anner.themummy-第48部分

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ll　he　felt　was　a　vague　joy　that　he　had　e；　he　had　visited　it　all　as　he　should；　and　now　he　would　be　leaving。
　
　At　last　they　proceeded　up　the　grand　stairway。　The　room　of　the　Kings；　the　ordeal　he　was　dreading。　He　felt　Samir　at　his　side。
　
　〃Why　not　forgo　this　gruesome　pleasure；　sire？　For　they　are　all　horrors。〃
　
　〃No；　Samir；　let　me　see　it　through　to　the　finish。〃
　
　He　almost　laughed　when　he　understood　what　it　was…a　great　chamber　of　glass　cases　like　the　cases　in　the　department　stores　where　goods　were　displayed　safe　from　prying　fingers。
　
　Nevertheless　the　blackened　grinning　bodies　gave　him　a　dull　shock。　It　seemed　he　could　scarcely　hear　the　guide；　and　yet　the　words　were　ing　clear：
　
　〃The　Ramses　the　Damned　mummy　in　England　is　still　a　controversial　discovery。　Very　controversial。　This　is　the　true　Ramses　the　Second；　right　before　you；　known　as　Ramses　the　Great。〃
　
　Edging　closer；　he　stared　down　at　the　gaunt　horrid　thing　that　bore　his　name。
　
　〃。。。　Ramses　the　Second；　greatest　of　all　Egypt's　Pharaohs。〃
　
　He　almost　smiled　as　he　studied　the　dried　limbs；　and　then　the　obvious　truth　hit　him；　like　something　physical　pressing　on　his　chest；　that　if　he　had　not　gone　into　that　cave　with　the　wicked　old　priestess；　he　would　indeed　be　lying　in　this　case。　Or　what　was　left　of　him。　And　all　the　world　since　faded；　it　was　no　more　suddenly　than　those　years。　And　to　think　he　would　have　died　without　knowing　so　much；　without　ever　realizing。。。
　
　Noise。　Julie　had　said　something；　but　he　couldn't　hear　her。
　
　There　was　a　dull　roaring　in　his　head。　Suddenly　he　saw　them　all；　these　ghastly　corpses；　like　burnt　things　out　of　the　oven。　He　saw　the　filthy　glass；　he　saw　the　tourists　pushing　this　way　and　that。
　
　He　heard　Cleopatra's　voice。　When　you　let　him　die；　you　let　me　die！　I　want　to　be　with　him　now。　Take　it　away；　I　won't　drink　it。
　
　Were　they　moving　again？　Had　Samir　said　it　was　time　to　go？　He　looked　up　slowly　from　the　awful　sunken　face　and　saw　Elliott　gazing　at　him；　with　the　strangest　expression。　What　was　it？　Understanding。
　
　Oh；　but　how　can　you　understand？　I　myself　can　scarcely　understand。
　
　〃Let's　go；　sire。〃
　
　He　let　Samir　take　his　arm　and　lead　him　towards　the　doorway。　It　seemed　Miss　Barrington　laughed　at　something　Alex　had　whispered　in　her　ear。　And　the　din　of　the　French　tourists　nearby　was　positively　frightful。　Such　a　harsh　tongue。
　
　He　turned；　staring　back　at　the　glass　cases。　Yes；　leave　this　place。　Why　are　we　going　down　the　corridor　to　the　very　back　of　the　building？　Surely　we　have　seen　it　all；　the　dreams　and　fervor　of　a　nation　e　to　this；　a　great　and　dusty　mausoleum　where　young　girls　laugh　and　rightly　so。
　
　The　guide　had　stopped　at　the　end　of　the　hall。　What　was　it　now？　Another　body　in　a　case；　and　how　could　anyone　see　it　in　the　shadows？　Only　weak　shafts　of　dusty　light　cut　through　the　dirty　window　above。
　
　〃This　unknown　woman　。。。　a　curious　example　of　natural　preservation。〃
　
　〃We　cannot　smoke；　can　we？〃　　he　whispered　to　Samir。
　
　〃No；　sire；　but　we　can　slip　away；　surely。　We　can　wait　for　the　others　outside；　if　you　wish。。。〃
　
　〃。。。　bined　to　naturally　mummify　the　body　of　this　anonymous　woman。〃
　
　〃Let's　go；〃　　he　said。　He　placed　his　hand　on　Samir's　shoulder。　But　then　he　must　tell　Julie　lest　she　be　alarmed。　He　stepped　forward　and　gave　her　sleeve　a　little　tug；　and　glanced　down　at　the　body　in　the　case　as　he　did　so。
