anner.themummy-第6部分

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t　dying。
　
　His　body　convulsed。　Violently；　he　turned　away。　The　last　thing　he　saw　as　he　fell　was　the　mummy　in　the　dazzling　sunlight；　the　last　ming　he　felt　was　the　sandy　floor　beneath　his　burning　face。　For　a　long　moment　Henry　Stratford　did　not　move。　He　stared　down　at　the　body　of　his　uncle　as　if　he　did　not　quite　believe　what　he　saw。　Someone　else　had　done　this。　Someone　else　had　broken　through　the　thick　membrane　of　frustration　and　put　this　horrid　plot　into　motion。　Someone　else　had　put　the　silver　coffee　spoon　into　the　jar　of　ancient　poison　and　slipped　that　poison　into　Lawrence's　cup。
　
　Nothing　moved　in　the　dusty　sunlight。　The　tiniest　particles　seemed　suspended　in　the　hot　air。　Only　a　faint　sound　originated　within　the　chamber；　something　like　the　beat　of　a　heart。
　
　Imaginings。　It　was　imperative　to　follow　through。　It　was　imperative　to　stop　his　hand　from　shaking；　to　prevent　the　scream　from　ever　leaving　his　lips。　Because　it　was　there　all　right…a　scream　which　once　released　would　never　stop。
　
　I　killed　him。　/　poisoned　him。
　
　And　now　that　great　hideous　and　immovable　obstacle　to　my　plan　is　no　more。
　
　Bend　down；　feel　the　vein。　Yes；　he's　dead。　Quite　dead。
　
　Henry　straightened；　fighting　a　sudden　wave　of　nausea；　and　quickly　took　several　papers　from　his　briefcase。　He　dipped　his　uncle's　pen　and　wrote　the　name　Lawrence　Stratford　neatly　and　quickly；　as　he　had　done　several　times　on　less　important　papers　in　the　past。
　
　His　hand　shook　badly；　but　so　much　the　better。　For　his　uncle　had　had　just　such　a　tremor。　And　the　scribble　looked　all　the　better　when　it　was　done。
　
　He　put　the　pen　back　and　stood　with　his　eyes　closed；　trying　to　calm　himself　again；　trying　to　think　only；　It　is　done。
　
　The　most　curious　thoughts　were　flooding　him　suddenly；　that　he　could　undo　this！　That　it　had　been　no　more　than　an　impulse；　that　he　could　roll　back　the　minutes　and　his　uncle　would　be　alive　again。　This　positively　could　not　have　happened！　Poison　。。。　coffee　。。。　Lawrence　dead。
　
　And　then　a　memory　came　to　him；　pure　and　quiet　and　certainly　wele；　of　the　day　twenty…one　years　ago　when　his　cousin　Julie　had　been　born。　His　uncle　and　he　sitting　in　the　drawing　room　together。　His　uncle　Lawrence；　whom　he　loved　more　than　his　father。
　
　〃But　I　want　you　to　know　that　you　will　always　be　my　nephew；　my　beloved　nephew　。。。〃
　
　Dear　God；　was　he　losing　his　mind？　For　a　moment　he　did　not　even　know　where　he　was。　He　could　have　sworn　someone　else　was　in　this　room　with　him。　Who　was　it？
　
　That　thing　in　the　mummy　case。　Don't　look　at　it。　Like　a　witness。　Get　back　to　the　business　at　hand。
　
　The　papers　are　signed；　the　stock　can　be　sold；　and　now　there　is　all　the　more　reason　for　Julie　to　marry　that　stupid　twit　Alex　Savarell。　And　all　the　more　reason　for　Henry's　father　to　take　Stratford　Shipping　pletely　in　hand。
　
　Yes。　Yes。　But　what　to　do　at　the　moment？　He　looked　at　the　desk　again。　Everything　as　it　was。　And　those　six　glittering　gold　Cleopatra　coins。　Ah；　yes；　take　one。　Quickly；　he　slipped　it　into　his　pocket。　A　little　flush　warmed　his　face。　Yes；　the　coin　must　be　worth　a　fortune。　And　he　could　fit　it　into　a　cigarette　case；　simple　to　smuggle。　All　right。
　
　Now　get　out　of　here　immediately。　No；　he　wasn't　thinking。　He　couldn't　still　his　heart。　Shout　for　Samir；　that　was　the　appropriate　action。　Something　horrible　has　happened　to　Lawrence。　Stroke；　heart　attack；　impossible　to　tell！　And　this　cell　is　like　a　furnace。　A　doctor　must　e　at　once。
