崩溃(Things Fall Apart) (英文版)作者:奇奴阿·阿切比-第16部分

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　　〃Agbala　do…o…o…o！　Agbala　ekeneo…o…o…o！　Chi　negbu　madu　ubosi　ndu　ya　nato　ya　uto　daluo…o…o！　…〃
　　Ekwefi　could　already　see　the　hills　looming　in　the　moonlight。　They　formed　a　circular　ring　with　a　break　at　one　point　through　which　the　foot…track　led　to　the　center　of　the　circle。
　　As　soon　as　the　priestess　stepped　into　this　ring　of　hills　her　voice　was　not　only　doubled　in　strength　but　was　thrown　back　on　all　sides。　It　was　indeed　the　shrine　of　a　great　god。　Ekwefi　picked　her　way　carefully　and　quietly。　She　was　already　beginning　to　doubt　the　wisdom　of　her　ing。　Nothing　would
　　happen　to　Ezinma；　she　thought。　And　if　anything　happened　to　her　could　she　stop　it？　She　would　not　dare　to　enter　the　underground　caves。　Her　ing　was　quite　useless；　she　thought。
　　As　these　things　went　through　her　mind　she　did　not　realize　how　close　they　were　to　the　cave　mouth。　And　so　when　the　priestess　with　Ezinma　on　her　back　disappeared　through　a　hole　hardly　big　enough　to　pass　a　hen；　Ekwefi　broke　into　a　run　as　though　to　stop　them。　As　she　stood　gazing　at　the　circular　darkness　which　had　swallowed　them；　tears　gushed　from　her　eyes；　and　she　swore　within　her　that　if　she　heard　Ezinma　cry　she　would　rush　into　the　cave　to　defend　her　against　all　the　gods　in　the　world。　She　would　die　with　her。
　　Having　sworn　that　oath；　she　sat　down　on　a　stony　ledge　and　waited。　Her　fear　had　vanished。　She　could　hear　the　priestess'　voice；　all　its　metal　taken　out　of　it　by　the　vast　emptiness　of　the　cave。　She　buried　her　face　in　her　lap　and　waited。
　　She　did　not　know　how　long　she　waited。　It　must　have　been　a　very　long　time。　Her　back　was　turned　on　the　footpath　that　led　out　of　the　hills。　She　must　have　heard　a　noise　behind　her　and　turned　round　sharply。　A　man　stood　there　with　a　machete　in　his　hand。　Ekwefi　uttered　a　scream　and　sprang　to　her　feet。
　　〃Don't　be　foolish；〃　said　Okonkwo's　voice。　〃1　thought　you　were　going　into　the　shrine　with　Chielo；〃　he　mocked。
　　Ekwefi　did　not　answer。　Tears　of　gratitude　filled　her　eyes。　She　knew　her　daughter　was　safe。
　　〃Go　home　and　sleep；〃　said　Okonkwo。　〃1　shall　wait　here。〃
　　〃I　shall　wait　too。　It　is　almost　dawn。　The　first　cock　has　crowed。〃
　　As　they　stood　there　together；　Ekwefi's　mind　went　back　to　the　days　when　they　were　young。　She　had　married　Anene　because　Okonkwo　was　too　poor　then　to　marry。　Two　years　after　her　marriage　to　Anene　she　could　bear　it　no　longer　and　she　ran　away　to　Okonkwo。　It　had　been　early　in　the　morning。　The　moon　was　shining。　She　was　going　to　the　stream　to　fetch　water。　Okonkwo's　house　was　on　the　way　to　the　stream。　She　went　in　and　knocked　at　his　door　and　he　came　out。　Even　in　those　days　he　was　not　a　man　of　many　words。　He　just　carried　her　into　his　bed　and　in　the　darkness　began　to　feel　around　her　waist　for　the　loose　end　of　her　cloth。
　　CHAPTER　TWELVE
　　On　the　following　morning　the　entire　neighborhood　wore　a　festive　air　because　Okonkwo's　friend；　Obierika；　was　celebrating　his　daughter's　uri。　It　was　the　day　on　which　her　suitor　（having　already　paid　the　greater　part　of　her　bride…price）　would　bring　palm…wine　not　only　to　her　parents　and　immediate　relatives　but　to　the　wide　and　extensive　group　of　kinsmen　called　umunna。　Everybody　had　been　invited—men；　women　and　children。　But　it　was　really　a　woman's　ceremony　and　the　central　figures　were　the　bride　and　her　mother。
