The Three Mulla-mulgars Read online

  CHAPTER VI

  When Nod opened his eyes again, he found himself blinking right into themiddle of a blazing fire, over which hung sputtering a huddled carcasson a long black spit. Nod's head ached; his shoulder burned andthrobbed. He touched it gently, and found that it was swathed and boundup with leaves that smelt sleepily sweet and cool. He looked around himas best he could, but at first could see nothing, because of thebrightness of the flames. Gradually he perceived small grey creatures,with big heads and white hands, that reached almost to the ground,hastening to and fro. His smooth brown poll stood up stiff with terrorat sight of them, for he knew he must be lying in the earth-mounds ofthe flesh-eating Minimuls.

  THE WONDERSTONE.]

  Memories one by one returned to him--the Bobberie, the river, theyapping Coccadrilloes, the burning dart. One thing he could notrecall--how he came to be lying alone and helpless here in theroot-houses of these cunning enemies of all Mulgars, great and small. Heremembered the stories Mutta-matutta used to tell him of their snaresand poisons and enticements; of their earth-galleries and their horribleflesh-feasts at the full moon. His one comfort was that he still lay inhis sheep's jacket, and felt his little Wonderstone pressed closeagainst his side.

  When one of the Minimuls that stood basting the spit saw that Nod wasawake he summoned others who were standing near, and many stooped softlyover, staring at him, and whispering together. Nod put his finger to histongue, and said, "Walla!" One of them instantly shuffled away andbrought him a little gourd of a sweetish juice like Keeri, which greatlyrefreshed him.

  Then he called out, "Mulgars, Mulla-mulgars?" This, too, they seemed atonce to understand. For, indeed, Seelem had told Nod that these Minimulsare nothing but a kind of Munza-mulgar, though their faces more closelyresemble the twilight or moonshine Mulgars, and for craft and greed thedwarf Oomgar-nuggas, that long ago had trooped away beyond Arakkaboa.Nod heard presently many faint voices, and then thick guttural cries ofpain and anger. And by turning a little his head he could see a host ofthese mouse-faced mannikins tugging at a rope. At the end of this rope,all bound up with Cullum, with sticky leaves plastered over their eyes,and hung with dangling festoons of greenery and flowers, likejacks-in-the-green, Thumb and Thimble hobbled slowly in from under anearthen arch. Nod was weak with pain. He cried out hollowly to see hisbrothers blind and helpless.

  Thumb heard the sound, and answered him boldly in Mulgar-royal. "Isthat the voice of my brother, the Mulla-mulgar, Nizza-neela Ummanodda?"

  "O Thumb!" Nod groaned, "why am I here in comfort, while you and Thimbleare dragged in, bound with Cullum, and hung all over with dreadfulleaves and flowers?"

  "Have no fear, Prince of Bonfires," said Thumb with a laugh. "TheMinimuls caught us smelling at their Gelica-nuts, and sleeping in thewarmth of their earth-mounds. We were too frozen and hungry to carry youany farther. They are fattening us for their Moon-feast. But it will belittle more than a picking of bones, Ummanodda. And even if they do spitup over their fire, we will taste as sweet as Mulla-mulgars can." And heburst out into such a squeal of angry laughter the Minimuls beganchattering again and waving their hands.

  "Talk not of meat and bones to me, Thumb. If you die, I die too. Tellme, only so that they do not understand, what is Nod to do."

  Then Thimble, who was standing in the shadow, hobbled a little nearerinto the light of the fire, and lifting up his leaf-smeared face as ifto see, said: "Have no fear for yourself, Nod. They have caught us, butnot for long. But you they dare not frizzle a hair of, little brother,because of Tishnar's Wonderstone sewn up in your sheep's-coat. They havesmelt out its magic. Keep the stone safe, then, Ummanodda, and, when youare alone, rub it S[=a]maweeza as Mutta told you before she died.Tishnar, perhaps, will answer. See only that none of these michingmouse-faces are near. Had we but been awake when they found us!..."

  But the Minimuls began to grow restless at all this palaver, for, thoughthe Munza-mulgar tongue is known to them, they cannot understand, excepta word here and there, the secret language of Mulgar-royal. So they laidhold of the Cullum-ropes again, and lugged Thumb and Thimble back underthe sandy arch through which they had come. Thumb had only time enoughto cry in a loud voice, "Courage, Nizza-neela," before he was draggedagain out of sight and hearing.

