anner.themummy-第39部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


liott　was　going　to　discover　the　truth　of　the　matter。
　
　BY　THE　fourth　day　out；　Elliott　realized　that　Julie　would　not　dine　again　in　the　public　rooms；　that　she　would　take　all　her　meals　in　her　stateroom　from　now　on；　and　that　Ramsey　was　probably　dining　with　her。
　
　Henry　had　also　disappeared　from　view　altogether。　Sullen；　drunk；　he　remained　in　his　room　round　the　clock；　seldom　wearing　anything　other　than　trousers；　a　shirt　and　a　smoking　jacket。　However；　this　did　not　prevent　him　from　running　a　feirly　steady　card　game　with　members　of　the　crew；　who　were　not　anxious　to　be　discovered　gambling　with　a　first…class　passenger。　The　gossip　was　that　Henry　was　winning　quite　a　lot。　But　that　had　always　been　the　gossip　about　Henry。　He　would　lose　sooner　or　later；　and　probably　everything　that　he　had　made；　that　had　been　the　rhythm　of　his　descent　since　the　beginning。
　
　Elliott　could　also　see　that　Julie　was　going　out　of　her　way　to　be　gentle　with　Alex。　She　and　Alex　took　their　afternoon　walk　on　the　deck；　rain　or　shine。　She　and　Alex　danced　now　and　then　in　the　ballroom　after　supper。　Ramsey　was　always　there；　watching　with　surprising　equanimity；　and　ready　at　any　moment　to　step　in　and　bee　Julie's　partner。　But　clearly　it　had　been　agreed　that　Alex　should　not　be　neglected　by　Julie。
　
　On　brief　shore　excursions；　which　Elliott　could　not　physically　endure；　Julie；　Samir；　Ramsey　and　Alex　always　traveled　together。　Alex　invariably　came　back　faintly　repelled。　He　didn't　like　foreigners　very　much；　Julie　and　Samir　had　been　thoroughly　entertained；　and　Ramsey　was　overwhelmed　with　enthusiasm　for　the　things　he'd　seen；　especially　if　he'd　been　able　to　find　a　cinema　or　an　English…language　bookshop。
　
　Elliott　appreciated　Julie's　kindness　to　Alex。　After　all；　this　ship　was　no　place　for　Alex　to　understand　the　full　truth；　and　clearly　Julie　realized　it。　On　the　other　hand；　perhaps　Alex　already　sensed　that　he'd　lost　the　first　major　battle　of　his　life；　the　truth　was　Alex　was　too　pleasant　and　agreeable　a　person　to　reveal　what　he　was　feeling。　Probably　he　did　not　know　himself；　Elliott　figured。
　
　The　real　adventure　of　the　voyage　for　Elliott　was　getting　to　know　Ramsey；　and　watching　Ramsey　from　afar；　and　realizing　things　about　Ramsey　which　others　didn't　appear　to　notice。　It　helped　immensely　that　Ramsey　was　a　ferociously　social　being。
　
　By　the　hour　Ramsey；　Elliott；　Samir　and　Alex　played　billiards　together；　during　which　time　Ramsey　discoursed　on　all　manner　of　subjects　and　asked　all　kinds　of　questions。
　
　Modern　science　in　particular　interested　him；　and　Elliott　found　himself　rambling　on　by　the　hour　about　theories　of　the　cell；　the　circulatory　system；　germs　and　other　causes　of　disease。　The　whole　concept　of　inoculation　fascinated　Ramsey。
　
　Almost　every　night　Ramsey　was　in　the　library；　poring　over　Darwin　and　Malthus　or　popular　pendiums　on　electricity；　the　telegraph；　the　automobile　and　astronomy。
　
　Modem　art　was　also　of　more　than　passing　interest。　He　was　powerfully　intrigued　by　the　Pointillists　and　the　Impressionists；　and　the　novels　of　the　Russians…Tolstoy　and　Dostoevsky；　only　newly　translated　into　English…swept　him　up　utterly。　Clearly　the　speed　of　his　reading　and　absorption　was　magical。
　
