thedestroyer.slavesafari-第24部分

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e　empty。
　He　heard　a　sound　ahead　of　him　and　looked　up。　The　elephants　had　been　chained　to　scrub　trees　up　ahead；　and　they　were　hidden　from　his　view　by　bushes。　Despite　his　feeling　of　foreboding；　Obode　smiled。　The　elephants　had　been　a　good　idea；　the　Loni　fear　of　them　was　strong　and　traditional。
　They　must　have　seen　them　marching　with　Obode's　soldiers　and　that　must　have　terrified　them。　Today；　Obode　and　his　soldiers　would　storm　the　main　Loni　camp；　and　the　Loni　would　look　upon　the　slaughter　that　followed　as　inevitable；　resign　themselves　to　it　as　a　historical　fact。　It　had　been　a　good　idea。　The　great　conquerors　had　used　elephants。　Hannibal　and。。。　Well；　Hannibal　anyway；　thought　Obode。　Hannibal　and　Obode。　It　was　enough　to　make　a　case。
　The　invincible　elephant；　the　sign　of　the　conqueror。
　He　thought　for　a　moment　to　wake　up　Butler；　but　decided　to　let　him　sleep。　This　was　a　military　matter　for　a　military　man；　not　a　football　player　no　matter　how　brave　or　loyal　he　was。　He　pushed　his　way　through　the　bushes。　Up　ahead；　forty　yards　away；　he　saw　the　vague　gray　forms　of　the　elephants　but　there　was　something　wrong　with　that　too。　Their　outlines　seemed　somehow　blunt　and　muted。　And　what　was　that　before　them　on　the　ground？　Slowly　now；　apprehensively；　Obode　moved　forward　through　the　thinning　brush。　Thirty　yards　now。　Then　twenty。　And　then　he　saw　things　clearly　and　his　fingers　rose　to　his　lips　in　the　Moslem　supplication　of　mercy。
　The　elephants'　outlines　had　been　softened　because　their　tusks　were　gone。
　Like　a　moth　pursuing　a　flame；　despite　himself；　he　went　closer。　The　tusks　of　the　three　elephants　had　been　hacked　off　near　then〃　bases。　Only　stumps　of　ivory　remained；　broken；　chipped；　craggy；　like　a　memorable　bad　teeth　that　demanded　the　ministrations　of　tongue。
　And　the　lumps　on　the　ground。　They　were　his　men；　his　soldiers；　and　he　did　not　have　to　look　hard　to　be　sure　they　were　dead。　Bodies　lay　there　twisted；　limbs　askew；　and　through　the　chests　of　six　of　them；　impaling　them；　spiking　them　to　the　ground　were　the　six　elephant　tusks。
　Obode。　horrified；　moved　yet　closer；　impelled　by　some　instinct　of　duty；　some　disremembered　tradition　that　fold　me　sergeant　major　he　must　be　sure　of　his　facts　to　be　able　to　give　a　thorough　report　to　the　mander。
　On　the　ground　near　the　foot　of　one　of　the　soldiers；　he　saw　a　piece　of　paper。　He　picked　it　up　and　looked　at　it。
　It　was　a　note　penciled　on　the　back　of　a　printed　military　order　that　must　have　e　from　one　of　the　soldiers：
　The　note　read：
　〃Obode。
　〃I　wait　for　you　in　the　village　of　the　Loni。〃
　That　was　all。　No　name。　No　signature。
　Obode　looked　around　him。　There　had　been　two　panies　of　soldiers　here。　Some　must　still　be　around；　because　these　corpses　sure　weren't　two　panies　worth。
　〃Sergeant；〃　he　bellowed。　The　sound　of　his　voice　rolled　across　the　fields；　across　the　land。　He　could　almost　hear　it　grow　weaker　as　it　traveled；　unanswered；　across　the　miles　of　Busati　plain。
　〃Lieutenant！'　he　shouted。　It　was　as　if　he　were　shouting　into　a　bottomless　well　in　which　sound　reverberated　but　did　not　echo。
