“Nay. For thou art my father’s brother’s son, as Mugema told me, and my father having left no male heirs of his body, his daughter may, if she choose, ally herself with a son of his brother. Kalimera is a younger brother of my father. Thou seest, therefore, that thou, Kimyera, hast a right to the king’s chair, if I, Naku, will it to be so.”
“And how, Naku, dost thou propose to act? In thy cause my arm is ready to strike. Thou hast but to speak.”
“In this way. I will now leave thee, for I have some business for Sebwana. When he has gone I will then send for thee, and thou, when thou comest to me, must say, ‘Naku, I have come. What can Kimyera do for Queen Naku?’ And I will rise and say, ‘Kimyera, come and seat thyself in thy father’s brother’s chair.’ And thou wilt step forward, bow three times before me, then six times before the king’s chair, and, with thy best spear in hand and shield on arm, thou wilt, proceed to the king’s chair, and turning to the people who will be present, say in a loud voice thus: ‘Lo, people of Ganda, I am Kimyera, son of Kalimera, by Wanyana of Unyoro. I hereby declare that with her own free will I this day do take Naku, my father’s brother’s daughter, to wife, and seat myself in the king’s chair. Let all obey, on pain of death, the king’s word.’”
“It is well, Naku; be it according to thy wish,” replied Kimyera.
Naku departed and proceeded in search of Sebwana; and, when she found him, she affected great distress and indignation.
“How is this, Sebwana? I gave orders that our guests should be tenderly cared for and supplied with every needful thing. But I find, on inquiring this morning, that all through yesterday they were left alone to wonder at our sudden disregard for their wants. Haste, my friend, and make amends for thy neglect. Go to my fields and plantations, collect all that is choicest for our guests, lest, when they leave us, they will proclaim our unkindness.”
Sebwana was amazed at this charge of neglect, and in anger hastened to find out the pages. But the pages, through Naku’s good care, absented themselves, and could not be found; so that old Sebwana was obliged to depend upon a few unarmed slaves to drive the cattle and carry the choicest treasures of the queen’s fields and plantations for the use of the strangers.
Sebwana having at last left the town, Naku returned to Kimyera, whom she found with a sad and disconsolate aspect.
“Why, what ails thee, Kimyera?” she asked. “The chair is now vacant. Arm thyself and follow me to the audience court.”
“Ah, Naku! I but now remembered that as yet I know not whether my mother and good nurse are alive or dead. They may be waiting for me anxiously somewhere near the Myanja, or their bones may be bleaching on one of the great plains we traversed in coming hither.”