　About　the　sixth　day　out；　Ramsey　acquired　a　typewriter。　With　the　captain's　permission　he　borrowed　it　from　the　ship's　offices　and　thereafter　he　typed　by　the　hour　lists　of　what　he　meant　to　do；　some　of　which　Elliott　managed　to　glimpse　on　trips　to　Ramsey's　cabin。　mon　enough　were　entries　such　as〃　Visit　the　Prado　in　Madrid；　ride　in　an　aeroplane　as　soon　as　possible。〃
　
　Elliott　finally　realized　something。　This　man　never　slept。　He　didn't　have　to。　At　any　hour　of　the　night　Elliott　could　find　Ramsey　doing　something　somewhere。　If　he　was　not　in　the　cinema　or　in　the　library…or　typing　away　in　his　room…then　he　was　with　the　crew　in　the　map　room　or　the　radio　room。　They　had　not　been　on　board　two　days　before　Ramsey　knew　all　the　crew　by　name；　and　most　of　the　staff　as　well。　His　capacity　to　seduce　people　into　almost　anything　could　not　be　overestimated。
　
　On　one　very　eerie　morning；　Elliott　entered　the　ballroom　to　see　a　handful　of　musicians　playing　steadily　for　Ramsey；　who　danced　alone；　a　curious　slow　and　primitive　dance　much　like　that　of　Greek　men　today　in　their　seaside　tavernas。　The　figure　of　the　lone　dancing　man；　his　white　long…sleeve　shirt　open　to　the　waist；　had　torn　at　Elliott's　heart。　It　seemed　a　crime　to　spy　on　such　a　thing　which　came　so　totally　from　the　soul。　Elliott　had　turned　away；　going　out　on　the　deck　to　smoke　in　his　own　solitude。
　
　That　Ramsey　was　so　accessible；　that　was　a　great　surprise。　But　the　oddest　part　of　the　whole　exhilarating　affair　was　how　much　Elliott　was　ing　to　like　this　mysterious　creature。
　
　In　fact；　if　he　dwelt　on　that　aspect　of　it；　he　would　feel　real　pain。　He　thought　back　many　times　on　his　hasty　words　before　they'd　left…〃I　want　to　know　you。〃　　How　true　that　had　been。　How　tantalizing　all　this；　how　wondrously　satisfying。
　
　And　then　the　agony；　the　fear：　something　beyond　all　imagining　is　here！　Elliott　did　not　wish　to　be　closed　off　from　it。
　
　And　how　remarkable　that　his　son；　Alex；　found　Ramsey　only　peculiar　and〃　funny〃　　and　not　at　all　genuinely　intriguing。　But　then　what　did　Alex　find　intriguing？　He'd　made　fast　friends　of　the　type　of　fast　friends　he　always　made　with　dozens　of　other　passengers。　He　was　having　a　good　time；　it　seemed；　as　he　always　did；　no　matter　what　else　was　happening。　And　that　will　be　his　salvation；　Elliott　thought。　That　he　feels　nothing　too　deeply。
　
　As　for　Samir；　he　was　silent　by　nature；　and　he　never　said　much　no　matter　how　the　conversation　raged　between　Elliott　and　Ramsey。　But　there　was　an　almost　religious　quality　about　his　attitude　towards　Ramsey。　And　he　had　bee　a　plete　servant　to　the　man；　that　was　obvious。　He　became　agitated　only　when　Elliott　pressed　Ramsey　for　opinions　on　the　subject　of　history。　And　so　did　Julie。
　
　〃Explain　what　you　mean；〃　　Elliott　asked　when　Ramsey　said　that　Latin　made　possible　a　whole　new　kind　of　thinking。〃　Surely　the　ideas　came　first　and　then　the　language　to　express　them。〃
　
　〃No；　that's　not　true。　Even　in　Italy　itself　where　the　tongue　was　born；　the　language　made　possible　the　evolution　of　ideas　which　would　have　been　impossible　otherwise。　Same　partnership　of　languages　and　ideas　in　Greece　as　well；　undoubtedly。
　
　〃But　I　shall　tell　you　the　strange　thing　about　Italy。　It　is　that　culture　developed　there　at　all；　for　the　climate　is　so　pleasant。　One　must　usually　have　a　radical　change　of　weather　during　the　year　for　civilization　to　progress。　Look　at　the　people　of　the　jungles　and　the　far　north；　utterly　limited；　because　the　climate　is　the　same　all　year　round…　。。。〃
　
　Julie　would　almost　invariably　interrupt　these　lectures。　Elliott　could　hardly　bear　it。
　
