Liola
:
The Great White Queen
AFTER brief consultation it was deemed insecure for us to return to
Goliba's house, as search would undoubtedly be made for us there if any
had detected his presence with us in the great chasm. Therefore, our
guide, taking one of the lamps, led us along a number of narrow unlighted
passages, threading the maze with perfect knowledge of its intricacies
until, opening a door, we found ourselves in a small stone
prison-ch
mber. Here we remained while he went to another part of the
vaults and obtained for us some food, urging us to remain there until
such time as we might come forth in safety.
Kona extracted from him a promise that he would place his
fellow-tribesmen in a place of security, and Goliba also assured us that
if we remained in that chamber and did not attempt to wander in the
passages, where we must inevitably lose our way, we might ere long ascend
to the city and commence the campaign against the cruel command of the
merciless Naya.
Through eleven long and dreary days we remained in the narrow cell,
drawing our water from a spring that gushed forth from a rock close to
the door, existing on the smallest quantity of food, and scarce daring to
speak aloud lest any of the gaolers should overhear. By day a faint light
came through a narrow chink above, and from the fact that the steady
tramp of soldiers sounded overhead at intervals we concluded that the
chamber must be situated immediately below one of the courtyards of the
palace. At night, however, we remained in perfect darkness, our oil
having been exhausted during the first few hours. Thus we could only
remain sitting on the stone bench like prisoners, inactive, discussing
the probabilities of the serious movement that had been started in favour
of a change of rule.
"The people apparently look to me as their rescuer from this oppression,"
Omar observed one day when we were laying plans for the future. "I will,
if Zomara favours me, do my best."
"It is but right; nay, it is your duty towards your subjects to preserve
the traditions of the Sanoms," I said. "Goliba was right when he promised
he would show us the horrors introduced into Mo, or resuscitated by the
present Naya. We have witnessed with our own eyes expressions of pleasure
cross her countenance as each batch of her subjects cast themselves into
those yawning jaws. Such a monarch, capable of any cruelty, must
necessarily rule unjustly, and should be overthrown or killed."
"I do not desire her death," he said quickly. "All I intend to do is to
free our people from this hateful reign of terror, and at the same time
preserve my mother's life."
"But the time she gave us to quit the country has elapsed," I observed.
"If we are now discovered we shall either be held as slaves, or treated
without mercy--offered as sacrifices to the Crocodile-god, perhaps."
"Not while the people are in our favour," he said. "Once their adherence
to my cause has been tested then we have nought further to fear, for the
opinion of the populace will be found even of greater power than the
military, and in the end it must prevail."
"In the fight that must ensue thou wilt find thy servant Kona at thy
side," the head-man said. "Through fire or across water the Dagombas will
follow thee, for their fetish is good, and they have faith in thee as
leader."
"Yea, O friend," the young prince answered. "Without thee and thy
followers I could never have returned hither. I owe everything to thee,
and to the stout heart of our companion Scarsmere."
"No, old fellow," I protested. "It is your own dogged courage that has
pulled us through so far, not mine. Up to the present all has gone well
with us except the deplorable loss of some of our dark companions,
therefore let us retain our light hearts and meet all obstacles with
smiles."
"I am ready to lead the people against the forces of malice and
oppression at any moment Goliba commands," Omar answered. "No thought of
fear shall arrest my footsteps or stay my hand."
Times without number we discussed the situation in similar strain, until,
on the eleventh day of our voluntary confinement we were startled by a
low tapping on the door.
Each held his breath. Had it been Goliba he would have entered without
any such formality. In silence, we remained listening.
Again the tapping was repeated, louder than before. Drawing our knives
ready to defend ourselves, believing it to be one of the Naya's gaolers,
Kona went forward, unbolted the door and opening it a few inches, weapon
in hand, peered out.
Instantly an exclamation of surprise escaped him, and as he threw wide
open the door, a young girl of about seventeen, with a face more
beautiful than I had ever before seen, entered our cell. This vision of
feminine loveliness entranced us. We all three stood staring at her
open-mouthed.
Dressed in a robe of rich blue silk heavily embroidered with gold, her
waist was confined by a golden girdle wherein were set some magnificent
rubies, and her feet were encased in tiny slippers of pale green leather
embroidered with seed pearls. Her face, slightly flushed in confusion at
finding herself in the presence of the Prince, was pale of complexion as
my own, her clear eyes a deep blue, her cheeks dimpled, her chin just
sufficiently pointed to give a touch of piquancy to a decidedly handsome
countenance. Her hair, of almost flaxen fairness, fell in profusion about
her shoulders and breast, almost hiding the necklets of gold and gems
encircling her slim throat.