  And Nod remembered that when the Gunga-mulgar had led him down out ofhis huddle to show him the Bobberie, the moon was shining then atdwindling halves. So he knew that, unless many days had passed sincethen, it would be some while yet before these Minimuls made theircannibal Moon-feast. He lay still, with eyes half shut, thinking as besthe could, with an aching head and throbbing shoulder.

  The firelight glanced on the earthy roof far above him. Here and therethe contorted root of some enormous forest-tree jutted out into the air.There was a continued faint rustle around him, as of bees in a hive orants in a pine-wood. This was the shuffling of the Minimuls' shoes,which are flat, like sandals, and made of silver grass plaited together,that rustles on the sandy floor of their chambers and galleries. Thisplaited grass they tie, too, round their middles for a belt or pouch,beneath which, as they walk, their long lean tails descend. Their furshines faintly shot in moon or firelight, and is either pebble-grey orsand-coloured. It never bristles into hair except about their polls andchops, where it stands in a smooth, even wall, about one and a half totwo inches high, leaving the remnant of their faces light and bare.They stand for the most part about three spans high in their grassslippers. Their noses are even flatter than the noses of the Mullabruks.Their teeth stand out somewhat, giving their small faces a cunningmouse-look, which never changes. Their eyes are round and thin-lidded,and almost as colourless as glass. Yet behind their glassiness seems tobe set a gleam, like a far and tiny taper shining, so that they areperfectly visible in the dark, or even dusk. Thus may they be seen, ahorde of them together in the evening gloom of the forest when they goMulgar-hunting. When they are closely looked on, they can, as it werewithin their eyes, shut out this gleam--it vanishes; but still theycontinue to see, though dimly. By day their eyes are as empty as pureglass marbles. Their smell is faintly rank, through eating so muchflesh. The she and young Minimuls feed in the deeper chambers of theirmounds, and never venture out.

  Nod was falling into a nap from weariness and pain, when there camespindling along an old sallow-hued Earth-mulgar, whose eyes were pink,rather than glass-grey, like the others. He shook his head this way,that way, muttering his magic over Nod; then, with a mottled gourdbeside him, he very gently and dexterously rolled back the strip orbandage of leaves on Nod's shoulder, and peered close into his poisonedwound. He probed it softly with his hairless fingers. Then out of thepouch hanging on his stomach he took fresh leaves, smeared and stalked,a little clay pot of green healing-grease, and anointed the sore. Thishe rubbed ever so smoothly with his two middle fingers. After which hebound all up again so skilfully with leaves and grass that it seemed toNod his wounded shoulder was the easiest and most comfortable part ofhis body. Out of his pinkish eyes he gazed greedily into Nod's face fora moment, and took his departure.

  After he had gone, Nod smoothed his face, and with his own comb combedhimself as far as he could reach without pain. Presently shuffled alongtwo or three more of the Mouse-faces carrying roasted Nanoes andMambel-berries, and a kind of citron, like a Keeri, very refreshing;also a little gourd of very thin Subbub. But, although he was toowretched and too much afraid to be hungry, and shuddered at sight of theMinimul food, Nod knew he must quickly grow strong if ever he and hisbrothers were to reach the Valleys of Tishnar. So he ate and drank, andwas refreshed. Then he turned to a little sleek Minimul that tended him,and asked him in Munza-mulgar: "Is it day--sunshine? Is it day?"

  The little creature shook his head and shut his eyes, as if to signifyhe did not understand the question.

  Nod at that shut his eyes too, and laid his cheek on his lean littlehand, as if to say, "Sleep."

  Thereupon eight thickish Minimuls came--four on either side--and hoistedup by its handles
the grass mat on which he lay, while others wentbefore, strewing dried leaves and a kind of forest-flower that smellslike mint when crushed, and carrying lanterns of candle-worms, whileothers waddled with them, beating on little tambours of Skeeto-skin--allthis because Nod breathed magic, part his own, part his Wonderstone's.

  They laid him down in a sandy chamber strewn with flowers. And, bowingmany times, their heads betwixt their rather bandy legs, they left him.When they were gone, Nod wriggled softly up and looked about him. Thechamber was round and caved, and on the walls were still visible themarks of the Minimuls' hands and scoops which had hollowed it out.Through the roof a rugged root pierced, crossed over, and dipped intothe earth again. The candle-worms cast a gentle sheen on the goldensanded walls. Hung from the roof were strings of dried flowers, sheddingso heavy and languid a smell in the narrow chamber that Nod's drowsyeyelids soon began to droop. His bright eyes glanced like fireflies,darting to and fro with his thoughts. But the odour of the flowers soonsoothed them all to rest. Nod fell asleep.

