deadly charms in the doorway of
Nandie's hut. These things she did, not knowing what she did, and it was
I who instructed her to do them. This is the case. From the beginning I
have always loved Mameena as I have loved no other woman and as no other
woman was ever loved. But while I was away with Macumazahn, who sits
yonder, to destroy Bangu, chief of the Amakoba, he who had killed my
father, Umbezi, the father of Mameena, he whom the Prince Cetewayo gave
to the vultures the other day because he had lied as to the death of
Umbelazi, he, I say, forced Mameena, against her will, to marry Masapo
the Boar, who afterwards was executed for wizardry. Now, here at your
feast, when you reviewed the people of the Zulus, O King, after you had
given me the lady Nandie as wife, Mameena and I met again and loved each
other more than we had ever done before. But, being an upright woman,
Mameena thrust me away from her, saying:

"'I have a husband, who, if he is not dear to me, still is my husband,
and while he lives to him I will be true.' Then, O King, I took counsel
with the evil in my heart, and made a plot in myself to be rid of the
Boar, Masapo, so that when he was dead I might marry Mameena. This
was the plot that I made--that my son and Princess Nandie's should be
poisoned, and that Masapo should seem to poison him, so that he might be
killed as a wizard and I marry Mameena."

Now, at this astounding statement, which was something beyond the
experience of the most cunning and cruel savage present there, a gasp of
astonishment went up from the audience; even old Zikali lifted his head
and stared. Nandie, too, shaken out of her usual calm, rose as though
to speak; then, looking first at Saduko and next at Mameena, sat herself
down again and waited. But Saduko went on again in the same cold,
measured voice:

"I gave Mameena a powder which I had bought for two heifers from a great
doctor who lived beyond the Tugela, but who is now dead, which powder
I told her was desired by Nandie, my Inkosikazi, to destroy the little
beetles than ran about the hut, and directed her where she was to spread
it. Also, I gave her the bag of medicine, telling her to thrust it into
the doorway of the hut, that it might bring a blessing upon my House.
These things she did ignorantly to please me, not knowing that the
powder was poison, not knowing that the medicine was bewitched. So
my child died, as I wished it to die, and, indeed, I myself fell sic