thedestroyer.slavesafari-第14部分

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　Few　of　his　friends　spoke　to　him　anymore；　naturally；　since　he　was　an　Uncle　Tom　without　courage。　Butler　took　it　out　on　the　gridiron。　He　was　a　cornerback　with　a　vengeance；　and　he　had　a　plan。　One　day；　it　all　worked　and　Butler　had　a　new　team；　the　New　York　Giants；　and　a　promise　that　he　would　be　given　a　real　shot　at　running　back。
　Opening　day；　he　started　the　season　at　cornerback。　He　ended　the　season　there。
　It　was　then　that　William　Forsythe　Butler　began　to　wonder　if　just　maybe　his　sister　weren't　right。
　The　black　consciousness　movement　was　taking　hold　now　in　football　and　Butler　became　its　spokesman。　He　did　a　statistical　survey　of　the　league　that　showed　that　more　blacks　than　whites　were　jolted　out　of　positions　and　put　onto　defensive　teams。
　He　demanded　to　know　why　blacks　got　paid　less　for　playing　the　same　position　as　whites。　Twentieth　century　slavery；　he　called　it。　He　said　that　racism　was　the　reason　there　wasn't　a　black　quarterback；　and　announced　that　he　would　try　out　for　that　position　the　next　year　with　his　team。
　These　were　the　things　Willie　Butler　talked　about；　but　no　answers　came　from　organized　football。　Soon　the　sports　pages　froze　him　out　of　space；　not　wanting　to　do　anything　to　damage　the　all…American　spirit　of　the　game。
　And　then　one　day；　the　back　page　of　the　New　York　Daily　News　bannered　a　headline　that　triggered　in　Butler　a　violent　response　and　made　him　vow　never　to　forget　the　slavery　that　had　brought　his　forebears　to　the　country。　The　headline　read：
　WILLIE　BUTLER　SOLD
　Butler　first　heard　of　it　reading　the　paper；　and　rather　than　be　sold　anywhere　by　anyone；　he　retired　from　football。
　He　was　still　a　young　man；　so　he　drifted　into　the　Peace　Corps；　where　he　was　shipped　to　Busati　to　try　to　develop　an　irrigation　project　that　might　raise　a　small　parcel　of　the　nation's　land　to　its　fertility　level　of　two　thousand　years　before。　While　working　there；　happy　to　be　away　from　America；　he　was　approached　by　the　CIA　man　assigned　to　the　Busati　Peace　Corps。　The　CIA　man　was　going　home；　he　had　seen　Butler　at　work　and　realized　he　was　a　true　American；　how　would　he　like　to　work　for　the　CIA？
　For　the　extra　money；　Butler　said　sure；　determined　to　screw　up　the　intelligence　apparatus　by　sending　in　ridiculous　reports　of　non…occurring　events　and　by　predictions　that　bordered　on　the　sublime。
　In　Busati's　heat；　the　predictions　all　seemed　to　e　true。　Butler　was　put　on　full　36；000　salary　by　the　CIA；　assigned　to　help　then…Colonel　Obode；　who　was　pro…West　at　the　time；　seize　power。
　About　that　time；　William　Forsythe　Butler　made　a　journey　to　the　mountains　of　the　Lord。　As　soon　as　he　stepped　into　the　first　village；　he　knew　he　was　home。
　And　he　was　ashamed　of　his　home。　The　Loni　were　divided　into　small　bands　who　hid　in　the　hills；　the　men　were　timid　little　root…grubbers　who　spent　their　lives　looking　over　their　shoulders　for　the　approach　of　the　Hausa；　or　for　oning　elephants；　or　for　anything　larger　than　a　lizard。　The　Loni　Empire；　probably　because　of　the　cowardice　of　its　men；　had　turned　into　a　matriarchy；　the　three　major　packs　being　led　by　three　princess　sisters。　Butler　met　one　sister　and　told　her　he　knew　he　was　a　Loni。
　How　do　we　know　you　are　not　making　up　a　story；　he　was　asked。
　And　in　his　frustration；　Butler　made　a　hissing　clicking　sound　in　the　back　of　his　mouth　as　he　had　always　done　since　childhood。　The　princess　suddenly　embraced　Butler　and　weled　him　home。
　Butler　was　confused。
　The　Princess　explained　that　Loni　men；　when　angered；　always　had　made　that　hissing　sound　in　their　throats。　She　had　not　heard　it　in　a　long　time。
　Butler　forgot　about　Obode　and　about　his　CIA　assignment。　He　spent　two　weeks　hi　the　village　where；　for　the　first　time；　he　heard　the　Loni　legend。　He　had　been　brought　up　in　a　society　which　did　not　believe　in　legends；　but　even　he　thought　there　was　enough　in　the　legend　that　pertained　to　him。
　The　Loni　children　ing　home。　Well；　wasn't　he　a　Loni　child　who　had　e　home？
　And　the　man　of　the　West；　who　was　dead；　killing　the　man　who　would　enslave　the　Loni。　Well；　wasn't　Butler　from　the　West？　And　couldn't　you　call　him　dead；　in　a　。sense；　because　he　had　given　up　his　former　life　to　e　live　with　the　Loni？　And　the　man　who　would　enslave　the　Loni？　Who　else　but　Obode？