  The next day (that is, the next Minimul day, which is Munza night) creptslowly by. Nod was never left alone. Every hour the littlesoft-shuffling Mouse-faces tended and fed and watched him, and burntlittle magic sticks around him. Three dead Skeetoes, with fast-shuteyes, lay on the floor, shot by their poisoned darts in the dusk of theevening, when he was carried into the big fire-chamber, or kitchen,again. They were soon skinned and trussed by the hungry Minimuls, andstretched along the spit. The smell of their roasting rose up in smoke.At last came sleeping-time again. And then, when all was silent, Nodrose softly from his grass-mat, and stealing down the low, narrowearth-run, looked out into the kitchen where he had lain all day. Thefire was dying in faintly glowing embers. All was utterly still. Butwhich way should he go now, he wondered, to seek his brothers? And whichof these dark arches led to the open forest, the snow, and theAssasimmon?

  NOD WAS NEVER LEFT ALONE.]

  His quick eyes caught sight of the thin smoke winding silently up fromthe logs. Somewhere that must escape into the air. But on high it was sodim he could scarcely see the roof, only the steep walls, ragged withsnake-skins, and the huge pods of the silky poison-seed. He creptstealthily under one of the arches hung at the entrance with the driedcarcass of a little fierce-faced, snow-white Gunga cub, and presentlycame to where, all in their sandy beds, with their tails curled up, sideby side in double rows, the mousey Earth-mulgars slept. He returned tothe kitchen, and called softly in the hollow cavern, "Thumb, Thumb!"

  Only his own voice echoed back to him. Yet a sound feeble as this awokethe light-sleeping Minimuls. For their mounds echo more than merehollowness would seem to make them. The lightest stir or footfall ofbeast walking above in Munza may be heard. Nod had only just time enoughto scamper up his own narrow corridor and throw himself on his matbefore a score of shuffling footfalls followed, and he felt many glassyeyes peering closely into his face.

  All the rest of that night (and for the few nights that followed)Minimuls stood behind his bed beating faintly on their skin Z[=o][=o]tsor tambours, while two others sat one on each side of him with fans ofsoporiferous Moka-wood. But though they might lull Nod's lids asleep,they couldn't still his busy brain. He dreamed and dreamed. Now, in hisdreams he was come in safety to his Uncle Assasimmon's, and they wereall rejoicing at a splendid feast, and he was dressed in beads from neckto heel, with a hat of stained ivory and a peacock's feather. Now he wasalone in the forest in the dark, and a Talanteuti was lamenting in hisear, "N[=o][=o]m-anossi, N[=o][=o]m-anossi." And now it seemed he satbeneath deep emerald waters in the silver courts of the Water-middens,amid the long gold of their streaming hair. But he would awake babblingwith terror, only to smell the creeping odour on the air of broilingMulgar.

  One day came many Earth-mulgars from distant mounds to see this Princeof Magic whom their kinsmen had captured in the forest. They stared athim, sniffed, bowed, and burned smoulder-sticks, and then were led offto stare too at fat Thumb and fattening Thimble. And that same day theMinimuls dragged into their kitchen a long straight branch of iron-wood,which with much labour they turned by charring into a prodigious spit.And Nod knew his hour was come, that there was no time to be lost.

  When he had once more been carried on his mat into his own chamber orsleeping-place, he drove out the drumming and fan-waving Minimuls,making signs to them that their noise and odour drove sleep away insteadof charming it to him. He waited on and on, tossing on his mat,springing up to listen, hearing now some forest beast tread hollowlyoverhead, and now a distant cry as if of fear or anguish. But at last,when all was still, he very cautiously fumbled and fumbled, gnawed andgnawed with his sharp little dog-teeth, until in the dim light of hisworm-lantern peeped out the strange pale glowing milk-white Wonderstone,carved all over with labyrinthine beast and bird and unintelligiblecharacters. It lay there marvellously beautiful, as if in itself it wereall Munza-mulgar, its swamps and forests and mountains lying tinied inthe pale brown palm of his hand, and as full of changing light as thebellies of dead fishes in the dark. He got up softly, clutching thestone tightly in his hand. He listened. He stole down his sandy gallery,and stood, small and hairy, in his sheep-skin, peering out into thegreat evil-smelling kitchen. Then he spat with his spittle on the stone,and began to rub softly, softly, three times round with his left thumbS[=a]maweeza, dancing lightly, and slowly the while, with eyes tightshut and ears twitching.

