第28章

"Talk？Idon’tunderstand，"saidLingard，slowly。

ButBelarabhadturnedtowardhisthreeattendantsinwhiterobes，withshavenpollsunderskull—capsofplaitedgrass，withprayerbeadshangingfromtheirwrists，andanairofsuperiorcalmontheirdarkfaces：companionsofhisdesperatedays，menofbloodonceandnowimperturbableintheirpietyandwisdomoftrustedcounsellors。

"Thiswhitemanisbeingbetrayed，"hemurmuredtothemwiththegreatestcomposure。

D’Alcacer，uncomprehending，watchedthescene：theManofFatepuzzledandfiercelikeadisturbedlion，thewhite—robedMoors，themultitudeofhalf—nakedbarbarians，squattingbytheguns，standingbytheloopholesintheimmobilityofanarrangeddisplay。HesawMrs。Traversontheverandahoftheprisoners’

house，ananxiousfigurewithawhitescarfoverherhead。Mr。

Traverswasnodoubttooweakafterhisfitoffevertocomeoutside。Ifithadn’tbeenforthat，allthewhiteswouldhavebeeninsightofeachotherattheverymomentofthecatastrophewhichwastogivethembacktotheclaimsoftheirlife，atthecostofotherlivessentviolentlyoutoftheworld。D’AlcacerheardLingardaskingloudlyforthelongglassandsawBelarabmakeasignwithhishand，whenhefelttheearthreceiveaviolentblowfromunderneath。Whilehestaggeredtoittheheavenssplitoverhisheadwithacrashinthelickofaredtongueofflame；andasuddendreadfulgloomfellallroundthestunnedd’Alcacer，whobeheldwithterrorthemorningsun，robbedofitsrays，glowdullandbrownthroughthesombremurkwhichhadtakenpossessionoftheuniverse。TheEmmahadblownup；andwhentherainofshatteredtimbersandmangledcorpsesfallingintothelagoonhadceased，thecloudofsmokehangingmotionlessunderthelividsuncastitsshadowafarontheShoreofRefugewhereallstrifehadcometoanend。

AgreatwailofterrorascendedfromtheSettlementandwassucceededbyaprofoundsilence。Peoplecouldbeseenboltinginunreasoningpanicawayfromthehousesandintothefields。Onthelagoontheraftofboatshadbrokenup。Someofthemweresinking，otherspaddlingawayinalldirections。WhatwasleftabovewateroftheEmmahadburstintoaclearflameundertheshadowofthecloud，thegreatsmokycloudthathungsolidandunstirringabovethetopsoftheforest，visibleformilesupanddownthecoastandovertheShallows。

ThefirstpersontorecoverinsidethestockadewasBelarabhimself。Mechanicallyhemurmuredtheexclamationofwonder，"Godisgreat，"andlookedatLingard。ButLingardwasnotlookingathim。Theshockoftheexplosionhadrobbedhimofspeechandmovement。HestaredattheEmmablazinginadistantandinsignificantflameunderthesinistershadowofthecloudcreatedbyJorgenson’smistrustandcontemptforthelifeofmen。

Belarabturnedaway。Hisopinionhadchanged。HeregardedLingardnolongerasabetrayedmanbuttheeffectwasthesame。Hewasnolongeramanofanyimportance。WhatBelarabreallywantednowwastoseeallthewhitepeopleclearoutofthelagoonassoonaspossible。PresentlyheorderedthegatetobethrownopenandhisarmedmenpouredouttotakepossessionoftheSettlement。

LaterTengga’shousesweresetonfireandBelarab，mountingafierypony，issuedforthtomakeatriumphalprogresssurroundedbyagreatcrowdofheadmenandguards。

Thatnightthewhitepeopleleftthestockadeinacortegeoftorchbearers。Mr。Travershadtobecarrieddowntothebeach，wheretwoofBelarab’swar—boatsawaitedtheirdistinguishedpassengers。Mrs。Traverspassedthroughthegateond’Alcacer’sarm。Herfacewashalfveiled。Shemovedthroughthethrongofspectatorsdisplayedinthetorchlightlookingstraightbeforeher。Belarab，standinginfrontofagroupofheadmen，pretendednottoseethewhitepeopleastheywentby。WithLingardheshookhands，murmuringtheusualformulasoffriendship；andwhenheheardthegreatwhitemansay，"Youshallneverseemeagain，"

hefeltimmenselyrelieved。Belarabdidnotwanttoseethatwhitemanagain，butasherespondedtothepressureofLingard’shandhehadagravesmile。