　
　〃Samir！〃　　he　cried　out；　staring　forward　like　a　matinee　actor　at　the　moment　of　shock。　His　gaze　fell　directly　again　on　that　grim；　loathsome　thing　in　the　linen　wrappings。　Was　it　staring　back　at　him？　Were　its　eyes　open　beneath　the　bandages？　Preposterous！　Yet　the　illusion　struck　a　deep　shrill　note　of　panic　in　him；　which　gave　just　the　right　edge　to　his　next　shout　for　help。
　
　URTIVELY　THE　clerk　read　the　latest　edition　of　the　London　Herald；　the　pages　folded　and　held　carefully　out　of　sight　behind　his　darkly　lacquered　desk。　The　office　was　quiet　now　because　of　the　board　meeting；　the　only　sound　the　distant　clack　of　a　typewriting　machine　from　an　adjoining　room。
　
　MUMMY'S　CURSE　KILLS
　
　STRATFORD　SHIPPING　MAGNATE
　
　〃RAMSES　THE　DAMNED〃　　STRIKES　DOWN
　
　THOSE　WHO　DISTURB　HIS　REST
　
　How　the　tragedy　had　caught　the　public　imagination。　Impossible　to　walk　a　step　without　seeing　a　front…page　story。　And　how　the　popular　newspapers　elaborated　upon　it；　indulging　in　hastily　drawn　illustrations　of　pyramids　and　camels；　of　the　mummy　in　his　wooden　coffin　and　poor　Mr。　Stratford　lying　dead　at　his　feet。
　
　Poor　Mr。　Stratford；　who　had　been　such　a　fine　man　to　work　for；　remembered　now　for　this　lurid　and　sensational　death。
　
　Just　when　the　furore　had　died　down；　it　had　been　given　another　infusion　of　vitality：
　
　HEIRESS　DEFIES　MUMMY'S　CURSE〃　RAMSES　THE　DAMNED〃　　TO　VISIT　LONDON
　
　The　clerk　turned　the　page　now　quietly；　folding　the　paper　into　a　narrow　thick　column　width　again。　Hard　to　believe　Miss　Stratford　was　bringing　home　ail　the　treasure　to　be　placed　on　exhibit　in　her　own　home　in　Mayfair。　But　that　is　what　her　father　had　always　done。
　
　The　clerk　hoped　that　he'd　be　invited　to　the　reception；　but　there　was　no　chance　of　it；　even　though　he　had　been　with　Stratford　Shipping　for　some　thirty　years。
　
　To　think；　a　bust　of　Cleopatra；　the　only　authenticated　portrait　in　existence。　And　freshly　minted　coins　with　her　image　and　name。　Ah；　he　would　have　liked　to　see　those　things　in　Mr。　Stratford's　library。　But　he　would　have　to　wait　until　the　British　Museum　claimed　the　collection　and　put　it　on　display　for　lord　and　moner　alike。
　
　And　there　were　things　he　might　have　told　Miss　Stratford；　if　ever　there　had　been　an　opportunity；　things　perhaps　old　Mr。　Lawrence　would　have　wanted　her　to　know。
　
　For　instance；　that　Henry　Stratford　hadn't　sat　behind　his　desk　for　a　year　now；　yet　he　still　collected　a　full　salary　and　bonuses；　and　that　Mr。　Randolph　wrote　him　cheques　on　the　pany　funds　at　random　and　then　doctored　the　books。
　
　But　perhaps　the　young　woman　would　find　out　all　this　for　herself。　The　will　had　left　her　full　control　of　her　father's　pany。　And　that's　why　she　was　in　the　boardroom；　with　her　handsome　fiancé；　Alex　Savarell；　Viscount　Summer…field；　right　now。
　
　Randolph　could　not　bear　to　see　her　crying　like　this。　Dreadful　to　be　pressing　her　with　papers　to　sign。　She　looked　all　the　more　fragile　in　her　black　mourning；　her　face　drawn　and　shimmering　as　if　she　were　feverish；　her　eyes　full　of　that　odd　light　that　he　had　first　seen　when　she　told　him　that　her　father　was　dead。
　
　The　other　board　members　sat　in　sullen　silence；　eyes　downcast。　Alex　held　her　arm　gently。　He　looked　faintly　baffled；　as　if　he　really　didn't　understand　death；　it　was　just　that　he　didn't　want　her　to　suffer。　Simple　soul。　Out　of　place　among　these　merchants　and　men　of　business；　the　porcelain　aristocrat　with　his　heiress。
