by Frank Aubrey
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE LEGEND OF MELLENDA.
Monella's anticipations of what would follow the severe lesson they hadgiven Coryon's followers turned out to be well founded. For when Dakla,with his arm in a sling, revisited his master, bearing a message fromthe king, the conditions offered were accepted.
Dakla had been straightly charged that these terms would have to besubmitted to; if not that his master and all his followers would bestarved into submission. They would be confined to their own colony,supplies of food refused, and any of their number leaving their retreatwould be killed at sight.
The conditions imposed were that not merely the three strangers, butall the 'lay' inhabitants were to be free from molestation by Coryon'speople; and that no more 'blood-tax' was to be levied.
After many journeys to and fro, and much delay, Dakla at last announcedthat Coryon agreed to the conditions for a time--for four months. Afterthat, their great festival would be coming on, and--well, time wouldshow.
"It is only a truce," said Monella, with a sigh, to his two youngfriends. "I would it had been permanent; but it will give us time,and the opportunity of shaping out our course. The people will have arespite from the terrible fear that now is ever with them; and, shortof engaging in a protracted civil conflict, for which the people arenot yet prepared, I see not what better could have been arranged."
They were thus now able to move about more freely, and without aguard; their rifles, too, could be left behind when they went abroad;though Monella had counselled that they should always carry theirrevolvers; for he feared they were not altogether safe from treachery,or from some fanatical outbreak on the part of certain of the priests'adherents.
Thus Templemore and Elwood were now able to mingle more freely with thepopulace and to see more of their social life. And, wherever they went,they were well received, and treated with both confidence and respect.They visited the houses of people of all classes, from the palaces ofthe nobles to the dwellings of the peasantry, if so the lower classesmight be called. There were, however, no poor in the country, in theordinary sense of the word. The crops grown were supplied to allalike; every one had plenty to eat, and plenty of clothes to wear, andwell-built houses to live in. And, beyond these requisites, there waslittle in the land to pine for. There were forests, and from theseall were free to cut wood for fuel; the electric light was laid onto all alike. The water they required they supplied themselves withfrom the lake, or from one or other of the streams that everywheregushed forth from the rocks above. Of shops there were none; butthere was a market-place, and a sort of market or exchange was heldthere once a week. Even this, however, was falling into disuse. Therewas a currency; and there were many kinds of coins; but they wereseldom used. They were of ancient make and were preserved rather ascuriosities, seemingly, than for use. There was so little that thepeople wanted, either to buy or sell, that a simple system of bartersufficed for practically all their needs.
Elwood and Templemore, as they came to know all these things, andgained experience of the simple good-nature of the people, feltincreased indignation and resentment against the priests. They saw thatthe horrible tyranny of these men had turned a land that might havebeen a realm of perfect peace and goodwill, into one where constantdread and hopeless misery and suffering had become so common, that allseemed helplessly resigned to it.
One day, when the two were in a boat with Ulama and Zonella, Kalaima,and others, Templemore, who had been talking of these matters, askedwhether the state of things they had seen had been of long duration.
The reply came from Zonella.
"Ever since the time of the great Mellenda. So we are told. It isthe punishment sent by the Great Spirit upon the people for theiringratitude to him."
"And who was Mellenda?" asked Elwood.
"What! You ask who was Mellenda? But I forgot; of course, you have notbeen here very long, and cannot know our history and legends."
"I have been prying about more in your museums than has my friend,"Jack observed, "and I have learned something of Mellenda. But I knownothing of any legend. Pray let us hear it."
"Yes, tell us about it," Leonard urged. "I like fine old legends andtales of wonder."
"Ask the princess to tell you."
"No, no, Zonella," Ulama interposed. "You began it; you finish it.Besides, you are more learned in such things than I am."
"Very well," Zonella said resignedly. "I can only give it as I knowit. If you want further details, you must go to the museum, or askColenna, the High Chamberlain, who is a very learned man. Only I donot wish you to ridicule it"--this to the two young men--"for, thoughI call it a legend, yet it is history; and all our people implicitlybelieve it. You could not offend them more than by treating it lightlyor affecting to disbelieve it. I give _you_ that as a caution, moreparticularly," she added, looking mischievously at Jack, "for I knowthat you are very much inclined to scepticism in such things."
"I will promise to be very good, and to make no frivolous remarks," wasJack's laughing answer.
"Then you must know," Zonella began, "that we deem Mellenda thegreatest of our kings; that is, of our later kings. Our ancient lineof kings before him had made Manoa the greatest, the most powerful,and the richest country of the world. These mountains that you haveseen around us were all islands in a great lake--the lake of Parima.Its waters extended to the great mountains that we can sometimes seefrom the highest points about Manoa--far, far away. But over those, andover lands in every direction, our nation held sway. These islands wereour chief fastnesses, and this one, Manoa, being the highest and themost naturally favoured of them all, was the seat of government, andits city was the capital to which were brought all the wealth and themost valued productions of the other countries that formed part of itsempire.
