The Land of Foam

by Ivan Yefremov

  The sun turned the scarcely moving, coarse grass to gold over which the green lacework of the trees seemed to be floating in the air.

  A row of black thin spears appeared above the grass — a group of antelopes — the oryx — showed their horns and disappeared behind a line of bushes. The grass was still rather scanty, patches of bare, cracked earth showed on all sides since the rains had only just begun. On their left appeared a grove of trees whose feather-like leaves resembled palms but their trunks opened out into two branches at the top, like the spread fingers of a hand, and on these, in turn, other branches grew.

  (The baobab — a tree typical of the African savanna.)

  It was here that the hunters had seen the rhinoceroses on the previous day and, making a sign to the slaves to stay where they were, crawled cautiously towards the grove, and peered amongst the trees where it was dark after the bright sunlight outside. There were no animals there and the hunters led the slaves towards a dry watercourse densely overgrown with bushes. Here there was a spring which the rhinoceroses had turned into a mud-hole where they lay during the hottest hours of the day. The hunters came to an open space around which were three of the big umbrella-headed acacias. They were still about two thousand cubits from the dry watercourse when one of the Nubian guides at the head of the party stopped and threw out his arms in a signal to halt. It became so silent that the humming of insects could be plainly heard. Kidogo touched Pandion on the shoulder — he pointed to one side where Pandion saw something under the low, thorny trees that looked like two smooth blocks of stone. These were the awe-inspiring animals of the southern plains. At first the animals did not notice the hunters and continued lying on the ground with their backs towards them. The animals did not seem very big to Pandion, and one of them, a female, was much smaller than the other. The slaves did not know that the hunters, hoping for a generous reward, had picked out an exceptionally large male rhinoceros of the light-skinned variety* that was much bigger than its southern relatives, was higher in the shoulder, had a wide square jowl and light grey skin. The hunters decided to change the plan of attack so that the female would not intervene and spoil the hunt.

  (In former times the white rhinoceros was considerably more common in Northern Sudan.)

  The Lord of the Hunt and the Captain of the escort troops climbed up a tree, cursing the long thorns on its trunk. The soldiers hid behind bushes. The slaves joined forces in a single group, spread out in several lines and, together with the hunters, rushed across the open plain with deafening shouts, waving their ropes and giving themselves courage by shouting their war-cries. The two animals jumped to their feet with amazing speed. The huge male stood still for a second, his eyes fixed on the people approaching him, but the female, more frightened than he, ran away to one side. This was what the hunters had counted on and they ran swiftly away to the right to cut her off from her companion.

  From the tree-top the Lord of the Hunt could see the gigantic body of the immobile rhinoceros, the black curve of ears peeked forward and separated by the high hill-like crown of the animal’s head. Behind his ears rose the high hump of its massive withers and in front of them gleamed the sharp end of its horn. It seemed to the Egyptian that the animal’s tiny eyes were looking down at the ground with a stupid and even offended look in them.

  A minute later the rhinoceros turned and the Egyptian saw its long head, awkwardly curved in the middle, the steep slope of its withers, the ridge of bones protruding on its rump, its legs as thick as tree-trunks and its little tail sticking up in a warlike manner.

  The huge shining horn, no less than two cubits long, situated on the animal’s nose, was very thick at the root and sharply pointed at the tip. Behind it was another horn, smaller than the first, also sharp, with a round wide base..

