anner.themummy-第22部分

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ed　to　be　left　in　peace。　The　sun。　It　did　not　want　the　sun。　But　it　was　asking　to　be　left　in　peace。　That　is　what　the　dead　always　want。〃
　
　〃Do　they？〃　　Elliott　asked。〃　If　I　were　dead；　I'm　not　sure　I　would　want　to　be　at　peace。　If　it　meant　being　purely　dead；　that　is。〃
　
　〃We're　allowing　our　imaginations　to　run　away　with　us；　Lord　Rutherford。　Besides　。。。　Henry　Stratford　was　in　the　tomb　when　Lawrence　died！〃
　
　〃Hmmmmm。　That's　true。　And　Henry　didn't　see　our　ragged；　rotted　friend　moving　about　until　this　morning。〃
　
　〃I　do　not　like　this　story。　I　do　not　like　it　at　all。　I　do　not　like　that　Miss　Stratford　is　alone　in　the　house　with　these　relics。〃
　
　〃Perhaps　the　museum　should　look　into　it　further；〃　　Elliott　said。〃　Check　up　on　the　mummy。　After　all；　the　thing　is　extremely　valuable。〃
　
　Samir　didn't　answer。　He　had　sunk　into　that　speechless　state　again；　staring　at　the　desk　before　him。
　
　Elliott　took　hold　of　his　cane　firmly　and　rose　to　his　feet。　He　was　getting　quite　good　at　hiding　the　inevitable　disfort　of　that　simple　operation。　But　he　had　to　stand　quite　still　for　a　few　moments　to　allow　the　pain　to　stop。　He　crushed　out　his　cigarette　slowly。
　
　〃Thank　you；　Samir。　It's　been　a　most　interesting　conversation。〃
　
　Samir　looked　up　as　if　waking　from　a　dream。
　
　〃What　the　hell　do　you　think　is　happening；　Lord　Rutherford！〃　　Slowly　he　rose　to　his　feet。
　
　〃You　want　my　frank　opinion　of　the　moment？〃
　
　〃Well；　yes；　I　do。〃
　
　〃Ramses　the　Second　is　an　immortal　man。　He　found　some　secret　in　ancient　times；　some　pound　which　rendered　him　immortal。　And　he　is　walking　about　London　with　Julie　right　now。〃
　
　〃You're　not　serious。〃
　
　〃Yes；　I　am；〃　　said　Elliott。〃　But　then　I　also　believe　in　ghosts；　and　spirits；　and　bad　luck；　I　throw　salt　over　my　shoulder　and　touch　wood　all　the　time。　I　should　be　surprised…no；　flabber…easted…if　any　of　this　turned　out　to　be　true；　you　understand。　But　I　believe　it。　At　the　moment；　I　believe　it。　And　I'll　tell　you　why。　It's　the　only　explanation　for　what's　happened　that　makes　any　sense。〃
　
　Speechless　again。
　
　Elliott　smiled。　He　slipped　on　his　gloves；　took　hold　of　his　walking　stick　and　left　the　office　as　if　every　step　were　not　causing　him　pain。
　
　THIS　WAS　the　great　adventure　of　her　life。　Nothing　after　could　ever　equal　it；　of　that　she　was　sure。　And　how　utterly　surprising　that　it　should　be　in　London；　at　midday；　rushing　to　and　fro　amid　the　noisy；　crowded　streets　she'd　known　all　her　life。
　
　Never　before　had　the　vast；　grimy　city　seemed　magical　to　her。　But　it　did　now。　And　how　did　he　perceive　it…this　overgrown　metropolis；　with　its　towering　brick　buildings；　its　rumbling　trams　and　belching　motor　cars；　and　hordes　of　dark　horse…drawn　carriages　and　cabs　choking　every　street。　What　was　he　to　make　of　the　never…ending　advertising；　signs　of　all　sizes　and　descriptions　offering　goods；　services；　directions　and　advice？　Were　the　dim　department　stores　with　their　stacks　of　ready…made　clothing　ugly　to　him？　What　did　he　make　of　the　little　shops　where　the　electric　lights　burned　all　day　long　because　the　streets　themselves　were　too　smoky　and　dark　to　admit　the　natural　light　of　the　daytime　sky？
　