"But, after many mighty kings had lived and died, a weakness seemed tofall upon the people. They were defeated in battle; provinces revolted,and many distant parts of the empire were lost, passing under otherkings. At that time, it is said, our kings and nobles and chiefs amongthe nation were too much given to feasting and enjoyment; and, it isdeclared, they began cruelly to oppress the weaker of the people. And achange came over the religion. Up to then all had worshipped only oneGreat Spirit, who was said to be a good Spirit--the great ruler of allspirits, in fact, and his priests were called 'Children of the Light.'Their rule--what they taught--was gentle; it is recorded that theywere men of peace and of great--very, very great--wisdom. But anotherreligion had been introduced, coming, it is believed, from some of thelands that had been conquered; and this was the exact opposite of theold one. Its votaries and high priests called themselves 'Children ofthe Night'; they worshipped, not one God, but many strange and terriblegods; their priests, also, were thought to possess great wisdom, butof an evil kind. They taught that there was but one way to escape thepower of the Spirits of Darkness, and that was by propitiating them byconstant sacrifices; and they killed many people at their festivals togive them to their gods.
"Then Mellenda came to the throne. He was the only son of the last ofthe ancient line of kings. While young he had travelled far and gainedmuch knowledge in strange countries; and he had already, as generalof some of his father's armies, defeated the enemies of the country,and regained some of the lost provinces. His father was killed inbattle, and Mellenda immediately set about plans for reviving the oldpower and recovering the former empire of the nation. He taught, too,that the White religion was the true religion, and he made endeavoursto put down the other. But he was absent for long periods at a time,upon distant expeditions, from which, it is true, he always returnedvictorious; but, while he was away, establishing peace and orderin some distant province, the Dark Priests were craftily at workundermining his authority at home. However, for a long time, nothingcame of their plottings, and Mellenda reigned for several hundredyears----"
"That's a long time," Jack interrupted, regardless of his promise.
"For several hundred years," repeated Zonella wi
th a reproving lookat the interrupter, "which was not very long, considering that hisfather had reigned for fifteen hundred years, and was then cut off,in the flower of his age, by an accident in battle. He (Mellenda)had restored peace at last throughout the whole empire; reformed thestyle of living, himself setting an example of great simplicity; andhis wisdom and justice and kindness of heart had made him revered andloved wherever the name of Manoa was known. Then, finally, he marrieda princess he was passionately fond of, named Elmonta, and had fourchildren, upon whom, they say, he lavished the most tender love. Butsome occasion arose for him to leave Manoa once more, to visit adistant part of his great empire. There was a treaty of alliance to bemade with another monarch, or some such matter of importance. He sailedaway and returned after a long absence, to find that Coryon----"
"Coryon!" exclaimed Jack, once more forgetful of his promises.
"Yes, Coryon, the same Coryon, as is believed, that we have here in theland to-day. He had seized upon the government and gained over a vastnumber of the most dissolute and discontented spirits to his side. Hewas then, as now, the chief of the Dark Brotherhood, or Children of theNight. All the crowd of idle, self-indulgent nobles and men of wealth,but of loose life, among the people, whom Mellenda had rebuked andcurbed, broke out and joined Coryon's revolt; and they actually seizedupon Elmonta, Mellenda's queen, and his children, and offered them assacrifices to their gods. Coryon set up a king of his own choosing;and, when Mellenda returned, he found his wife and children dead, andthe government in the hands of a puppet king controlled by Coryon, whothreatened him with death if he landed and fell into his hands. Suchwas the message sent out to Mellenda when he arrived in sight of ourisland on his return, successful in the mission that had called himaway, and impatient to get back to his wife and children. He had withhim a great fleet of vessels; and, though the revolt had spread tothe other islands, he could, perhaps, have found followers enough inother parts of the empire to have regained his throne, had he been sominded. But he was broken-hearted, and said that, since his wife andchildren were no longer living, he had nothing left to fight for, andcared not to take part in a civil war with his own people. Instead, hedecreed that their punishment should be that he (Mellenda) would goaway and leave them for many ages to suffer under the lash of the foulreligion they had supported; till all who had sinned against him sawtheir wicked error, when he would return to punish finally the DarkPriests and those who still wilfully supported them. Then, and for everafterwards, there should be peace and happiness and justice throughoutthe land for all his people.
"So Mellenda sailed away, and was never seen or heard of more. Not longafter his departure came the great sinking of the waters, and the lakeof Parima disappeared. This the better-disposed inhabitants left hereregarded as a special punishment for their allowing Coryon to usurpthe government and drive away the great, good, and wise Mellenda. Andthey rose up against Coryon and the king he had set up. But the craftypriest had obtained too strong a position for the movement to succeed.Moreover, he managed to pacify a part of his opponents in a strangeway. He declared he had not put to death all Mellenda's children, andproduced a boy, who, it is said, was recognised by those who ought toknow as one of Mellenda's children. This child he promised to placeupon the throne; and afterwards he did so.