　
　His　heart　stopped。
　
　〃。。。　though　most　of　the　wrappings　were　long　ago　torn　away…in　the　search　for　valuables；　no　doubt…the　woman's　body
　
　was　perfectly　preserved　by　the　delta　mud；　much　as　bodies　found　in　northern　bogs。　。。。〃
　
　The　rippling　hair；　the　long　slender　neck；　the　gently　sloping　shoulders！　And　the　face；　the　very　face！　For　a　moment　he　did　not　believe　his　eyes！
　
　The　voice　pounded　in　his　head：〃　。。。　unknown　woman　。。。　Ptolemaic　period　。。。　Graeco…Roman。　But　see　the　Egyptian　profile。　The　well…molded　lips　。。。〃
　
　Miss　Barrington's　high…pitched　laugh　went　through　his　temples。
　
　He　blundered　forward。　He　had　brushed　Miss　Barrington's　arm。　Alex　was　saying　something　to　him；　calling　him　sharply　by　name。　The　guide　was　staring　up。
　
　He　looked　down　through　the　glass。　Her　face！　It　was　she…the　soft　cerements　molded　into　her　flesh；　her　naked　hands　gently　curved；　her　feet　bare；　the　wrappings　loose　around　her　ankles。　All　black；　black　as　the　delta　mud　which　had　surrounded　her；　preserved　her；　hardened　her！
　
　〃Ramses；　what　is　it！〃
　
　〃Sir；　are　you　ill！〃
　
　They　were　speaking　to　him　from　all　sides；　they　were　surrounding　him。　Suddenly　someone　pulled　him　away；　and　he　turned　back　furiously。〃　No；　let　me　go。〃
　
　He　heard　the　glass　shatter　beside　him。　An　alarm　had　gone　off；　shrieking　like　a　woman　in　terror。
　
　Look　at　her　closed　eyes。　It's　she！　It's　she。　He　needed　no　rings；　no　ornaments；　no　names　to　tell　him。　It's　she。
　
　The　armed　men　had　e。　Julie　pleaded。　Miss　Barrington　was　afraid。　Alex　was　trying　to　make　him　listen。
　
　〃I　cannot　hear　you　now。　I　can　hear　nothing。　It　is　she。　Anonymous　woman。〃　　She；　the　last　Queen　of　Egypt。
　
　Again；　he　jerked　free　of　the　hand　on　his　arm。　He　hovered　over　the　filthy　glass。　He　wanted　to　shatter　it。　Her　legs　no　more　than　bones；　the　fingers　of　her　right　hand　dried　almost　to　a　skeleton。　But　that　face；　that　beautiful　face。　My　Cleopatra。
　
　Finally　he　had　allowed　himself　to　be　led　away。　Julie　had　questioned　him。　He　had　not　answered。　She　had　paid　for　the　damage　to　the　case；　a　small　display　of　jewelry　upset。　He　wanted　to　say　that　he　was　sorry。
　
　He　could　not　remember　anything　else。　Except　her　face；　and　the　whole　picture　she　made…a　thing　created　from　the　black　earth　and　lifted　up　and　placed　on　the　bare　polished　wood　of　the　case；　linen　wrappings　still　wrinkled　as　if　by　lapping　water。　And　her　hair；　her　thick　rippling　hair；　why；　the　whole　form　had　almost　glistened　in　the　dim　light。
　
　Julie　spoke　words。　The　lights　were　soft　in　the　room　at　Shepheard's　Hotel。　He　wanted　to　answer；　but　he　couldn't。　And　then　there　was　that　other　memory；　that　strange　moment　when　he　had　turned　in　the　confusion　and　the　blur；　and　seen　Elliott　with　those　sad　grey　eyes　watching　him。
　
　Oscar　hurried　after　Mr。　Hancock　and　the　two　chaps　from　Scotland　Yard　as　they　marched　right　through　the　drawing　rooms　and　into　the　Egyptian　room。　Oh；　he　never　should　have　let　them　into　the　house。　They　had　no　right　to　e　into　this　house。　And　now　they　were　marching　right　up　to　the　mummy　case。
　
　〃But　Miss　Julie　will　be　so　angry；　sir。　This　is　her　house；　sir。　And　you　mustn't　touch　that；　sir；　why；　it's　Mr。　Lawrence's　discovery。〃
　
　Hancock　stared　at　the　five　gold　Cleopatra　coins　in　their　case。
　
　〃But　the　coins　could　have　been　stolen　in　Cairo；　sir。　Before　the　collection　was　cataloged。〃
　