　Julie　and　Samir　also　became　uneasy　when　Ramsey　burst　out　with　statements　from　the　heart；　such　as〃　Julie；　we　must　be　done　with　the　past　as　quickly　as　we　can。　There　is　so　much　to　be　discovered。　X…rays；　Julie；　do　you　know　what　they　are！　And　we　must　go　to　the　North　Pole　in　an　aeroplane。〃
　
　These　remarks　amused　other　people　mightily。　In　fact；　other　passengers；　charmed　and　seduced　to　a　one；　seemed　to　regard　Ramsey　as　not　a　superintelligent　being　so　much　as　one　who　was　slightly　retarded。　Overly　sophisticated　themselves；　never　guessing　the　reason　behind　his　odd　exclamations；　they　treated　him　tenderly　and　indulgently；　never　availing　themselves　of　the　information　he　would　give　out　at　a　moment's　provocation。
　
　Not　so　with　Elliott；　who　pumped　him　mercilessly。〃　Ancient　battle。　What　was　it　really　like！　I　mean；　we've　seen　the　great　reliefs　on　the　temple　of　Ramses　the　Third。　。。。〃
　
　〃Ah；　now　that　was　a　brilliant　man；　a　worthy　namesake。。。〃
　
　〃What　did　you　say？〃
　
　〃A　worthy　namesake　of　Ramses　the　Second；　that's　all；　go　on。〃
　
　〃But　did　a　Pharaoh　himself　truly　fight！〃
　
　〃Oh；　yes；　of　course。　Why；　he　rode　at　the　head　of　his　troops；　he　was　symbol　in　action。　Why；　in　one　battle；　the　Pharaoh　himself　might　crush　two　hundred　skulls　with　his　bludgeon；　he　might　make　his　way　across　the　battlefield；　executing　the　wounded　and　dying　in　the　same　manner。　When　he　retired　to　his　tent；　his　arms　would　be　drenched　in　blood　to　the　elbows。　But　remember；　it　was　expected；　you　see。　If　the　Pharaoh　fell　。。。　well；　the　battle　would　be　over。〃
　
　Silence。
　
　Ramsey：〃　You　don't　want　to　know　these　things；　do　you？　And　yet　modern　warfare　is　ghastly。　That　recent　war　in　Africa；　men　were　blown　apart　by　gunpowder。　And　the　Civil　War　in　the　United　States；　what　a　horror。　Things　change；　but　they　do　not　change。　。。。〃
　
　〃Exactly。　Could　you　yourself　do　such　a　thing？　Crush　skulls　one　after　another？〃
　
　Ramsey　smiled。〃　You　are　a　brave　man；　aren't　you；　Lord　Elliott；　Earl　of　Rutherford。　Yes；　I　could　do　it。　So　could　you；　if　you　were　there；　and　you　were　Pharaoh；　you　could　do　it。〃
　
　The　ship　plowed　on　through　the　grey　sea。　The　coast　of　Africa　loomed。　The　party　was　almost　over。
　
　It　had　been　another　perfect　night。　Alex　had　retired　early；　and　Julie　had　been　left　alone　to　dance　with　Ramses　for　hours。　She'd　drunk　a　little　too　much　wine。
　
　And　now　as　they　stood　in　the　tiny　low…ceilinged　passage　outside　her　stateroom；　she　felt　as　always　the　wrenching；　the　temptation　and　the　desperation　that　she　mustn't　give　in　to　it。
　
　It　caught　her　utterly　off　guard　when　Ramses　spun　her　around；　crushed　her　to　his　chest　and　kissed　her　more　roughly　than　usual。　There　was　a　painful　urgency　to　it。　She　found　herself　fighting；　then　drawing　back　on　the　edge　of　tears；　her　hand　raised　to　hit　him。　She　didn't。
　
　〃Why　do　you　try　to　force　me？〃　　she　said。
　
　The　look　in　his　eyes　frightened　her。
　
　〃I'm　hungry；〃　　he　said；　all　semblance　of　courtesy　lost；〃　hungry　for　you；　for　everything。　For　food　and　drink　and　sunshine　and　life　itself。　But　above　all；　for　you。　It　is　a　pain　in　me！　I　grow　weary　of　it。〃
　
　〃God！〃　　she　whispered。　She　put　her　hands　up　delicately　to　cover　her　face。　Why　was　she　resisting？　For　the　moment；　she　didn't　know。
　
　〃It's　what　it　does　to　me；　the　potion　in　my　veins；〃　　he　said。〃　I　need　nothing；　yet　nothing　fills　me。　Only　love；　perhaps。　And　so　I　wait。〃　　His　voice　grew　quieter；〃　I　wait　for　you　to　love　me。　If　that　is　what　is　required。〃
　
　She　laughed　suddenly。　How　cl