"The nation, shut off from all the world, has much decreased innumbers, and is now unknown where it was once all-powerful. Forcenturies, it is said, the surrounding country was but a chaos of swampand mud. By degrees there grew up vegetation, and finally trees that,in time, became thick, tangled forests that could not be penetrated.Thus, for long ages, we have been cut off from all the other peoplesof the world. Some parties were sent out, hundreds of years ago, toexplore the surrounding country; but some never returned, and thosewho did brought back such terrible accounts of awful woods hauntedby fearful creatures, and of deserts beyond, inhabited only by blackdemons, that it was considered better to keep the country here entirelyto ourselves. So I believe the only known way that led out into thewoods was sealed up for good; and thus ended the last attempt tocommunicate with the outside world.
"Many of the White Priests fled to Mellenda's vessels, and were takenaway with him when he departed; but the others, including their chief,Sanaima, retired to Myrlanda, where they have ever since maintainedthemselves.
"That is the story of Mellenda, and of how he left us, and of whatbefell the proud city of Manoa after his departure. When he will comeback we know not; but some old prophecies obtain amongst the peopleaccording to which the time of his return is very near, if it is notindeed overpast."
"His return!" said Jack. "You surely would not have us understandthat you expect this venerable old fossil to return, in the flesh,to trouble himself about the present state of the descendants of hisungrateful people?"
Zonella stared.
"Why, _of course_ we do!" she answered. "There is not a man or awoman--scarcely a child of a few years old--that has not been taught tobelieve in it."
"I should think so," Ulama exclaimed, almost indignantly. "We all_know_ it will be so; we believe it absolutely."
"But," said Jack, "how long ago do you reckon all this took place?"
"About two thousand years," Zonella replied, after a brief, butapparently careful, calculation, counting up on her fingers.
"Two thousand years! And you--you two sensible young people--tell usyou expect to see this badly-treated, but respectable, old gentlemanturn up again, just much as usual, I suppose, after two thousand years!"
"Why not?" Ulama asked. "We have Coryon and Sanaima, both said to beolder than that."
"Yes--but"--looking at Leonard--"I fancy that is like the Pharoahs ofold, you know, where there was always a Pharoah on the throne, thoughkings were born and died. It would be easy to keep up a farce of thatsort where, as here, the 'High Priest,' black or white, is so seldomvisible--always in the background."
"But if the king is three hundred and forty, may it not be possible tolive to two thousand, or more? I can point out many men of more thanfive hundred in the king's palace," observed Zonella.
The gentle Ulama, even, looked somewhat offended.
"We do not question the wonderful things you tell us about the worldoutside," she said. "Why should you question what we know to be true?"
"It seems to me," said Leonard, "that it all depends upon the virtuesof the 'Plant of Life.' Now, if that herb, or plant, or whatever itis, really has the qualities attributed to it, why, the rest is easyenough."
"I admit that," Jack said, laughing. "When once that is conceded, aman may just as easily live to five thousand years. Only, even in thatcase, I see a difficulty. How would Mellenda get the necessary 'Plantof Life' away from here?"
"The White Priests who went away with him would not be likely to leavetheir secret behind," explained Zonella. "Besides, it is speciallystated in our historical manuscripts--so Colenna has told me--thatthose who went out from the island for long periods--governors ofdistant provinces and the like--not only took a large supply of thedried plant with them, but seeds that they might grow it; and in someplaces they found the plant do well; though they kept its virtues asecret from the peoples they went amongst. These things would be knownto Mellenda and to the White Priests who went away with him; and,probably, they settled in a place where they knew the plant was beinggrown."
"Were that so, it would explain something of the former far-reachingfame and power of a small nation of islanders like these," saidLeonard. "The secret of such a plant--the rapid increase of populationwhen there were so few deaths in proportion--would of course give thema long pull over other nations."
"As to the question whether we seriously expect Mellenda to returnto us," resumed Zonella, "in the large museum you will see one ofhis suits of armour, his banner, and a celebrated sword of his, allkept bright and ready for use and well preserved. They are kept therewaiting for him."
"I saw them," Jack remarked. "He must have been a big fine man, if thatsuit fitted him. Bu
t, to go back to the son of this great king, said tohave been saved after all, and then put on the throne; did he have anydescendants?"
Zonella nodded.
"There have been five kings in the direct line since."
"I see. So that the present king is----"
"A great-great-great-grandson of the great Mellenda," put in Ulama.
"I think it was rather fortunate you managed as you did when you camehere," Zonella said after a pause; "for, if Coryon had been the firstto know of you strangers being in the country, he would have strivenin every way to have killed or captured you. They say he is a firmbeliever in the early coming of Mellenda, and is in mortal terror aboutit."
Jack was silent awhile, and then he observed drily,
"Well, all I can say is that I should very much like to see the goodgentleman, if he is still about; and I only hope and wish he willarrive while we are here. If he has been travelling around all theseyears, by this time he must know a thing or two! I wonder whether hewill come in a balloon!"