　〃Yes；　of　course；　you're　absolutely　right；〃　　Hancock　said。　He　turned　and　glared　at　the　mummy　case。
　
　Julie　poured　the　wine　in　his　glass。　He　merely　looked　at　it。
　
　〃Won't　you　try　to　explain？〃　　she　whispered。〃　You　recognized　it。　You　knew　it。　That　has　to　be　it。〃
　
　For　hours　he'd　sat　there　in　silence。　The　late　afternoon　sun　burned　through　the　sheer　curtains。　The　overhead　fan　churned　slowly；　monotonously；　giving　off　a　dull　groan。
　
　She　didn't　want　to　cry　again。
　
　〃But　it　couldn't　be　。。。〃　　No。　She　couldn't　bring　herself　even　to　suggest　it。　Yet　she　thought　of　the　woman　again；　of　the　gold　tiara　in　her　hair；　now　black　and　glossy　as　all　the　rest　of　her。〃　It's　not　possible　that　it's　she。　。。。〃
　
　Slowly　Ramses　turned　and　looked　at　her。　Hard　and　brilliant　his　blue　eyes　were。
　
　〃Not　possible！〃　　His　voice　was　low；　hoarse；　no　more　than　an　agonized　whisper。〃　Not　possible！　You've　dug　up　thousands　of　the　Egyptian　dead。　You've　raided　their　pyramids；　their　desert　tombs；　their　catabs。　What　is　not　possible！〃
　
　〃Oh；　my　God。〃　　The　tears　flowed　down　her　cheeks。
　
　〃Mummies　stolen；　traded；　sold；〃　　he　said。〃　Was　there　any　man；　woman　or　child　ever　buried　in　this　land　whose　body　has　not　been　defiled；　if　not　displayed；　or　dismembered？　What　is　not　possible！〃
　
　For　a　moment　it　seemed　he'd　lose　control　altogether；　but　then　he　was　quiet；　merely　staring　at　her　again。　And　then　his　eyes　went　dim　as　if　he　had　not　seen　her。　He　sat　back　in　the　little　chair。
　
　〃We　don't　have　to　stay　in　Cairo　any　longer　if　you　don't　want。　。。。〃
　
　Again　he　turned　slowly　and　looked　at　her。　It　was　as　if　he　were　waking　from　a　daze；　that　he　had　not　just　spoken　to　her。
　
　〃No！〃　　he　said；〃　We　cannot　leave。　Not　now。　I　don't　want　to　leave。。。〃
　
　And　then　his　voice　trailed　off　as　if　he'd　just　realized　what　he　was　saying。　He　rose　and　walked　slowly　out　of　the　room；　not　even　glancing　back　at　her。
　
　She　saw　the　door　close；　she　heard　his　tread　in　the　hall；　and　then　her　tears　flowed　again。
　
　What　was　she　to　do？　What　would　fort　him？　If　she　used　all　her　influence；　could　she　possibly　have　the　body　in　the　museum　removed　from　public　view　and　given　proper　burial？　Not　likely。　The　request　would　seem　whimsical　and　foolish。　Why；　countless　royal　mummies　were　on　display！
　
　But　even　if　she　could　acplish　such　a　thing；　she　feared　it　would　not　help　now。　It　was　the　mere　sight　of　the　thing；　not　its　desecration；　which　had　crushed　him。
　
　The　two　officers　from　Scotland　Yard　watched　the　man　from　the　British　Museum　uneasily。
　
　〃We　should　go　now；　sir。　We　don't　have　a　court　order　to　be　disturbing　the　mummy's　coffin。　We　came　to　check　the　coins；　and　we've　done　it。〃
　
　〃Nonsense；〃　　Hancock　said。〃　We　should　check　everything　now　while　we　have　the　court　order。　We　came　to　see　that　the　collection　is　intact。　I　want　to　see　that　the　mummy's　unharmed　before　I　leave　here。〃
　
　〃But；　sir；〃　　Oscar　intervened。
　
　〃Don't　say　another　word；　my　good　man。　Your　mistress　ran　off　to　Cairo　and　left　a　priceless　treasure　here。　She　did　not　have　our　permission。〃　　He　turned　to　the　two　officers　of　the　law。〃　Open　the　thing；〃　　he　said　sharply。
　
　〃Well；　I　don't　like　this；　sir；　I　really　don't；〃　　Trent　said。
　
　Hancock　pushed　past　him　and　hefted　the　lid　himself　before　the　two　men　could　stop　him。　Gallon　tried　to　catch　it　before　the　bottom　struck　the　floor。　Oscar　gave　a　little　gasp。
　
　Inside　stood　the　mummy；　shrunken；　blackened。
　
　〃What　the　hell　is　going　on　here！〃　　Hancock