  The hearts of the people running towards the rhinoceros beat furiously — close at hand it seemed a most fearful monster. The gigantic body was no less than eight cubits in length and its powerful withers towered a good four cubits above the ground. The rhinoceros snorted so loudly that every man heard it and then hurled itself at the oncoming people. With an agility unbelievable in so great a body the massive animal was an instant later in the middle of the crowd. Nobody had time to lift a rope. Pandion found himself some distance from the massive animal that rushed past like a whirlwind. He just had time to notice the animal’s distended nostrils surrounded by folds of skin, a torn right ear and flanks covered with little hillocks like growths of lichen. After that everything was mixed up in Pandion’s head. A shrill scream rang out across the plain, an awkwardly twisted human figure flew through the air. The rhinoceros made a wide path through the crowd of slaves and dashed past them into the open plain, leaving several prostrated bodies behind him, turned, and again hurled himself at the unfortunate people. This time human figures hung on to the rapidly moving mass of flesh. But the monster was made up of solid muscles and thick bones and clothed in a skin as hard as armour-plating and the men flew off in different directions. Again the rhinoceros began stamping the doomed slaves underfoot, crushing them and goring them with its horn. Pandion, who had run forward together with the others, was stopped by a dull, heavy blow and found himself on all fours. Wailing groans and piercing shrieks swept across the field and the air was filled with clouds of dust. The Lord of the Hunt, who had been shouting from his tree-top to encourage the slaves, was now silent as he looked in confusion at the battle. Not a single rope had been fastened to the animal and already some thirty men lay dead or wounded. The soldiers, pale and trembling, took cover behind the trees, praying to the gods of Tha-Quem for salvation. For the third time the rhinoceros attacked the people and although they gave way before him he managed to gore Remdus, the younger Etruscan, with his horn. With abrupt snorts the animal dashed furiously amongst the people, goring them and trampling them underfoot. Foam flew from the animal’s nostrils; his tiny eyes gleamed with rage.

  With a furious howl Cavius hurled himself at the monster but his rope slipped off the horn; the Etruscan himself flew aside, bleeding — the rough hide of the rhinoceros had torn the skin from his shoulder and chest.

  Cavius got to his feet with difficulty, roaring in helpless fury. Scared by the strength of the rhinoceros the people staggered back from him, the less brave of them Sliding behind the backs of their comrades.

  It seemed that little more was required to make them scatter in all directions, abandoning their hopes of liberty.

  Again the rhinoceros turned to attack the people, again the air was filled with howls. Kidogo stepped forward. The Negro’s nostrils were distended; he was filled with that fire of battle that is born of mortal d-anger when a man forgets everything except the necessity to fight, to fight for life. Leaping aside from the awful horn that threatened certain death, Kidogo ran after the animal and seized hold of its tail. Pandion, recovering from the terrible shaking he had received, picked up a net that was lying on the ground. At that moment he realized that he should be ahead of his comrades whose bodies had shielded him when he lay stupefied on the grass. Some faint memories flitted through his mind — the glade in Crete, the dangerous games with the bull. The rhinoceros was not much like a bull, but Pandion decided to use the same methods. Throwing the rolled-up net over his shoulder, he rushed at the rhinoceros. The animal had come to a halt, was pawing the ground with its hind-legs, churning up clouds of dust, and had thrown Kidogo far away. Two Libyans, understanding Pandion’s plan, attracted the animal’s attention to one side and, with a single bound, he reached the animal and pressed closely to its side. The rhinoceros turned like lightning, its rough hide tearing Pandion’s skin. Pandion felt a terrific pain, but, forgetting all else, hung on to the animal’s ear. In the way he had seen it done in Crete, Pandion threw his body across that of the animal and landed on his broad back. The rhinoceros twisted and turned. Pandion hung on for all he was worth. If I can only hold on, was” the one thought that repeated itself in his brain.

  And Pandion held on for t
he number of seconds necessary to throw the net over the animal’s head. The horns protruded through the mesh of the net and Pandion was filled with wild joy, but instantly he became blind to his surroundings and lost consciousness. Something cracked, a heavy weight fell on him and everything went dark before his eyes.