　There　was　no　sound　and　no　sign　of　his　soldiers。
　Two　whole　panies？
　Obode　looked　at　the　note　in　his　hand　again；　thought　deeply　for　a　full　ten　seconds；　dropped　the　paper；　turned　and　ran。　〃Butler；〃　he　shouted　as　he　neared　the　other　tent。　〃Butler。〃
　General　William　Forsythe　Butler　came　from　the　tent；　sleepy；　rubbing　his　heavied　eyes。　〃Yes；　Mr。　President？〃
　〃e　on；　man；　we　getting　out　of　here。〃
　Butler　shook　his　head；　trying　to　get　a　grasp　on　the　morning's　events。　Obode　flew　past　him　into　Obode's　own　tent。　Butler　looked　around　the　camp。　Nothing　really　unusual　there。　Except。。。　except　there　weren't　any　soldiers　to　be　seen。　He　followed　Obode　into　his　tent
　Obode　was　wrestling　his　white　shirt　on。
　〃What's　wrong；　Mr。　President？〃　Butler　asked。
　〃I'll　tell　you　what's　wrong。　We　leaving　this　place。〃
　〃Where　are　the　guards？〃
　〃The　guards　are　dead　or　deserted。　All　of　them；〃　Obode　said。　〃And　the　elephants。　Their　ivory　been　removed。　We　leaving。　We　leaving　now　'cause　I　ain't　gonna　have　nothing　to　do　with　nobody　who　can　kill　my　soldiers　and　cripple　my　elephants　in　the　night；　without　a　sound；　without　a　trace。　Man；　we　getting　out　of　here。〃
　Obode　brushed　past　Butler　before　his　subordinate　had　a　chance　to　speak。　When　Butler　got　back　outside；　the　sun　was　beginning　its　climb　into　the　sky　and　Obode　was　behind　the　wheel　of　one　of　the　jeeps。　He　turned　the　ignition　key　to　start　position　but　nothing　happened。　He　tried　again；　then　with　a　curse　jumped　heavily　down　from　the　jeep　and　went　to　another　vehicle。
　That　one　would　not　start　either。
　Butler　came　to　the　jeep　and　opened　the　hood。　The　in…sides　of　the　engine　partment　had　been　destroyed。　The　battery…had　been　broken　in　half；　wires　were　ripped　and　wrenched　apart；　the　distributor　had　been　crushed　into　broken　black　powder　and　chips。
　Butler　inspected　the　other　four　jeeps　in　the　clearing。　They　were　all　the　same。
　He　shook　his　head　at　Obode；　sitting　disconsolately　on　the　seat　in　the　driver's　seat　of　one　of　the　vehicles。
　〃Sorry；　General；〃　Butler　said；　although　he　was　not　sure　he　was　sorry　at　all。…〃If　we　go　anywhere；　we　walk。〃
　Obode　looked　up　at　Butler。　〃In　this　land　we　haven't　a　chance。　Even　the　Loni　could　pick　us　off　like　flies。〃
　〃Then　what　do　we　do；　Mr。　President？〃
　Obode　slammed　a　ham…sized　fist　down　into　the　steering　wheel　of　the　jeep；　cracking　the　wheel　and　sending　the　vehicle　rocking　back　and　forth　on　its　wheels。
　〃Dammit；〃　Obode　shouted；　〃we　do　what　armies　should　always　do。　We　charge。〃
　
　CHAPTER　FIFTEEN
　While　Remo　slept；　Princess　Saffah　slipped　out　of　his　hut　and　went　back　to　the　hut　where　Hillary　Butler　slept。
　Saffah　could　not　recognize　the　feeling　that　gripped　her　on　this　day。　All　her　life；　she　had　waited　for　the　legend　to　e　true；　now　the　men　of　the　legend　were　here；　soon　the　people　of　the　Loni　tribe　would　be　restored　to　power；　and　yet；　she　felt　a　vague　feeling　of　unease。
　Legends　were　never　simple。　There　were　many　ways　for　one　to　e　true。　Had　they　not；　for　instance；　thought　that　Butler　might　be　the　Master　of　the　legend？　He　had　given　up　his　former　life　in　America　to　bee　the　Loni's　friend；　so　one　might　call　him　a　dead　man。　And　his　returning　to　the　Loni　might　fulfill　the　prophecy　of　the　Loni　children　ing　home。　So　she　had　thought；　but　that　was　wrong。
