"The Mungana!" she exclaimed, "that beast! What have I to do with him?
I hate him, as I hated the others. The priests thrust him on me. He has
had his day, let him go. In your country do they make women live with
men whom they loathe? I love _you_, Bonsa himself knows why? Perhaps
because you have a white skin and white thoughts. But I hate that man.
What is the use of being Asika if I cannot take what I love and reject
what I hate? Go away, Vernoon, go away, you have angered me, and if it
were not for what you have said about that new law of mercy, I think
that I would cut your throat," and again she boxed Jeekie's ears and
kicked him in the shins.

Alan rose and bowed himself towards the door while she stood with her
back towards him, sobbing. As he was about to pass it she wheeled round,
wiping the tears from her eyes with her hand, and said:

"I forgot, I sent for you to thank you for your presents; that," and she
pointed to the lion skin, "which they tell me you killed with some kind
of thunder to save the life of that old cannibal, and this," and she
pulled off the necklace of claws, then added, "as I am too bad to wear
it, you had better take it back again," and she threw it with all her
strength straight into Jeekie's face.

Fearing worse things, the much maltreated Jeekie uttered a howl and
bolted through the door, while Alan, picking up the necklace, returned
it to her with a bow. She took it.

"Stop," she said. "You are leaving the room without your mask and my
women are outside. Come here," and she tied the thing upon his head,
setting it all awry, then pushed him from the place.