"Godaloneknowsthefuture，"hesaid。

Lingardwalkedtothebeachbyhimself，feelingastrangertoallmenandabandonedbytheAll—KnowingGod。BythattimethefirstboatwithMr。andMrs。Travershadalreadygotawayoutoftheblood—redlightthrownbythetorchesuponthewater。D’AlcacerandLingardfollowedinthesecond。Presentlythedarkshadeofthecreek，walledinbytheimpenetrableforest，closedroundthemandthesplashofthepaddlesechoedinthestill，dampair。

"Howdoyouthinkthisawfulaccidenthappened？"askedd’Alcacer，whohadbeensittingsilentbyLingard’sside。

"Whatisanaccident？"saidLingardwithagreateffort。"Wheredidyouhearofsuchathing？Accident！Don’tdisturbme，Mr。

d’Alcacer。Ihavejustcomebacktolifeandithasclosedonmecolderanddarkerthanthegraveitself。Letmegetused……I

can’tbearthesoundofahumanvoiceyet。"

VIII

Andnow，stoicalinthecoldanddarknessofhisregainedlife，LingardhadtolistentothevoiceofWasubtellinghimJaffir’sstory。Theoldserang’sfaceexpressedaprofounddejectionandtherewasinfinitesadnessintheflowingmurmurofhiswords。

"Yes，byAllah！Theywereallthere：thattyrannicalTengga，noisylikeafool；theRajahHassim，arulerwithoutacountry；

Daman，thewanderingchief，andthethreePangeransofthesea—robbers。Theycameonboardboldly，forTuanJorgensonhadgiventhempermission，andtheirtalkwasthatyou，Tuan，wereawillingcaptiveinBelarab’sstockade。TheysaidtheyhadwaitedallnightforamessageofpeacefromyouorfromBelarab。Buttherewasnothing，andwiththefirstsignofdaytheyputoutonthelagoontomakefriendswithTuanJorgenson；for，theysaid，you，Tuan，wereasifyouhadnotbeen，possessingnomorepowerthanadeadman，themereslaveofthesestrangewhitepeople，andBelarab’sprisoner。ThusTenggatalked。Godhadtakenfromhimallwisdomandallfear。AndthenhemusthavethoughthewassafewhileRajahHassimandtheladyImmadawereonboard。Itellyoutheysatthereinthemidstofyourenemies，captive！TheladyImmada，withherfacecovered，mournedtoherself。TheRajahHassimmadeasigntoJaffirandJaffircametostandbyhissideandtalkedtohislord。ThemainhatchwasopenandmanyoftheIllanunscrowdedtheretolookdownatthegoodsthatwereinsidetheship。Theyhadneverseensomuchlootintheirlives。JaffirandhislordcouldhearplainlyTuanJorgensonandTenggatalkingtogether。Tenggadiscoursedloudlyandhiswordswerethewordsofadoomedman，forhewasaskingTuanJorgensontogiveupthearmsandeverythingthatwasonboardtheEmmatohimselfandtoDaman。Andthen，hesaid，’WeshallfightBelarabandmakefriendswiththesestrangewhitepeoplebybehavinggenerouslytothemandlettingthemsailawayunharmedtotheirowncountry。Wedon’twantthemhere。You，TuanJorgenson，aretheonlywhitemanIcarefor。’TheyheardTuanJorgensonsaytoTengga：’Nowyouhavetoldmeeverythingthereisinyourmindyouhadbettergoashorewithyourfriendsandreturnto—morrow。’AndTenggaasked：

’Why！wouldyoufightmeto—morrowratherthanlivemanydaysinpeacewithme？’andhelaughedandslappedhisthigh。AndTuanJorgensonanswered：

"’No，Iwon’tfightyou。Butevenaspiderwillgivetheflytimetosayitsprayers。’

"TuanJorgenson’svoicesoundedverystrangeandlouderthaneveranybodyhadhearditbefore。ORajahLaut，Jaffirandthewhitemanhadbeenwaiting，too，allnightforsomesignfromyou；ashotfiredorasignal—fire，lightedtostrengthentheirhearts。

Therehadbeennothing。RajahHassim，whispering，orderedJaffirtotakethefirstopportunitytoleapoverboardandtaketoyouhismessageoffriendshipandgood—bye。DidtheRajahandJaffirknowwhatwascoming？Whocantell？ButwhatelsecouldtheyseethancalamityforallWajomen，whateverTuanJorgensonhadmadeuphismindtodo？Jaffirpreparedtoobeyhislord，andyetwithsomanyenemies’boatsinthewaterhedidnotth