If there is one of my own blood here who will do so, come, let him take my place and let me go away to my own lordship of Gikazi that I had when I was a prince before the witch Mameena who played with all men and loved but one"-- here everybody turned and stared towards me, yes, even Zikali whom nothing else had seemed to move, till I wished that the ground would swallow me up--"caused the war between me and my brother Umbelazi whose blood earth will not swallow nor suns dry--" "How can that be, O King ?" broke in Umnyamana the Prime Minister.
"How can any of your race sit in your seat while you still live?
Then indeed there would be war, war between tribe and tribe and Zulu and Zulu till none were left, and the white hyenas from Natal would come and chew our bones and with them the Boers that have passed the Vaal.

See now.

Why is this Nyanga (i.e.
witch-doctor) here ?" and he pointed to Zikali beyond the fire.
"Why has the Opener of Roads been brought from the Black Kloof which he has not left for years?
Is it not that he may give us counsel in our need and show us a sign that his counsel is good, whether it be for war or peace?
Then when he has made divination and given the counsel and shown the sign, then, O King, do you speak the word of war or peace, and send it to the Queen by yonder white man, and by that word we, the people, will abide." At this suggestion, which I had no doubt was made by some secret agreement between Umnyamana and Zikali, Cetewayo seemed to grasp.
Perhaps this was because it postponed for a little while the dreadful moment of decision, or perhaps because he hoped that in the eyes of the nation it would shift the responsibility from his shoulders to those of the Spirits speaking through the lips of their prophet.

At any rate he nodded and answered-- "It is so.

Let the Opener of Roads open us a road through the forests and the swamps and the rocks of doubt, danger and fear.
Let him give us a sign that it is a good road on which we may safely travel, and let him tell us whether I shall live to walk that road and what I shall meet thereon.