　　As　soon　as　day　broke；　breakfast　was　hastily　eaten　and　women　and　children　began　to　gather　at　Obierika's　pound　to　help　the　bride's　mother　in　her　difficult　but　happy　task　of　cooking　for　a　whole　village。
　　Okonkwo's　family　was　astir　like　any　other　family　in　the　neighborhood。　Nwoye's　mother　and　Okonkwo's　youngest　wife　were　ready　to　set　out　for　Obierika's　pound　with　all　their　children。　Nwoye's　mother　carried　a　basket　of　coco…yams；　a　cake　of　salt　and　smoked　fish　which　she　would　present　to　Obierika's　wife。　Okonkwo's　youngest　wife；　Ojiugo；　also　had　a　basket　of　plantains　and　coco…yams　and　a　small　pot　of　palm…oil。　Their　children　carried　pots　of　water。
　　Ekwefi　was　tired　and　sleepy　from　the　exhausting　experiences　of　the　previous　night。　It　was　not　very　long　since　they　had　returned。　The　priestess；　with　Ezinma　sleeping　on　her　back；　had　crawled　out　of　the　shrine　on　her　belly　like　a　snake。　She　had　not　as　much　as　looked　at　Okonkwo　and　Ekwefi　or　shown　any　surprise　at　finding　them　at　the　mouth　of　the　cave。　She　looked　straight　ahead　of　her　and　walked　back　to　the　village。　Okonkwo　and　his　wife　followed　at　a　respectful　distance。　They　thought　the　priestess　might　be　going　to　her　house；　but　she　went　to　Okonkwo's　pound；　passed　through　his　obi　and　into　Ekwefi's　hut　and　walked　into　her　bedroom。　She　placed　Ezinma　carefully　on　the　bed　and　went　away　without　saying　a　word　to　anybody。
　　Ezinma　was　still　sleeping　when　everyone　else　was　astir；　and　Ekwefi　asked　Nwoye's　mother　and　Ojiugo　to　explain　to　Obierika's　wife　that　she　would　be　late。　She　had　got　ready　her　basket　of　coco…yams　and　fish；　but　she　must　wait　for　Ezinma　to　wake。
　　〃You　need　some　sleep　yourself；〃　said　Nwoye's　mother。　〃You　look　very　tired。〃
　　As　they　spoke　Ezinma　emerged　from　the　hut；　rubbing　her　eyes　and　stretching　her　spare　frame。　She　saw　the　other　children　with　their　water…pots　and　remembered　that　they　were　going　to　fetch　water　for　Obierika's　wife。　She　went　back　to　the　hut　and　brought　her　pot。
　　〃Have　you　slept　enough？〃　asked　her　mother。
　　〃Yes；〃　she　replied。　〃Let　us　go。〃
　　〃Not　before　you　have　had　your　breakfast；〃　said　Ekwefi。　And　she　went　into　her　hut　to　warm　the　vegetable　soup　she　had　cooked　last　night。
　　〃We　shall　be　going；〃　said　Nwoye's　mother。　〃I　will　tell　Obierika's　wife　that　you　are　ing　later。〃　And　so　they　all　went　to　help　Obierika's　wife—Nwoye's　mother　with　her　four　children　and　Ojiugo　with　her　two。
　　As　they　trooped　through　Okonkwo's　obi　he　asked：　〃Who　will　prepare　my　afternoon　meal？〃
　　〃I　shall　return　to　do　it；〃　said　Ojiugo。
　　Okonkwo　was　also　feeling　tired；　and　sleepy；　for　although　nobody　else　knew　it；　he　had　not　slept　at　all　last　night。　He　had　felt　very　anxious　but　did　not　show　it。　When　Ekwefi　had　followed　the　priestess；　he　had　allowed　what　he　regarded　as　a　reasonable　and　manly　interval　to　pass　and　then　gone　with　his　machete　to　the　shrine；　where　he　thought　they　must　be。　It　was　only　when　he　had　got　there　that　it　had　occurred　to　him　that　the　priestess　might　have　chosen　to　go　round　the　villages　first。　Okonkwo　had　returned　home　and　sat　waiting。　When　he　thought　he　had　waited　long　enough　he　again　returned　to　the　shrine。　But　the　Hills　and　the　Caves　were　as　silent　as　death。　It　was　only　on　his　fourth　trip　that　he　had　found　Ekwefi；　and　by　then　he　had　bee　gravely　worried。
　　Obierika's　pound　was　as　busy　as　an　anthill。　Temporary　cooking　tripods　were　erected　on　every　available　space　by　bringing　together　three　blocks　of　sun…dried　earth　and　making　a　fire　in　their　midst。　Cooking　pots　went　up　and　down　the　tripods　and　foo…foo　was　pounded　in　a　hundred　wooden　mortars　Some　of　the　women　cooked　the　yams　and　the　cassava；　and　others　prepared　vegetable　soup。　Young　men　pounded　the　foo…foo　or　split　firewood。　The　children　made　endless　trips　to　the　stream。
