MFunya MPopo, soon to be a temple and sanctuary, sat Kawa
Kendi beside the New Fire tended by Kingata Mata, facing Zalu Zako, MYalu
and the lay chiefs, while upon his own hill slaves were tearing down his
old hut, erecting a temporary palisade around the quarters of his wives
who were forever forbidden to him, and beginning the building of the new
temple.

As the violet shadows were creeping from one hut to another did Bakahenzie
and his satellites return from the ghoulish offices of the dead. Zalu
Zako, the chiefs and magicians arose to the wild beating of the drums and
the wailing chant of the hereditary troubadour with the five stringed
lyre. With Kingata Mata carrying a brand of the newly lighted sacred fire,
was Kawa Kendi led in procession through the deserted village to his
sacred home.

Under the hard stars set in a dry sapphire, the fire cast yellow flickers
upon the carven features of Kawa Kendi. In the still heat the distant
wailing of the women from the opposite hill drifted into the continuous
throb of the drums, the plaintive wail of the singer, and the hysterical
groaning of the magicians, yelling ferociously ever and again to
intimidate the baulked spirits around the magic circle.

Then was a white goat, previously selected from the flock of Kawa Kendi,
slain by Zalu Zako, disembowelled by Bakahenzie, and the entrails rubbed
upon the brow, the chest and the right arm of the slayer of man, a
ceremony of purification designed to protect the royal executioner by
appeasing the justly angry spirits of the dead; to Marufa were given other
parts of the slain beast to smear likewise upon Zalu Zako, the son; and
Yabolo ran screaming with portions to the quarters of the women of Kawa
Kendi: for must every blood relative be so enchanted lest the vengeful
ghost seek substitute victims.

As a pallid moon rose, as if fearfully, above the deep ultramarine of the
banana fronds, was a magic potion brewed from certain herbs in enchanted
water, with which the King, Zalu Zako, his son, and the King's wives were
laved. Amid a tempest of screams and drums rose Kawa Kendi purified, to be
driven by Bakahenzie and the wizards back to the hill of his father,
leaving the assembled lay chiefs squatting humbly and in dread of the
spirits abroad in the night. While the procession leaped and twirled,
screamed and groaned to the frantic thrum of the drums through the blue
darkness, the magicians ran and pranced through and around t