　He　loved　it。　He　embraced　it。　Nothing　frightened　him　or　repelled　him。　He　rushed　off　the　kerb　to　lay　hands　on　the　motor　cars　as　they　idled。　He　scampered　up　the　winding　steps　of　the　omnibuses　to　see　from　the　top　deck。　Into　the　telegraph　office；　he　sped　to　study　the　young　secretary　at　her　typewriter。　And　she；　at　once　charmed　by　this　blue…eyed　giant　of　a　man　bending　over　her；　sat　back　to　let　him　strike　the　keys　with　his　own　deft　fingers；　which　he　did；　at　once　pounding　out　Latin　sentences　which　sent　him　into　peals　of　laughter　until　he　could　not　go　on。
　
　To　the　offices　of　The　Times；　Julie　spirited　him。　He　must　see　the　giant　printing　presses；　smell　the　black　ink；　hear　the　deafening　noise　that　filled　those　immense　rooms。　He　must　make　the　connection　among　all　these　inventions。　He　must　see　how　simple　it　all　was。
　
　She　watched　as　he　charmed　people　everywhere　that　they　went。　Men　and　women　deferred　to　him；　as　if　they　knew　instinctively　that　he　was　royalty。　His　bearing；　his　great　strides；　his　radiant　smile；　subdued　those　at　whom　he　stared　fixedly；　those　whose　hands　he　hastily　clasped；　those　whose　conversation　or　casual　words　he　listened　to；　as　if　receiving　a　secret　message　which　must　not　be　misunderstood。
　
　There　were　philosophical　words　to　describe　his　state　of　being；　surely；　but　Julie　could　not　think　what　they　were。　She　only　knew　that　he　took　joy　in　tilings；　that　the　steam　shovel　and　the　steam　roller　failed　to　terrify　him　because　he　anticipated　shocks　and　surprises　and　wanted　only　to　prehend。
　
　So　many　questions　to　ask　him。　So　many　concepts　she　struggled　to　express。　That　was　the　hardest　part。　Concepts。
　
　But　talk　of　abstractions　became　easier　by　the　hour。　He　was　learning　English　with　dizzying　speed。
　
　〃Name！〃　　he　would　say　to　her　if　she　ceased　for　so　much　as　a　minute　her　endless　mentary。〃　Language　is　names；　Julie。　Names　for　people；　objects；　what　we　feel。〃　　He　hammered　on　his　breast　as　he　said　the　last　words。　The　Latin　quare；　quid；　quo；　qui　had　dropped　pletely　from　his　speech　by　midafternoon。
　
　〃English　is　old；　Julie。　Tongue　of　barbarians　from　my　time；　and　now　filled　with　Latin。　You　hear　the　Latin？　What　is　that；　Julie！　Explain　this　to　me！〃
　
　〃But　there　is　no　order　to　what　I　am　teaching　you；〃　　she　said。　She　wanted　to　explain　about　printing；　relate　it　to　the　stamping　of　coins。
　
　〃I　make　the　order　later；〃　　he　assured　her。　He　was　too　busy　now　ducking　into　the　back　of　bakers　and　soup　kitchens；　into　the　shoemaker's　and　the　milliner's；　and　studying　the　refuse　thrown　in　the　alleyways；　and　eyeing　the　paper　parcels　which　people　carried；　and　staring　at　women's　clothes。
　
　And　staring　at　the　women；　too。
　
　If　that　isn't　lust；　I　am　no　judge　of　character；　Julie　thought。　He　would　have　frightened　the　women　had　he　not　been　so　expensively　dressed；　and　oddly　self…possessed。　In　fact；　his　whole　manner　of　standing；　gesturing；　speaking；　had　a　great　pelling　force　to　it。　This　is　a　King；　she　thought；　out　of　time　and　place；　yet　nevertheless　a　King。
　
　She　steered　him　into　the　bookseller's。　She　pointed　out　the　old　names；　Aristotle；　Plato；　Euripedes；　Cicero。　He　stared　at　the　Aubrey　Beardsley　prints　on　the　wall。
　
　Photographs　positively　delighted　him。　Into　a　little　studio；　Julie　took　him　to　have　his　own　portrait　taken。　His　pleasure　was　almost　childlike。　Even　more　wonderful；　he　exclaimed；　was　that　even　the　poor　of　this　great　city　could　have　such　pictures　made。
　
　But　when　he　beheld　moving　pictures；　he　was　positively　stunned。　In　the　crowded　little　cinema；　he　gasped；　clinging　tight　to　Julie's　hand；　as　the　giant　luminescent　figures　scurried　about　on　the　screen　before　them。　Tracing　the　projectionists'　beams　with　his　eye；　he　made　at　once　for　the　little　room　in　back；　tearing　open　the　door　without　hesitation。　But　the　old　projectionist　fell　prey　to　his　charm　as　did　everyone　else；　and　was　soon　explaining　the　entire　mechanism　in　detail。