　　Three　young　men　helped　Obierika　to　slaughter　the　two　goats　with　which　the　soup　was　made。　They　were　very　fat　goats；　but　the　fattest　of　all　was　tethered　to　a　peg　near　the　wall　of　the　pound　　and　was　as　big　as　a　small　cow。　Obierika　had　sent　one　of　his　relatives　all　the　way　to　Umuike　to　buy　that　goat　It　was　the　one　he　would　present　alive　to　his　in…laws。
　　〃The　market　of　Umuike　is　a　wonderful　place；〃　said　the　young　man　Who　had　been　sent　by　Obierika　to　buy　the　giant　goat　〃There　are　so　many　people　on　it　that　if　you　threw　up　a　grain　of　sand　it　would　not　find　a　way　to　fall　to　earth　again。〃
　　〃It　is　the　result　of　a　great　medicine；〃　said　Obierika。　〃The　people　of　Umuike　wanted　their　market　to　grow　and　swallow　up　the　markets　of　their　neighbors。　So　they　made　a　powerful　medicine。　Every　market　day；　before　the　first　cock…crow；　this　medicine　stands　on　the　market　ground　in　the　shape　of　an　old　woman　with　a　fan。　With　this　magic　fan　she　beckons　to　the　market　all　the　neighboring　clans。　She　beckons　in　front　of　her　and　behind　her；　to　her　right　and　to　her　left。〃
　　〃And　so　everybody　es；〃　said　another　man；　〃honest　men　and　thieves。　They　can　steal　your　cloth　from　off　your　waist　in　that　market。〃
　　〃Yes〃　said　Obierika。　〃I　warned　Nwankwo　to　keep　a　sharp　eye　and　a　sharp　ear。　There　was　once　a　man　who　went　to　sell　a　goat。　He　led　it　on　a　thick　rope　which　he　tied　round　his　wrist。　But　as　he　walked　through　the　market　he　realized　that　people　were　pointing　at　him　as　they　do　to　a　madman。　He　could　not　understand　it　until　he　looked　back　and　saw　that　what　he　led　at　the　end　of　the　tether　was　not　a　goat　but　a　heavy　log　of　wood。〃
　　〃Do　you　think　a　thief　can　do　that　kind　of　thing　single…handed？〃　asked　Nwankwo。
　　〃No；〃　said　Obierika。　〃They　use　medicine。〃
　　When　they　had　cut　the　goats'　throats　and　collected　the　blood　in　a　bowl；　they　held　them　over　an　open　fire　to　burn　off　the　hair；　and　the　smell　of　burning　hair　blended　with　the　smell　of　cooking。　Then　they　washed　them　and　cut　them　up　for　the　women　who　prepared　the　soup。
　　All　this　anthill　activity　was　going　smoothly　when　a　sudden　interruption　came。　It　was　a　cry　in　the　distance：　oji　odu　aru　ijiji…o…o！　（The　one　that　uses　its　tail　to　drive　flies　away！）。　Every　woman　immediately　abandoned　whatever　she　was　doing　and　rushed　out　in　the　direction　of　the　cry。
　　〃We　cannot　all　rush　out　like　that；　leaving　what　we　are　cooking　to　burn　in　the　fire；〃　shouted　Chielo；　the　priestess。　〃Three　or　four　of　us　should　stay　behind。〃
　　〃It　is　true；〃　said　another　woman。　〃We　will　allow　three　or　four　women　to　stay　behind。〃
　　Five　women　stayed　behind　to　look　after　the　cooking…pots；　and　all　the　rest　rushed　away　to　see　the　cow　that　had　been　let　loose。　When　they　saw　it　they　drove　it　back　to　its　owner；　who　at　once　paid　the　heavy　fine　which　the　village　imposed　on　anyone　whose　cow　was　let　loose　on　his　neighbors'　crops。　When　the　women　had　exacted　the　penalty　they　checked　among　themselves　to　see　if　any　woman　had　failed　to　e　out　when　the　cry　had　been　raised。
　　〃Where　is　Mgbogo？〃　asked　one　of　them。
　　〃She　is　ill　in　bed；〃　said　Mgbogo's　next…door　neighbor。　〃She　has　iba。〃
　　〃The　only　other　person　is　Udenkwo；〃　said　another　woman；　〃and　her　child　is　not　twenty…eight　days　yet。〃
　　Those　wome