  And it seemed of a sudden as if all his care and trouble had been sweptaway. A voice small and clear called softly within him: "Follow,Ummanodda, follow! Have now no fear, Prince of Tishnar, Nizza-neela; butfollow, only follow!"

  He opened his eyes, and there, hovering in the air, he saw as it were alittle flame, crystal clear below, but mounting to the colour of rose,and shaped like a little pear. As soon as he looked at it it begansoftly to stir and float away from him across the glowery kitchen. Andagain the mysterious voice he had heard called softly: "Follow, Princeof Tishnar, follow!" With shining eyes he hobbled warily after thelittle flame that, burning tranquil in the air, about a span above hishead, was floating quietly on.

  It led him past the gaunt black spit and the dying fire. It waftedacross the great kitchen to the fifth of the gloomy arches, andstealthily as a shadow Nod stole after it. Under this arch and up theshelving gallery gently slid the guiding flame. And now Nod saw againthe furry Earth-mulgars, lying on their stomachs in their sandy beds,whimpering and snuffling in their sleep. On glided the flame; after itcrept Nod, scarcely daring to breathe. "Softly, now softly," he keptmuttering to himself. And now this gallery began to slope downward, andhe heard water dripping. A thin moss was growing on the stony walls. Itfelt colder as he descended. But Nod kept his eyes fixed on the clear,unswerving flame. And in the silence he heard a muffled groan, and aharsh voice muttered drowsily, "Oo mutchee, nanga," and he knew Thumbmust be near.

  The strange voice whispered: "Hasten, Ummanodda Nizza-neela; full moonis rising!" Then Nod whimpering in his fear a little, like a cat, edgedon once more through a gallery where was laid up on sandy shelves agreat store of nuts and pods and skins and spits and sharp-edged flints.And at last he came to where, in a filthy hollow, cold and lightless,and oozing with dark-glistening water-drops, his brothers Thimble andThumb were sleeping. They were tied hand and foot with Samarak to thethick root of a B[=o][=o]bab-tree, even their eyes bound up with stickyleaves. Nod hobbled over and knelt down beside Thumb, and put his mouthclose to his ear. "Thumb, Thumb," says he, "it is Nod! Wake,Mulla-mulgar; it is Nod who calls!" And he shook him by the shoulder.Thumb stirred in his sleep and opened his mouth, so that Nod could seethe hovering flame glistening on his teeth. "Oohmah, oohmah," hegrunted, "na nasmi mutta kara theartchen!" Which means in Mulgar-royal:"Sorry, oh sorry, don't whip me, mother dear!" And Nod knew he wasdreaming of long ago.

  He shook him again, and Thumb, with a kind of groan, rolled over,trembling, and seemed to listen. "Thumb, Thumb," Nod cried, "it's onlyme; it's only Nod with the Wonderstone!" And whi
le Nod was stripping offthe leaves and bandages which covered Thumb's eyes he told himeverything. "And don't cry out, Thumb, if Tishnar's flame burns yourshins. They've tied your legs in knots so tight with this tough Samarak,my fingers can't undo them." So Thumb stretched out his legs, andclenched his hands, while the flame stooped and came down, and burnedthrough the Samarak. He rubbed his poor singed shins where the flame hadscorched them. But now he stood up. Soon his arms were unbound, andThimble, too, was roused and unloosed, and they were all three ready totread softly out.

  "Lead on, my wondrous fruit of magic!" said Nod.

  The light curtsied, as it were, in the air, and glided up through thedoorway; and the three Mulla-mulgars crept out after it, Thumb andThimble on their fours, being too stiff to walk upright.

  "Hasten, hasten, Mulla-mulgars!" said Nod softly. "The full moon isshining; night is come. The pot is ready for the feast."

  So one by one, with Nod's clear flame for guide, they trod noiselesslyup the sandy earth-run. It led them without faltering past the huddledsleepers again; past, too, where the she-Minimuls lay cuddling theirtiny ones, and up into the big empty kitchen. Under another arch theycrept after it, along another gallery of rough steps, hollowed out ofthe sandy rock, beneath great tortuous roots, through such a maze aswould have baffled a weasel.

  And suddenly Thumb stopped and snuffed and snuffed again. "Immamoosa,Immamoosa!" he grunted.

  Almond and evening-blooming Immamoosa it was, indeed, which they couldsmell, shedding its fragrance abroad at nightfall. And in a little whileout at last into the starry darkness they came, the great forest-treesstanding black and still around them, their huge boughs cloaked withsnow.