　。　Might　not　other　things　be　wrong？　You　are　being　a　fool；　child。　What　of　Obode？　Do　you　doubt　that　he　is　the　evil　man　of　the　story？　And　that　Remo　must　face　him　today？　Yes；　yes。　And　what　of　the　Little　Father？　Doubt　you　that　he　will　purify　the　Loni？　No；　no；　but　how？　How？
　Saffah　ducked　into　the　hut　where　the　young　American　girl　slept。　She　slid　down　smoothly　onto　her　heels　at　the　side　of　the　small　raised　cot。　The　white　girl　breathed　smoothly　and　evenly；　and　the　faint　trace　of　a　smile　played　at　the　corners　of　her　mouth。　She　would　be　well；　Saffah　knew；　for　one　who　could　dream　could　live。
　She　put　her　ebony　hand　out　and　rested　it　on　Hillary's　pale　white　arm　and　looked　down　at　the　contrast　Hillary　did　not　stir。　Why　was　it　so　important；　all　this　concern　with　color？　Skin　was　skin；　black　or　white　or　yellow　as　the　Little　Father's。　What　counted　only　was　what　was　under　the　skin；　the　spirit；　the　heart；　the　soul。　She　looked　at　Hillary　Butler　and　thought；　might　it　not　also　be　thus　with　tribes？　Could　hatred　between　Loni　and　Hausa　end　if　they　could　only　consider　each　other　as　people；　good　and　bad；　but　each　different？
　She　squeezed　Hillary　Butler's　arm　gently；　reassuringly。
　
　
　Chum　was　up　early　and　Remo　found　him　at　the　pit　of　fire。　The　fire　had　been　stoked　and　allowed　to　smolder　during　the　night　and　now　dry　weeds　and　twigs　were　being　thrown　upon　it。
　As　Chiun　directed；　four　Loni　tribesmen　began　to　cover　the　unburned　wood　in　the　pit　with　leafy　green　branches　of　trees　which　dripped　water；　and　sizzled　and　hissed　on　the　white　hot　stones　in　the　pit。　Steam　rose　and　smoke　poured　out　from　under　the　corners　of　the　branches　in　lazy　coils　like　drunken　sated　snakes。
　〃We　going　to　have　a　cookout？〃　Remo　asked。　〃Do　you　need　a　duck？　I'll　run　to　the　store　for　hamburger　rolls　if　you　want。〃
　。。。　〃Need　you　go　out　of　your　way　to　appear　gross？〃　Chiun　asked。　〃For　certainly；　you　need　no　assistance；　no　more　than　the　duck　needs　help　in　quacking。〃
　They　were　interrupted　by　a　roar　behind　them。　Along　the　trail；　around　the　corner　of　the　huts；　striding　into　the　village　square　came　Obode　and　Butler；　Obode　leading　the　way；　bellowing　like　a　bull　moose　taunted　by　flies　and　gnats。
　〃Cowards　and　washwomen　of　the　Lord　tribe；　General　Obode　is　here。　e　out；　fly　swatters　and　mosquito　killers。〃
　The　village　square　was　deserted　as　the　few　Loni　men　in　it　seemed　to　slip　away。　At　one　end　of　the　square；　near　the　fire　pit；　stood　Remo　and　Chiun；　at　the　other　end；　seventy　five　feet　away；　stood　Butler　and　Obode。　The　four　men　stood　looking　at　each　other。
　Out　of　a　hut　halfway　between　the　two　pairs　came　Princess　Saffah。　She　stood　black　and　tall；　silent　and　majestic；　wearing　her　almost…Grecian　short　robe；　staring　imperiously　at　Obode　who　continued　to　challenge　the　Loni　men　to　bat；　one　at　a　time　or　all　at　once。
　〃Silence　your　mouth；　braying　beast；〃　Saffah　said　finally。
　〃Who　are　you？〃　Obode　shouted；　after　a　moment's　pause　in　which；　Remo　saw；　he　was