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you the many secrets you want to know。 Which will not matter； for
you will be dead。〃
〃Ngurn；〃 Bassett threatened in sudden anger。 〃You know the Baby
Thunder in the Iron that is mine。〃 （This was in reference to his
all…potent and all…awful shotgun。） 〃I can kill you any time； and
then you will not get my head。〃
〃Just the same； will Vngngn； or some one else of my folk get it；〃
Ngurn complacently assured him。 〃And just the same will it turn
here in the and turn devil…devil house in the smoke。 The quicker
you slay me with your Baby Thunder； the quicker will your head turn
in the smoke。〃
And Bassett knew he was beaten in the discussion。
What was the Red One？ … Bassett asked himself a thousand times in
the succeeding week； while he seemed to grow stronger。 What was
the source of the wonderful sound？ What was this Sun Singer； this
Star…Born One； this mysterious deity； as bestial…conducted as the
black and kinky…headed and monkey…like human beasts who worshipped
it； and whose silver…sweet； bull…mouthed singing and commanding he
had heard at the taboo distance for so long？
Ngurn had he failed to bribe with the inevitable curing of his head
when he was dead。 Vngngn； imbecile and chief that he was； was too
imbecilic； too much under the sway of Ngurn； to be considered。
Remained Balatta； who； from the time she found him and poked his
blue eyes open to recrudescence of her grotesque female
hideousness； had continued his adorer。 Woman she was； and he had
long known that the only way to win from her treason of her tribe
was through the woman's heart of her。
Bassett was a fastidious man。 He had never recovered from the
initial horror caused by Balatta's female awfulness。 Back in
England； even at best the charm of woman； to him； had never been
robust。 Yet now； resolutely； as only a man can do who is capable
of martyring himself for the cause of science； he proceeded to
violate all the fineness and delicacy of his nature by making love
to the unthinkably disgusting bushwoman。
He shuddered； but with averted face hid his grimaces and swallowed
his gorge as he put his arm around her dirt…crusted shoulders and
felt the contact of her rancidoily and kinky hair with his neck and
chin。 But he nearly screamed when she succumbed to that caress so
at the very first of the courtship and mowed and gibbered and
squealed little； queer； pig…like gurgly noises of delight。 It was
too much。 And the next he did in the singular courtship was to
take her down to the stream and give her a vigorous scrubbing。
From then on he devoted himself to her like a true swain as
frequently and for as long at a time as his will could override his
repugnance。 But marriage； which she ardently suggested； with due
observance of tribal custom； he balked at。 Fortunately； taboo rule
was strong in the tribe。 Thus； Ngurn could never touch bone； or
flesh； or hide of crocodile。 This had been ordained at his birth。
Vngngn was denied ever the touch of woman。 Such pollution； did it
chance to occur； could be purged only by the death of the offending
female。 It had happened once； since Bassett's arrival； when a girl
of nine； running in play； stumbled and fell against the sacred
chief。 And the girl…child was seen no more。 In whispers； Balatta
told Bassett that she had been three days and nights in dying
before the Red One。 As for Balatta； the breadfruit was taboo to
her。 For which Bassett was thankful。 The taboo might have been
water。
For himself； he fabricated a special taboo。 Only could he marry；
he explained； when the Southern Cross rode highest in the sky。
Knowing his astronomy； he thus gained a reprieve of nearly nine
months； and he was confident that within that time he would either
be dead or escaped to the coast with full knowledge of the Red One
and of the source of the Red One's wonderful voice。 At first he
had fancied the Red One to be some colossal statue； like Memnon；
rendered vocal under certain temperature conditions of sunlight。
But when； after a war raid； a batch of prisoners was brought in and
the sacrifice made at night； in the midst of rain； when the sun
could play no part； the Red One had been more vocal than usual；
Bassett discarded that hypothesis。
In company with Balatta； sometimes with men and parties of women；
the freedom of the jungle was his for three quadrants of the
compass。 But the fourth quadrant； which contained the Red One's
abiding place； was taboo。 He made more thorough love to Balatta …
also saw to it that she scrubbed herself more frequently。 Eternal
female she was； capable of any treason for the sake of love。 And；
though the sight of her was provocative of nausea and the contact
of her provocative of despair； although he could not escape her
awfulness in his dream…haunted nightmares of her； he nevertheless
was aware of the cosmic verity of sex that animated her and that
made her own life of less value than the happiness of her lover
with whom she hoped to mate。 Juliet or Balatta？ Where was the
intrinsic difference？ The soft and tender product of ultra…
civilization； or her bestial prototype of a hundred thousand years
before her？ … there was no difference。
Bassett was a scientist first； a humanist afterward。 In the
jungle…heart of Guadalcanal he put the affair to the test； as in
the laboratory he would have put to the test any chemical reaction。
He increased his feigned ardour for the bushwoman； at the same time
increasing the imperiousness of his will of desire over her to be
led to look upon the Red One face to face。 It was the old story；
he recognized； that the woman must pay； and it occurred when the
two of them； one day； were catching the unclassified and unnamed
little black fish； an inch long； half…eel and half…scaled； rotund
with salmon…golden roe； that frequented the fresh water； and that
were esteemed； raw and whole； fresh or putrid； a perfect delicacy。
Prone in the muck of the decaying jungle…floor； Balatta threw
herself； clutching his ankles with her hands kissing his feet and
making slubbery noises that chilled his backbone up and down again。
She begged him to kill her rather than exact this ultimate love…
payment。 She told him of the penalty of breaking the taboo of the
Red One … a week of torture； living； the details of which she
yammered out from her face in the mire until he realized that he
was yet a tyro in knowledge of the frightfulness the human was
capable of wreaking on the human。
Yet did Bassett insist on having his man's will satisfied； at the
woman's risk； that he might solve the mystery of the Red One's
singing； though she should die long and horribly and screaming。
And Balatta； being mere woman； yielded。 She led him into the
forbidden quadrant。 An abrupt mountain； shouldering in from the
north to meet a similar intrusion from the south； tormented the
stream in which they had fished into a deep and gloomy gorge。
After a