  In the heat of battle Pandion had not noticed that Kidogo had again caught hold of the animal’s tail and that ten Libyans and six Amu had seized the net he had flung over the animal’s head. In his effort to throw off ‘the people the rhinoceros had rolled over on to one side breaking the arm and collar-bone of the young Hellene who fell heavily to the ground. The people took immediate advantage of the monster’s fall. With loud shouts the slaves fell on the rhinoceros, a second net enveloped its head and two nooses were made fast on a hind-leg and one on a foreleg.. The animal’s snorting developed into a deep roar; it rolled over on to the left side, then on to its back, crushing people’s bones under its heavy weight. It seemed that there was no limit to the animal’s strength. Six times it rose to its feet, got mixed up in the ropes and rolled over on to its back again, killing more than fifty men. Still the ropes and thongs on its legs increased in number and the hunters drew’ the strong nooses tight. Three nets enveloped the animal from head to foot. Soon a crowd of people, bleeding, sweating and covered in dirt, lay on the madly struggling rhinoceros. The animal’s hide, covered with human blood, ‘had become slippery, the men’s crooked fingers would not hold, but still the ropes were drawn tighter and tighter. Even those who had been crushed by the animal’s heavy weight in its last effort to free itself clung to the ropes with the rigid grip of death. ‘

  The hunters came up to the recumbent animal with fresh ropes, bound all four tree-like legs and tied its head to its forelegs by ropes passed behind the horn.

  The terrible battle was over.

  The panic-stricken people gradually came to their senses; the muscles of their lacerated bodies began to twitch as though they were in a fever and black patches floated before their unseeing eyes.

  At last the frantically beating hearts grew calmer; here and there sighs of relief were to be heard, for the people had begun to realize that death had passed them by. Cavius, covered with bloody mud, rose staggering to his feet; Kidogo, trembling all over, but already smiling, came up to him. The smile, however, immediately left the Negro’s greying face when he found that Pandion was not amongst the living.

  Seventy-three men had survived, the remainder had either been killed or had received mortal wounds. The Etruscan and Kidogo sought for Pandion amongst the dead in the down-trodden grass, found his body and carried it into the shade. Cavius examined him carefully but could not find any mortal injuries. Remdus was dead; the fiery leader of the Amu had also perished and the brave Libyan Akhmi, his chest crushed, lay dying.

  While the slaves were counting their losses and carrying the dying to the shade of the trees, the soldiers brought a huge wooden platform from the river — the bottom of the cage that had been prepared for the rhinoceros; they rolled the body of the bound monster on to it and dragged it to the river on rollers.

  Cavius went up to the Lord of the Hunt.

  “Order them to help us carry away the wounded,” he said, pointing to the soldiers.

  “What do you want to do with them?” asked the Lord of the Hunt, looking with involuntary admiration at the mighty Etruscan, smeared with blood and dust, whose face was all stern grief.

  “We’ll take them back down the river: perhaps some of them will live as far as Tha-Quem and its skilled physicians,” answered Cavius, gloomily.

  “Who told you that you will return to Tha-Quem?” the Lord of the Hunt interrupted him.

  The Etruscan shuddered and stepped back a pace.

  “Was the Prince of the South lying to us, then? Are we not free?” shouted Cavius.

  “No, the Prince did not lie to you, despised one — you are free!” With these words the Lord of the Hunt held but a small papyrus scroll to the Etruscan. “Here’s his ordinance.”

  With great care Cavius took the precious document that made free men of the slaves…

  “If that’s so, then why…” he began.

  “Be silent,” snapped the Lord of the Hunt haughtily, “and listen to me. You’re free here,” the Lord of the Hunt stressed the last word. “You may go wherever you please — there, there and there,” his hand pointed to the west, east and south, “but not to Tha-Quem or to Nub that is under our rule. If you disobey you’ll again become slaves. I presume,” he added in brutal tones, “that when you’ve thought matters over you’ll return and fall to the feet of our ruler and suffer what fate has predestined for you as servants of the Chosen ‘People of the Black Land.”

  Cavius took two steps forward. His eyes gleamed. He stretched out his hand to one of the soldiers who was looking in perplexity at the Lord of the Hunt, and with a bold gesture pulled the short sword from his belt. The Etruscan raised the flashing weapon point upwards, kissed it and spoke quickly in his own language, which nobody could understand.

  “I swear by the Supreme God of Lightning, I swear by the God of Death whose name I bear, that despite all the evil deeds of this accursed people I will return alive to the land of my birth. I swear that from this hour I shall not rest until I sail to the shores of Tha-Quem with a strong army to take payment in full for all the evil that has been done.”