　
　Why　must　we　go　through　with　this？　Why　are　we　not　alone　with　our　grief？
　
　Yet　Randolph　did　it　because　he　had　to　do　it；　though　never　had　the　whole　thing　seemed　so　meaningless。　Never　had　his　love　for　his　only　son　been　so　painfully　tried。
　
　〃I　simply　cannot　make　decisions　yet；　Uncle　Randolph；〃　　she　said　to　him　politely。
　
　〃Of　course　not；　my　dear；〃　　he　answered。〃　No　one　expects　you　to。　If　you'll　only　sign　this　draft　for　emergency　funds　and　leave　the　rest　to　us。〃
　
　〃I　want　to　go　over　everything；　to　take　a　hand　in　things；〃　　she　said。〃　That's　clearly　what　Father　intended。　This　whole　situation　with　the　warehouses　in　India；　I　don't　understand　how　it　could　have　e　to　such　a　crisis。〃　　She　paused；　unwilling　to　be　caught　up　in　things；　perhaps　utterly　incapable　of　it；　and　the　tears　flowed　silently　again。
　
　〃Leave　it　to　me；　Julie；〃　　he　said　wearily。〃　I've　been　handling　crises　in　India　for　years。〃
　
　He　pushed　the　documents　towards　her。　Sign；　please；　sign。　Do　not　ask　for　explanations　now。　Do　not　add　humiliation　to　this　pain。
　
　For　that　is　what　was　so　surprising；　that　he　missed　his　brother　so　much。　We　don't　know　what　we　feel　for　those　we　love　until　they're　taken。　All　night　he'd　lain　awake　remembering　things　。。。　the　Oxford　days；　their　first　trips　to　Egypt…Randolph；　Lawrence　and　Elliott　Savarell。　Those　nights　in　Cairo。　He　had　awakened　early　and　gone　through　old　photographs；　and　papers。　Such　marvelously　vivid　memories。
　
　And　now；　without　spirit　or　will；　he　tried　to　cheat　Lawrence's　daughter。　He　tried　to　cover　for　ten　years　of　lies　and　deceit。　Lawrence　had　built　Stratford　Shipping　because　he　really　didn't　care　about　money。　Oh；　the　risks　that　Lawrence　used　to　take。　And　what　had　Randolph　done　since　he　took　over？　Hold　the　reins　and　steal。　To　his　utter　amazement　Julie　lifted　the　pen　and　signed　her　name　quickly　on　all　the　various　papers；　without　so　much　as　reading　them。　Well；　he　was　safe　from　her　inevitable　questions　for　a　little　while。
　
　I'm　sorry；　Lawrence。　It　was　like　a　silent　prayer。　Perhaps　if　you　knew　the　whole　story。
　
　〃In　a　few　days；　Uncle　Randolph；　I　want　to　sit　down　and　go　over　everything　with　you。　I　mink　that's　what　Father　wanted。　But　I'm　so　tired。　It's　really　time　to　go　home。〃
　
　〃Yes；　let　me　take　you　home　now；〃　　Alex　said　immediately。　He　helped　her　to　her　feet。
　
　Dear　good　Alex。　Why　couldn't　my　son　have　had　a　mere　particle　of　that　gentleness？　The　whole　world　could　have　been　his。　Quickly　Randolph　went　to　open　the　double　doors。　To　his　amazement　he　found　the　men　from　the　British　Museum　waiting。　An　annoyance。　He　would　have　spirited　her　out　another　way；　if　he　had　known。　He　did　not　like　the　unctuous　Mr。　Hancock；　who　behaved　as　if　everything　Lawrence　had　discovered　belonged　to　the　museum　and　the　world。
　
　〃Miss　Stratford；〃　　the　man　said　now　as　he　approached　Julie。〃　Everything　has　been　approved。　The　first　showing　of　the　mummy　will　take　place　in　your　home；　just　as　your　father　would　have　wished。　We　will　of　course　catalogue　everything；　and　remove　the　collection　to　the　museum　as　soon　as　you　wish　it。　I　thought　you　would　want　to　have　my　personal　assurance。　。　；　。〃
　
　〃Of　course；〃　　Julie　answered　wearily。　This　interested　her　no　more　than　the　board　meeting；　obviously。〃　I'm　grateful　to　you；　Mr。　Hancock。　You　know　what　this　discovery　meant　to　my　father。〃　　There　was　a　pause　again　as　if　she　would　begin　crying。　And　why