第25章 CHAPTER IV(6)

So there I must leave this matter， though for my part I was sure that Kari was not mad， whatever he might have been in the past. A great dreamer he was， it is true， who declared that the poison which his brother had given him had "eaten a hole in his mind" through which he could see and hear things which others could not. Thus he was able to read the secret motives of men and women with wonderful clearness， so much so that sometimes I asked him， laughing， if he could not give me some of that poison that I might see into the hearts of those with whom I dealt. Of another thing， too， he was always certain， namely， that he would return to his country Tavantinsuyu of which he thought day and night， and that /I should accompany him/. At this I laughed again and said that if so it would be after we were both dead.

By degrees he learned English quite well and even how to read and write it， teaching me in return much of his own language which he called /Quichua/， a soft and beautiful tongue， though he said that there were also many others in his country， including one that was secret to the King and his family， which he was not allowed to reveal although he knew it. In time I mastered enough of this Quichua to be able to talk to Kari in brief sentences of it when I did not wish others to understand what I said.

To tell the truth， while I studied thus and listened to his marvellous tales， a great desire arose in me to see this land of his and to open up a trade with it， since there he declared gold was as plentiful as was iron with us. I thought even of making a voyage of discovery to the west， but when I spoke of it to certain sea-captains， even the most venturesome mocked at me and said that they would wait for that journey till they "went west" themselves， by which in their sea parlance that they had learned in the Mediterranean， they meant until they died.[*] When I told Kari this he smiled in his mysterious way and answered that all the same， I and he should make that journey together and this before we died， a thing that came about， indeed， though， not by my own will or his.

[*] Of late there has been much dispute as to the origin of the phrase "to go west，" or in other words， to die. Surely it arises from the custom of the Ancient Egyptians who， after death， were ferried across the Nile and entombed upon the western shore.--Ed.

For the rest when Kari saw my workmen fashioning gold and setting jewels in it for sale to the nobles and ladies of the Court， he was much interested and asked if he might be allowed to follow this craft， of which he said he understood something， and thus earn the bread he ate. I answered， yes， for I knew that it irked his proud nature to be dependent on me， and gave him gold and silver with a little room having a furnace in it where he could labour. The first thing he made was an object about two inches across， round and with a groove at the back of it， on the front of which he fashioned an image of the sun having a human face and rays of light projecting all about. I asked him what was its purpose， whereon he took the piece and thrust it into the lobe of his ear where the gristle had been stretched in the fashion that I have described， which it fitted exactly. Then he told me that in his country all the nobles wore such ornaments and that those who did so were called "ear-men" to distinguish them from the common people. Also he told me many other things too long to set out， which made me desire more than ever to see this empire with my eyes， for an empire and no less he declared it to be.

Afterwards Kari made many such ornaments which I sold for brooches with a pin set at the back of them. Also he shaped other things， for his skill as a goldsmith was wonderful， such as cups and platters of strange design and rich ornamentation which commanded a great price.

But on every one of them， in the centre or some other part of the embossment， appeared this image of the sun. I asked him why. He answered because the sun was his god and his people were Sun- worshippers. I reminded him that he had said that a certain Pachacamac whose image he wore about his neck was his god. To this he replied：

"Yes， Pachacamac is the god above gods， the Creator， the Spirit of the World， but the Sun is his visible house and raiment that all may see and worship，" a saying that I thought had truth in it， seeing that all Nature is the raiment of God.

I tried to instruct him in our faith， but although he listened patiently and I think understood， he would not become a Christian， making it very plain to me that he thought that a man should live and die in the religion in which he was born and that from what he saw in London he did not hold that Christians were any better than those who worshipped the sun and the great spirit， Pachacamac. So I abandoned this attempt， although there was danger to him while he remained a heathen. Indeed twice or thrice the priests made inquiry concerning his faith， being curious as to all that had to do with him. However， I silenced them by pretending that I was instructing him as well as I was able and that as yet he did not know enough English to hearken to their holy expositions. Also when they became persistent I made gifts to the monasteries to which they belonged， or if they were parish priests， then to their cur閟 or churches.

Still I was troubled about this matter， for some of these priests were very fierce and intolerant， and I was sure that in time they would push the business further.

One more thing I noticed about Kari， namely， that he shrank from women and indeed seemed to hate them. The maids who had remained with me since my uncle's death noticed this， by nature as it were， and in revenge would not serve him. The end of it was that， fearing lest they should do him some evil turn with the priests or otherwise， I sent them away and hired men to take their place. This distaste of Kari for women I set down to all that he had suffered at the hands of his false and beautiful wife not wrongly as I think.