  Cavius waved his hand over the field where the bodies lay scattered and then with great force hurled the sword to his feet. The sword sank deep into the earth. The Etruscan turned sharply round and walked off towards his comrades but suddenly turned back.

  “I ask you only one thing,” he said to the Lord of the Hunt who was going off with the last of the soldiers. “Order them to leave us a few spears, knives and bows. We have to protect our wounded.”

  The Lord of the Hunt nodded his head without speaking and disappeared behind the bushes, making his way to the river by the broad path made by the platform on which the rhinoceros had been dragged away.

  Cavius told his comrades what had been said. Cries of wrath, muttered curses and helpless threats mingled with the plaintive moans of the dying.

  “We’ll think about what we’re going to do later on,” shouted Cavius. “The first thing we have to decide is what to do with the wounded. It’s a long way to the river, we’re tired and can’t carry them that far. Let us rest a little and then fifty men can go to the river and twenty will remain here on guard — there are many wild beasts about.” Cavius pointed to the spotted backs of hyenas flashing through the long grass, attracted by the smell of blood. Huge birds with long, bare necks circled round the field, landed and then flew off again.

  The dry earth, burned by the sun, gave off waves of heat, the network of sunspots under the trees trembled very slightly and the cries of wild doves sounded mournful in the hot silence. The fever of battle had passed, wounds and knocks were beginning to ache, grazed skin began to burn and fester.

  The death of Remdus had been a heavy blow to Cavius — the youngster had been the one link with the Etruscan’s distant homeland. Now that link was broken.

  Kidogo, forgetting his own wounds, sat over Pandion. The young Hellene had apparently received some internal injury and did not return to consciousness. He was breathing, however, his breath coming through his parched lips in a scarcely audible whistle. Several times Kidogo looked at his comrades lying in the shade, then jumped to his feet and called for volunteers to go to the river for water for the wounded.

  Groaning involuntarily, the men rose to their feet. Immediately they felt an intolerable thirst that stung and burned their throats. If they, the survivors, were so much in need of water, what must be the sufferings of the wounded who were silent only because they had not strength enough to groan. It was no less than two hours fast walking to the river if they went in a straight line.

  Suddenly the sound of voices came from beyond the bushes — a party of soldiers, about fifty of them, carrying vessels
with water and food, appeared in the glade. There were no Egyptians amongst them, only Nubians and Negroes had come, led by two guides.

  The soldiers stopped talking as soon as they saw the battlefield. They made their way to the tree under which Cavius was standing and, without a word, placed at his feet earthen and wooden vessels, a dozen spears, six bows with full quivers, four heavy knives and four small hippopotamus-hide shields studded with brass plates. The thirsty men threw themselves madly at the water jars. Kidogo seized one of the heavy knives and said he would kill anybody who touched the water. They began hurriedly pouring water from two of the vessels into the parched mouths of the wounded after which the others were allowed to drink. The soldiers went away without saying a single word.

  Amongst the slaves there were two men skilled in the treatment of wounds and they, together with Cavius, set about bandaging their comrades’ injuries. Pandion’s broken bones were set and put in splints of hard bark and bound with strips torn from his own loin-cloth. When he removed Pandion’s loin-cloth, Kidogo saw the brightly shining stone that was hidden in the folds of the cloth. The Negro hid it carefully, believing it to be a magic amulet.

  Two other wounded had to be put in splints, one of them a Libyan with a broken arm, and the other a slim, muscular Negro, who lay helpless with his leg broken below the knee. The condition of the others was apparently hopeless, since the terrible horn of the rhinoceros had gored them deeply, injuring them internally. Some of them had been crushed under the tremendous weight of the animal or under its tree-trunk legs.

  Before Cavius had time enough to treat all the wounded, the dark silhouette of a man hurrying towards the scene of the battle appeared in the yellow grass. This was one of those local inhabitants who had guided the soldiers with the food arid water and had now returned of his own accord.