'You saw his death?'
'I saw his death, as I saw your face, long before you came to take me.'
Bazo shuddered involuntarily, and she felt it.
'You are cold, lord.' She pressed a little closer to him.
Her flesh was hot and soft, he felt his own flesh respond to its touch.
'Why did you hate Pemba?'
'He was evil beyond the telling. The things he forced me to do I will never forget., 'He used your body?' There was a rough edge to Bazo's question.
'Not even Pemba would dare tamper with the body of one of the chosen ones, for to tear the veil of maidenhood is to destroy the gift.'
'The gift?'
'The gift of foresight which the likes of Pemba value 4 so highly., 'What then did he force upon you?'
'Dark things, midnight things, torture not of the body but of the spirit.'
Now it was her turn to shudder, and she turned towards him and clung to his broad smooth chest, hiding her face against it so that her voice was muffled and he could hardly catch her next words.
'I did not wish to be chosen, I hate and fear what still lies ahead of me if I follow that road.'
'Pemba is dead.'
'You do not understand. Pemba was but a little wizard already he had taught me almost all he knew. Then I would have been called by the one whose name I dare not speak aloud. That call will still come, and I shall not be able to deny it.'
'You are under my protection.'
'There is only one way you can protect me, Bazo Lord.'
'How?'
'Make me worthless to them. Destroy this gift which is such a terrible burden.'
'How?'
'As you destroyed Pemba with the stabbing spear of steel, destroy it with your great spear of flesh, tear my veil and let this thing pass from me.'
she felt him, hot and fierce, pressing against her, and her body seemed to melt and become pliant and yielding.
'Ah yes, Lord. Make me as other women, so that I may feel your noble belly on mine in the nights, that I may feel your son kick in my womb and tug at my breast when I give him suck., 'All these things you will have, Tanase.' Bazo's voice was hoarse with his wanting. 'When we reach Gubulawayo the king will reward me, and give me leave to go in to the women, and take a wife.'
Lord, it is dangerous to wait.'
'i will not rut on you like a slave girl. You will be the first and senior of all my wives.'
'Lord,'
'Enough, Tanase, tempt me no further, for what you feel, hard though it may be, is not stone but flesh only.'
INKOSI, you do not know the power of the wizards.
Save me from them.'
'I know the law and custom of Matabele, and that is all a man should know and heed.'
Bazo's scout came in at a dead run, the sweat snaking down his back and chest, and he shouted his report the moment he came up to the head of the column.
Bazo whirled and barked three sharp orders. Immediately the column closed up, and the captives were forced to squat with a dozen warriors standing guard over them.
The rest of the Matabele formed up behind Bazo and he led them away at that gait between a trot and a ran which lifted the dust to their knees.
Bazo picked his ambush with an unerring eye. He chose a place where broken ground and thick bush allowed only one passage through, and the single horseman rode into it. The long shields were suddenly all around him, fencing him in as his dun-coloured pony snorted and skittered.
The rifle was half-way drawn from the leather boot at the horseman's knee when Bazo stopped him with a shout.
'Too late for that. You were dead, and the jackals feasting already. You grow careless, despite all that I taught you, Henshaw.'
Ralph let the rifle slide back into its scabbard, and he threw up his hands, pleasure and chagrin warnng on his face.
'Shake any tree and a Matabele falls out of it., His voice was mock-mournful, and he swung down off Tom's sturdy back and strode to meet Bazo.
'I expected to see the induna's ring on your forehead already, oh mighty slayer of Mashona,' he laughed as they embraced.
