a
man, I, the Opener-of-Roads, showed him two roads, down either of which
he might choose to walk--the Road of Wisdom and the Road of War and
Women: the white road that runs through peace to knowledge, and the red
road that runs through blood to death.

"But already there stood one upon this red road who beckoned him, she
who sits yonder, and he followed after her, as I knew he would. From
the beginning she was false to him, taking a richer man for her husband.
Then, when Saduko grew great, she grew sorry, and came to ask my counsel
as to how she might be rid of Masapo, whom she swore she hated. I told
her that she could leave him for another man, or wait till her Spirit
moved him from her path; but I never put evil into her heart, seeing
that it was there already.

"Then she and no other, having first made Saduko love her more than
ever, murdered the child of Nandie, his Inkosikazi; and so brought
about the death of Masapo and crept into Saduko's arms. Here
she slept a while, till a new shadow fell upon her, that of the
'Elephant-with-the-tuft-of-hair,' who will walk the woods no more. Him
she beguiled that she might grow great the quicker, and left the house
of Saduko, taking his heart with her, she who was destined to be the
doom of men.

"Now, into Saduko's breast, where his heart had been, entered an evil
spirit of jealousy and of revenge, and in the battle of Endondakusuka
that spirit rode him as a white man rides a horse. As he had arranged
to do with the Prince Cetewayo yonder--nay, deny it not, O Prince, for I
know all; did you not make a bargain together, on the third night before
the battle, among the bushes, and start apart when the buck leapt out
between you?" (Here Cetewayo, who had been about to speak, threw the
corner of his kaross over his face.) "As he had arranged to do, I say,
he went over with his regiments from the Isigqosa to the Usutu, and so
brought about the fall of Umbelazi and the death of many thousands. Yes,
and this he did for one reason only--because yonder woman had left him
for the Prince, and he cared more for her than for all the world could
give him, for her who had filled him with madness as a bowl is filled
with milk. And now, O King, you have heard this man tell you a story,
you have heard him shout out that he is viler than any man in all the
land; that he murdered his own child, the child he loved so well, to win
this witch; that afterwards he gave her to his friend and lord