Unharmed shalt thou come, unharmed shalt thou return, and what thou askest
that shall be given thee."
"One day, perchance, I will come, but not now. Go in peace, O Mouths of
the King."
As she spoke another dark cloud floated across the moon, and when it had
passed away she stood no more upon the rock. Then, seeing that she was
gone, those messengers gathered up their spears and mats, and returned
swiftly to Zululand.
When she readied the house again Rachel told her father and mother all
that had passed, laughing as she spoke.
"It seems scarcely right, my dear," said Mr. Dove, when she had done.
"Those benighted heathens will really believe that you are something
unearthly."
"Then let them," she answered. "It can do no one any harm, and the power
of life and death with the rest of it, unless it was all talk as I
suspect, might be very useful one day. Who knows? And now the Princess of
the Heavens will go and set the supper, as Noie--I beg pardon, Nonha--is
off duty for the present."
Afterwards she asked Noie who was the old man with a withered hand who had
spoken as the "King's Mouth."
"Mopo is his name, Mopo or Umbopo, none other, O Zoola," she answered. "It
was he who stabbed T'Chaka, the Black One.
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