand aflame. Hearken once more. Hans, the little yellow man
who was named Light-in-Darkness, he who died among the Kendah
people, sends you salutations and gives you praise. He bids me
tell you that now of his own accord he renders to me, Mameena,
the royal salute, because royal I must ever be; because also he
and I who are so far apart are yet one in the love that is our
life."

The smoke blew into my face, causing me to reel back. Cetewayo
caught me by the arm, saying--

"Tell us, are the lips of the dead witch warm or cold?"

"I do not know," I groaned, "for I never touched her."

"How he lies! Oh! how he lies even about what our eyes saw,"
said Cetewayo reflectively as I blundered past him back to my
seat, on which I sank half swooning. When I got my wits again
the figure that pretended to be Mameena was speaking, I suppose
in answer to some question of Zikali's which I had not heard. It
said--

"O Lord of the Spirits, you have called me from the land of
Spirits to make reply as to two matters which have not yet
happened upon the earth. These replies I will give but no
others, since the mortal strength that I have borrowed returns
whence it came. The first matter is, if there be war between the
White and Black, what will happen in that war? I see a plain
ringed round with hills and on it a strange-shaped mount. I see
a great battle; I see the white men go down like corn before a
tempest; I see the spears of the impis redden; I see the white
soldiers lie like leaves cut from a tree by frost. They are
dead, all dead, save a handful that have fled away. I hear the
ingoma of victory sung here at Ulundi. It is finished.

"The second matter is--what shall chance to the king? I see him
tossed on the Black Water; I see him in a land full of houses,
talking with a royal woman and her councillors. There, too, he
conquers, for they offer him tribute of many gifts. I see him
here, back here in Zululand, and hear him greeted with the royal
salute. Last of all I see him de