Little wonder then was it that Kona's black visage should broaden into a
wide grin in manner habitual when his eyes fell upon anything that
pleased him, or that I should regard her as a most perfect type of
feminine loveliness.
"I seek Omar, the Prince," she said in a silvery voice, not, however,
without some trepidation.
"I am Omar," answered my friend. "Who, pray, art thou, that thou shouldst
know of my hiding-place?"
"Thy servant," she said with a graceful bow, "is called Liola, daughter
of Goliba, councillor of the great Naya. My father sendeth thee greeting
and a message."
"Goliba's daughter!" Omar cried laughing. "And we had drawn knives upon
thee!"
"Sheathe them," she answered smiling upon us. "Keep them in your belts
until ye meet your enemies, for ere long ye will, of a verity, want
them."
"What then hath transpired?" asked the son of the Great White Queen.
"What message sendeth our friend Goliba?"
"My father directed me to come hither, for knowing the wife of the Keeper
of the Prison I was enabled to pass the sentries where my father would
have been remarked," she said. "He sendeth thee word to be of good
courage, for all goeth well, and thy cause prospereth. The savages who
accompanied thee into our land are all in safety, although the horsemen
of the Naya are scouring the country in search of thee and thy
companions. In secret, word of thy consent to lead the popular
demonstration against oppression and ill-government hath been conveyed to
the people even to our land's furthermost limits, and the reports from
all sides show that thou art regarded with favour."
"And thou art also one of my partisans--eh?" asked Omar, smiling.
"I am, O Master," she answered blushing deeply. "I will make fetish for
the success of thine arms."
"I thank thee, Liola," he answered. "Thou hast indeed brought us good
tidings."
"But my father sendeth thee a further message," she continued. "He told
me to tell thee that at sundown to-day he will come and conduct thee
hence. Rest and sleep until then, for the way may be long and great
vigilance may be demanded."
"Whither does he intend to take us?" our companion asked.
"I know not, O Master," she replied. "Already the people have armed, and
are assembling. I heard my father, in conversation last night with one of
the provincial governors who hath lately joined us, declare that the
struggle could not be much longer delayed."
"Then thou meanest that a fight is imminent?" he asked.
"I fear so. Word of thine intention hath been conveyed by some spy unto
the Naya, and the city now swarmeth with her soldiers and janissaries,
who have orders to suppress the first sign of any insurrection. But in
the fight thou shalt assuredly win, for the opinion of the people is in
thy favour. May Zomara's jaws close upon thine enemies, and may they be
devoured like sacrifices."
"The people are assembling, thou hast said," Omar observed. "Are they in
great numbers?"
"It is impossible to tell. The news of thine opposition to the Naya
spread like wildfire through the land, and secret agents soon ascertained
that the balance of opinion was in thy favour. For eight days past I have
been at work secretly in thy cause, and from my own observations in the
city I know that among the palace officials we have many adherents, and
even here and there the soldiers will turn against their own comrades. In
our own house arms and ammunition are stored, and we have been fortunate
enough in obtaining from the arsenal through the governor, who is on our
side, ten of those wonderful guns of the English that fire bullets like
streams of water."
"Maxims, I suppose," I interrupted.
"I know not their name," she replied. "I heard my father say that they
are most deadly, and with them we might hold an army at bay."
"Truly thy father hath neglected nothing on my behalf," Omar said with
sincerity. "Dost thou return unto him?"
"I go at once."
"Then tell him we are anxious to accompany him, and will be ready at
sundown."
"Thy words will I convey to him, O Master. Liola shall make great fetish
for thine ascent to the Emerald Throne."
Then, wishing us adieu, the slim handsome girl with the deep blue
expressive eyes slipped out of the door, and noiselessly crept away down
the long stone corridor.
"Of a truth, O Master, there can be no fairer daughter on earth than
Liola," Kona observed, addressing Omar when the pretty messenger had
gone.
"Yea, she is beautiful. Her face is like the lily, and her eyes as
mysterious as the depths of the sea. I have never encountered one so
fair," Omar answered.
"Nor I," I said. "Her beauty is incomparable."
"I had no idea old Goliba had a daughter," Omar exclaimed. "He is indeed
fortunate to have one so amazingly lovely."
"She is one of your partisans," I observed smiling.
And he laughed, while Kona, grinning with glee, declared chaffingly that
the Prince had fallen in love with her.
The subject, however, was not further pursued, but now and then Omar
would express a hope that she had returned in safety to her father, or
wonder why she had been working in his cause, his words showing plainly
that his head was still filled with thoughts of our pretty visitor.
Soon after the light had faded from the tiny chink above, Goliba's voice
was heard calling outside, and we at once opened the door to him.