　
　At　last　as　they　entered　the　giant　dark　cavern　of　Victoria　Station；　the　mighty　chugging　lootives　brought　him　to　a　dead　halt。　But　even　these　he　approached　fearlessly。　He　touched　the　cold　black　iron；　and　stood　dangerously　close　to　the　giant　wheels。　Behind　the　departing　train；　he　put　his　foot　on　the　track　to　feel　the　vibration。　Dazed；　he　stared　at　the　crowds。
　
　〃Thousands　of　people；　transported　from　one　end　of　Europe　to　the　other；〃　　she　cried　out　over　the　noise　around　them。〃　Journeys　which　once　took　months　now　take　but　a　few　days。〃
　
　〃Europe；〃　　he　whispered。　〃Italia　to　Britannia。〃
　
　'　The　trains　are　carried　on　ships　across　the　water。　The　poor　of　the　open　country　can　e　into　the　cities。　All　men　know　the　cities；　do　you　see？〃
　
　He　nodded　gravely。　He　squeezed　her　hand。〃　No　haste；　Julie。　All　will　be　understood　in　time。〃　　Flash　of　his　brilliant　smile　again；　that　great　sudden　warmth　of　affection　for　her　which　made　her　blush　and　look　away。
　
　〃Temples；　Julie。　The　houses　of　the　deus　。。。　di。〃
　
　〃Gods。　But　there　is　only　one　now。　One　God。〃
　
　Disbelief。　One　God？
　
　Westminster　Abbey。　They　walked　together　under　the　high　arches。　Such　splendor。　She　showed　him　the　cenotaph　of　Shakespeare。
　
　〃Not　the　house　of　God；〃　　she　said；〃　But　the　place　where　we　gather　to　talk　to　him。〃　　How　explain　Christianity？〃　Brotherly　love；〃　　she　said。〃　That　is　the　basis；〃
　
　He　looked　at　her　in　confusion。〃　Brotherly　love？〃　　Keenly；　he　watched　the　people　around　him。
　
　〃Do　they　believe　this　religion？〃　　he　asked。〃　Or　is　it　habit　alone？〃
　
　By　late　afternoon　he　was　speaking　coherently　in　whole　paragraphs。　He　told　her　that　he　liked　English。　It　was　a　good　language　for　thinking。　Greek　and　Latin　had　been　excellent　for　thinking。　Egyptian；　no。　With　each　new　language　he　had　learned　in　his　earlier　existence　his　capacity　for　understanding　had　improved。　Language　made　possible　whole　kinds　of　thinking。　Ah；　that　the　mon　people　of　this　era　read　newspapers；　crowded　with　words！　What　must　the　thinking　of　the　mon　man　be？〃　Are　you　not　the　least　bit　tired？〃　　Julie　asked；　finally。〃　No；　never　tired；〃　　he　said；〃　except　in　the　heart　and　the　soul。　Hungry。　Food；　Julie。　I　desire　much　food。〃
　
　They　entered　the　quiet　of　Hyde　Park　together；　and　despite　his　disclaimers　he　did　seem　relieved　by　the　sudden　timeless　trees　around　him；　by　the　vision　of　the　sky　through　branches　as　it　might　have　been　seen　at　any　moment　or　from　any　vantage　point　on　earth。
　
　They　found　a　little　bench　on　the　path。　He　fell　into　silence　watching　the　strollers。　And　how　they　stared　at　him…this　man　of　powerful　build　with　his　fiercely　exuberant　expression。　Did　he　know　he　was　handsome？　she　wondered。　Did　he　know　that　the　mere　touch　of　his　hand　sent　a　frisson　through　her　which　she　tried　to　ignore？
　
　Oh；　so　much　to　show　him。　She　took　him　to　the　offices　of　Stratford　Shipping；　praying　that　no　one　would　recognize　her；　and　led　him　into　the　wrought…iron　lift；　and　pressed　the　button　for　the　roof。
　
　〃Wires　and　pulleys；〃　　she　explained。
　
　〃Britannia；〃　　he　whispered　as　they　looked　out　on　the　rooftops　of　London；　as　they　listened　to　the　scream　of　the　factory　whistles；　to　the　jangling　of　the　tram　bells　far　below。〃　America；