　He　did　not　understand　anything　about　the　Oriental　who　would　redeem　the　Loni　in　the　ritual　flames；　but　who　said　legends　had　to　be　letter…perfect？
　It　was　close　enough　to　him　to　count。　And　to　show　his　brotherhood　in　blackness　to　the　Loni　people　by　repaying　those　who　had　taken　them　hi　slavery；　and　also　to　indulge　himself　a　little　bit；　Butler　decided　to　add　something　to　the　legend。。。　the　man　who　collected　payment　for　a　centuries…old　sin。
　He　opened　the　briefcase　on　the　seat　next　to　him　in　the　707　jet　and　stared　at　the　brown…cornered　parchment；　a　ship's　manifest；　a　load　of　slaves　from　East　Africa。　Another　old　parchment　was　a　bill　of　sale。　There　was　a　yellowed　fragment　of　paper　from　a　plantation。　Another　fragment　showed　a　family　tree。　And　woven　through　all　the　documents　were　the　names　of　the　Lippincotts；　the　Butlers；　the　Forsythes：　the　three　American　families　whose　fortunes　had　been　made　hi　the　slave　trade。
　From　a　small　envelope　he　took　a　stack　of　newspaper　clippings。　The　last　one　was　a　pretty　little　piece　in　the　Norfolk　Pilot　about　a　Hillary　Butler's　engagement　to　a　Harding　Demster　III。　He　hoped　Harding　Demster　III　would　not　be　upset　about　waiting　at　the　altar。
　
　CHAPTER　SEVEN　
　There　had　been　trouble　at　the　Busati　Airport。　According　to　the　army。　detachment　continuously　assigned　to　Air　Busati；　largely　to　prevent　the　planes'　tires　and　wheels　from　being　stolen；　seven　large　lacquered　trunks　were　missing　from　the　baggage　terminal；　and　fourteen　soldiers　were　unaccounted　for。
　The　periodicals'　stall　had　also　been　ransacked。　It　was　believed　that　a　riot　had　occurred　in　the　stall　because　of　the　extensive　damage；　yet　there　were　not　enough　people　at　the　airport　to　cause　such　a　riot。　In　fact；　the　only　people　there　who　were　not　Busatians　were　a　white　American　and　an　aged　Oriental；　who　had　vanished　along　with　the　soldiers　and　the　lacquered　trunks。
　〃Do　you　think　it　is　true？〃　asked　General　Obode　of　his　personal　valet；　a　fellow　Hausa。
　〃About　the　riot？〃
　〃About　everything。〃
　〃You　mean　the　East　and　the　West；　father　and　son？〃
　〃Yes；〃　said　Obode。
　The　valet　shook　his　Head。　〃The　Loni　are　in　their　mountains　and　there　they　shall　stay。　We　should　have　no　fear　of　a　heartless　mountain　band。　Especially　now　that　you　have　begun　to　give　them　positions　in　the　government。　They　shall　not　rise　again。　Fear　not〃
　General　Obode　thought　a　minute。　〃Draw　another　10；000　from　the　Ministry　of　the　Treasury　and　deposit　in　my　Swiss　bank　account；〃　he　said。
　Meanwhile；　across　the　Busati　plains；　a　caravan　plodded　toward　the　mountains。　Seven　trunks　on　the　shoulders　of　fourteen　soldiers　bobbed　along　the　line；　the　sun　glinting　off　their　lacquered　exteriors。
　In　front　of　this　line　marched　the　Master　of　Sinanju　and　Remo。　Remo　was　furious。
　〃You're　a　damned　two…faced　sonuvabitch；〃　he　said。
　〃A　contract　is　a　contract；〃　said　Chiun。　〃A　preceding　unfilled　contract　always　takes　precedence　over　a　more　recent　one。　It　is　only　fair。〃
　〃You're　talking　about　a　contract　over　two　thousand　years　old。　The　House　of　Sinanju　didn't　even　exist　then；　damned　two…faced　sonuvabitch。〃
　〃Name…calling　no　more　obviates　a　contract　than　a　few　years　here　or　there。〃
　〃This　thing　dates　back　before　Christ　A　few　years。　A　few　years；　Little　Father？〃
　〃It　is　you　who　choose　to　date　things　from　the　time　of　Christ；　not　the　House　of　Sinanju。　We　have　an　unfilled　contract；　paid　for；　mind　you；　paid　in　full。　It　was　from　the　year　of　the　ram。　Or　was　it　the　year　of　the　rat？〃
　〃Probably　from　the　year　of　the　two…faced　sonuvabitch。〃
　〃No　matter。　It　was　before　the　year　of　your　1950s　or　was　it　1960s　when　the　House　of　Sinanju　agreed　to　train　something　dragged　in　off　the　streets；　as　a　stopgap　measure　in　lieu　of　a　real　assassin。〃
　〃May　your　autographed　picture　of　Rad　Rex　be　burned；〃　said　Remo。
　Chiun　looked　back　at　the　trunks　and　said　something　to　one　of　the　soldiers　in　what　Chiun　had　explained　was　a　Loni　dialect。　By　the　tone　of　the　voice；　Remo　could　tell　Chiun　was　reminding　the　soldiers　that　the　trunks　contained　valuables；　probably　that　the　firs