The Holy
Flower came too, and the white Mother of the Flower--she was the wife
of one of you, I know not which."
"Your brother the god?" I said. "If the god is an ape as we have
heard, how can he be the brother of a man?"
"Oh! you white men do not understand, but we black people understand.
In the beginning the ape killed my brother who was Kalubi, and his
spirit entered into the ape, making him as a god, and so he kills
every other Kalubi and their spirits enter also into him. Is it not
so, O Kalubi of to-day, you without a finger?" and he laughed
mockingly.
The Kalubi, who was lying on his stomach, groaned and trembled, but
made no other answer.
"So all has come about as I foresaw," went on the toad-like creature.
"You have returned, as I knew you would, and now we shall learn
whether White Beard yonder spoke true words when he said that his god
would be avenged upon our god. You shall go to be avenged on him if
you can, and then we shall learn. But this time you have none of your
iron tubes which alone we fear.
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