thedestroyer.slavesafari-第11部分

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　But　Billie　Butler　knew。　All　he　would　have　to　do　would　be　to　find　that　speed　hi　himself。　And　he　did。　In　football；　he　became　high　school　All…American；　and　did　the　same　at　Morgan　State。
　His　performance　there　was　good　enough　to　get　him　an　offer　from　the　Philadelphia　Browns　which；　at　the　time；　had　an　interesting　way　of　judging　football　talent　They　could　have　done　it　with　a　light　meter。　If　you　were　black　and　fast　and　didn't　e　from　a　Big　Ten　school；　you　were　a　cornerback。　And　if　your　name　was　William　Forsythe　Butler；　you　became　Willie　Butler。　Not　Bill；　not　Billie；　but　Willie。
　〃I　don't　want　to　play　defense；〃　Butler　had　told　them。　〃I　want　to　play　offense。　I　know　I　can　play　offense。〃　But　the　Browns　already　had　one　black　halfback。　Butler　became　a　cornerback。
　He　swallowed　his　pride　and　tried　to　look　straight　ahead。　He　read　about　the　black　reawakening；　which　seemed　to　center　around　kids　calling　press　conferences　to　announce　imminent　rebellions；　which　featured　every　sort　of　cuckoo　in　the　black　munity　being　exalted　by　the　white　press　as　a　black　leader；　and　featured　very　few　of　his　own　people；　the　people　who　had　sweat　blood　and　tears　and　pain　to　wrest　even　the　ownership　of　a　home　from　a　hostile　land。
　Just　as　he　had　known　as　a　child　that　he　had　speed　within　him；　he　knew　now　what　would　happen　in　this　still…hostile　land　of　America。
　He　tried　to　explain　to　one　militant　he　met　on　a　plane。
　〃Look；　if　you're　going　to　have　a　damned　revolution；　it　might　help　not　to　announce　your　plans　in　The　New。　York　Times；〃　he　had　said。
　〃Revolution　is　munication　with　the　masses；〃　the　militant　had　said。　〃They　must　first　be　conscious　that　power　es　from；　the　barrel　of　a　gun。〃
　〃Did　it　ever　occur　to　you　that　the　whites　have　most　of　the　guns？〃
　〃Whitey　soft。　He　through。　He　dead；　man。〃
　〃God　help　you　if　you　ever　back　him　into　a　corner；〃　Butler　told　the　youth；　who　responded　that　Butler　was　an　Uncle　Tom　of　a　dead　generation。　Butler　saw　the　name　of　the　militant　again　one　month　later　when　the　newspapers　reported　the　youth　had　been　arrested　for　holding　up　a　drugstore。
　Some　of　Butler's　friends　said　this　was　a　sign　that　the　youth　was　really　arrested　for　his　political　beliefs。
　〃Bullshit；〃　said　Butler。　〃If　you　know　anything　about　how　anything　operates；　that　kid　is　just　what　you　want　for　an　enemy。　He　wasn't　doing　any　harm　to　the　government。　He　was　really　helping　it。〃
　〃He　was　raising　the　consciousness　…of　his　people；〃　said　Butler's　sister。
　〃Every　time　that　kid　opened　his　mouth；　ten　thousand　whites　moved　to　the　right。〃
　〃That's　a　twisted　way　of　thinking；〃　said　his　sister。　I　don't　know　about　you；　but　I'm　tired　of　tomming。〃
　〃And　I'm　tired　of　losing。　We're　cutting　off　all　our　support　in　the　north；　and　in　the　south；　forget　it。〃
　〃We　got　the　Third　World。　We　outnumber　Whitey。〃
　〃Numbers　don't　count　any　more；〃　Butler　had　said。　〃An　army　is　made　up　of　people　who　can　work　together　and；　most　important；　be　in　the　right　place　at　the　right　time。　If　I　were　running　a　black　revolution　hi　this　country；　I'd　give　the　kids　watches；　not　rifles。〃
　〃They　really　got　to　your　head；　didn't　they；　Mister　not…allowed…to…carry…the…ball　cornerback。　And　don't　give　me　Whitey's　talk　about　being　wiped　out。　We　been　wiped　out　every　century。　And　here　we　are。〃
　〃No；〃　said　Butler　sadly；　〃I　don't　think　we're　going　to　be　wiped　out；　because　I　don't　think　we　can　get　up　a　good　enough　revolution　right　now　to　get　wiped　out。　We're　gonna　be　smothered　in　our　own　stupidity。〃
　His　sister's　response　was　that　Butler　was　too　impressed　with　Whitey。　Butler's　answer　was　that　Whitey　wasn't　all　that　good　and　pretty　stupid　himself；　but　that　his　sister　made　even　the　worst　white　cracker　look…tike　an　intellectual　giant。
　Butler's　despair　deepened　with　almost　every　daily　newspaper　story　about　non…negotiable　demands；　the　unity　of　the　Third　World　and　the　talk　of　bullets。　When　departments　of　African　studies　were　introduced　across　the　land；　William　Forsythe　Butler　was　at　the　point　of　tears。　〃The　engineering　schools；　you　dumb　bastards；〃　he　would　yell　in　the　privacy　of　his　apartment。　〃The　engineering　schools。　That's　survival。〃
　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　th