"Let us hasten, O Master," the old sage cried breathlessly. "Every
instant's delay meaneth peril, and peril is first cousin to disaster."
"Lead," I cried. "We will follow."
A moment later we all four were creeping softly along the corridor past
doors of the foul reeking dungeons wherein those who for some cause or
another, often the most trivial, had fallen into disfavour with the Naya
and were rotting in their silent living tombs. Many were the grim and
fearful stories of injustice and agony those black walls could tell; many
were the victims consigned there, although innocent of any offence, never
again to see the light of day. As we walked huge grey rats, some the pets
of the wretched prisoners, scurried from our path, and now and then as we
passed the small closed door of heavy sheet-iron the groans and
lamentations of the unhappy captives reached our ears.
At last, after traversing many passages turning to right and left in such
a manner that the extent of the great place amazed us, we ascended a
flight of well-worn steps.
"The sentries now on guard are loyal to us," the royal councillor
whispered, turning to Omar as we went up, and when we emerged into the
chamber wherein stood the Emerald Throne, the three tall soldiers with
drawn swords, two standing mute and motionless as statues on either side
of the door, and the other pacing up and down, took no notice of our
appearance, but regarded us with stolid indifference. In the rosy evening
light we sped across the beautiful court to a gate opposite, and passed
out by a private way of which Goliba held the key until we found
ourselves beyond the frowning walls.
Kona looked around longingly as we passed through the courts and
chambers. He was anticipating with eagerness the time when he and his men
would re-enter the place as conquerors, and was probably reflecting upon
the amount of loot his men could obtain in the event of an order being
given to sack the palace of the dreaded Naya. But without pausing to
glance behind, our guide hurried us forward along a number of winding
back streets of the city, hot, dusty and close-smelling after the
broiling day, until he stopped before the door of a fine house, the walls
of which were of polished white marble, that reflected the last rays of
the sun like burnished gold. Striking the door thrice, it opened, and on
going in he conducted us to a spacious hall, where we found exposed to
our view a great collection of arms and warlike accoutrements. All kinds
of instruments of death, which the inventive malice of man had ever
discovered had been collected for the use of those determined to
accomplish the overthrow of the wicked rule of the Naya. First, there
were sticks, staves and knotty clubs. Next to these, spears, darts,
javelins, armed with brass or iron, or their points hardened with fire,
and innumerable bows with quivers and arrows, which Kona examined
critically, giving low grunts of approbation as he scrutinized a specimen
of each.
After these, instruments of dubious use originally designed for the
assistance of man, but perverted through cruelty and malice to the
service of slaughter and death; such as knives, scythes, axes and
hammers. On these were heaped arms, deliberately fashioned for the
offence of mankind, swords, daggers, poignards, scimitars, and rapiers,
while on the opposite side of the spacious place were stored the more
refined and destructive instruments of European war, rifles, muskets,
revolvers, bayonets, small field-pieces, machine-guns of various
patterns, including four Maxims and their food, boxes of cartridges, kegs
of powder, cakes of dynamite, bombs and shells.
"Behold!" exclaimed Goliba, halting before them. "Here is one of our
secret stores of arms."
"One of them!" said Omar. "How many, then, have we?"
"In the city there are sixteen, all similarly filled. Away in various
parts of the country there are depots in every populous centre," he
replied.
"But it must have taken a long time to obtain all these," the Prince
observed, puzzled.
"The munitions of war were swiftly obtained for a popular rising," the
aged sage replied. "When the word went forth in secret to the people,
they responded almost to a man. Arms were actually carried from the royal
arsenal in great quantities, and even the spies of the Naya found
themselves thwarted and powerless. We have obtained nearly all the Maxims
purchased in England, by the Naya's agent, Makhana; some are here, others
at various depots, and each will be in charge of fighting-men, who know
their use. The few remaining in the arsenal and forts have all been
disabled by those of our sympathisers in government employ."
"Truly," I said, turning to Omar, "the Naya who gave an order for your
assassination is seated on the edge of a volcano."
"Yes," cried the white-bearded old councillor. "The country hath
struggled and groaned long and in vain under the Naya's tyrannical sway;
the uprising will be swift and revengeful."
"When will it occur?" I asked, with eagerness.
"To-night," answered Goliba in a quiet tone.
"To-night?" we all three cried, amazed that the preparations were already
complete.
"Yes," he said, in a low tone. "As the bell on the palace-gate chimeth
the midnight hour a great mine will be fired that will proclaim with the
earth's sudden upheaval the rising of the people of Mo against their
ruler. Then the people, ready armed with these weapons, will strike such
a blow as will sweep away all oppression and tyranny from our land, and
leave it free as it hath ever been, free to prosper and retain its
position as the only unconquered nation on the face of earth."