elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第6部分

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　〃Is　not　with　me。〃
　〃Ah。〃　Aslimi　put　his　hands　on　the　approximate　region　of　his　waist　and　sighed　heavily。　〃He　gives　me　pains　in　the　stomach；　Sitt　Hakim。〃
　〃It　is　as　God　wills；〃　I　said　piously。　Aslimi　shot　me　a　look　that　indicated　he　was　more　inclined　to　put　the　blame　on　Emerson　than　on　Allah；　but　he　rallied　enough　to　go　through　the　prescribed　gestures　of　hospitality；　offering　me　coffee　or　tea　and　a　seat　on　the　mastaba。　Then　we　got　down　to　business。
　I　left　the　shop　an　hour　and　a　half　later；　with　several　parcels。　Bargaining　takes　quite　a　long　time；　and　the　subtle　interrogation　at　which　I　excel　takes　even　longer。　Since　I　had　time　to　spare；　I　stopped　at　a　few　more　stalls；　learning　little　more　than　I　had　from　Aslimi；　but　purchasing　a　number　of　items　that　would　be　needed　in　our　new　home：　a　set　of　handsome　copper　cooking　vessels；　thirty　yards　of　blue…and…silver　Damascus　silk；　and　two　elegant　carpets；　all　of　which　I　directed　to　be　sent　to　the　hotel。
　I　found　Emerson　surrounded　by　loosely　bound　volumes　and　piles　of　manuscripts　and　several　of　the　more　learned　booksellers；　with　whom　he　was　engaged　in　heated　argument。　I　had　begun　to　suspect　that　they　enjoyed　egging　him　on；　for　his　views　on　religion　…　all　varieties　of　religion　…　were　unorthodox　and　eloquently　expressed。　The　discussion　ended　when　I　appeared；　and　after　an　exchange　of　pliments　all　round；　I　led　Emerson　away。
　〃Why　do　you　do　that？〃　I　scolded。　〃It　is　very　rude　to　criticize　another　individual's　religious　beliefs；　and　there　is　not　the　slightest　possibility　that　you　will　convert　them。〃
　〃Who　wants　to　convert　them？〃　Emerson　demanded　in　surprise。　〃Islam　is　as　good　a　religion　as　any　other。　I　don't　approve　of　Christianity　or　Judaism　or　Buddhism　either。〃
　〃I　am　well　aware　of　that；　Emerson。　I　don't　suppose　you　learned　anything　of　interest？〃
　〃It　was　very　interesting。　I　raised　several　unanswerable　points　。　。　。〃　He　noticed　my　parcels　and　took　them　from　me。　〃What　have　you　got　there？〃
　〃Don't　unwrap　them　here；〃　I　cautioned；　for　Emerson　was；　in　his　impetuous　fashion；　tugging　at　the　strings。　〃While　you　were　wasting　your　time　debating　theology；　I　went　about　the　business　for　which　we　came　to　the　Khan。　Aslimi　showed　me　some　remarkable　things；　Emerson。　He　told　me　he　had　never　known　the　supply　of　merchandise　to　be　so　great。　He　is　getting　objects　from　all　over　Egypt；　including　Luxor。〃
　〃What　the　devil！〃　Emerson　came　to　a　dead　stop　in　the　middle　of　the　road。　He　began　to　unwrap　the　largest　parcel；　ignoring　the　camel　advancing　ponderously　toward　him。　The　driver；　recognizing　Emerson；　managed　to　stop　the　recalcitrant　animal　before　it　ran　into　my　equally　recalcitrant　spouse。　He　turned　an　outraged　glare　on　the　camel；　which　responded　with　its　usual　look　of　utter　disgust。　I　stifled　my　laughter；　for　Emerson　would　not　have　found　anything　amusing　about　his　attempt　to　stare　down　a　camel。
　Somehow　the　driver　got　the　beast　past　Emerson；　who　had　not　stirred　an　inch。　I　took　the　parcel　from　him。
　〃It　is　not　like　you　to　be　so　careless；　Emerson；〃　I　said　severely。　〃Careless　with　antiquities；　I　mean。　e　out　of　the　middle　of　the　road　and　let　me　undo　the　wrappings　enough　to　give　you　a　peep。〃
　Care　was　necessary；　since　there　were　two　objects　in　the　wrappings；　both　of　them　breakable　…　or　at　least；　chippable。　The　one　I　showed　Emerson　was　an　alabaster　disk　with　a　thin　band　of　gold　around　the　rim。
　〃No　hieroglyphs；〃　he　muttered。　〃Beautiful　piece　of　work；　though。　It's　the　lid　of　a　pot　or　jar。〃
　〃A　very　expensive　pot；〃　I　amended。　〃I　have　the　pot　as　well　…　an　exquisitely　shaped　alabaster　container；　most　probably　for　cosmetics。　Now　shall　we　go　back　to　the　hotel　where　we　can　examine　it　in　private？〃
　〃Hmmm；　yes；　certainly。〃　Emerson　watched　me　rewrap　the　lid。　〃I　beg　your　pardon；　my　dear。　You　were　quite　right　to　scold　me。　What　else　have　you　got？〃
　〃Nothing　so　exciting　as　the　cosmetic　jar；〃　I　said；　〃but　I　believe　they　are　all　from　the　same　tomb　…　the　one　Cyrus　told　us　about。〃
　〃So　Mohassib　didn't　get　everything。〃　Emerson　strode　along　beside　me；　his　hands　in　his　pockets。　〃How　did　Aslimi　e　by　these？〃
　〃Not　from　Sethos。〃
　〃You　asked　him　point…blank；　I　suppose；〃　Emerson　grumbled。　〃Aslimi　is　a　congenital　liar；　Peabody。　How　do　you　know　he　was　telling　you　the　truth？〃
　〃He　turned　pea…green　at　the　very　mention　of　'the　Master。'　It　would　have　been　rather　amusing　if　he　had　not　been　in　such　a　state　of　abject　terror；　he　kept　wringing　his　hands　and　saying；　'But　he　is　dead。　He　is　dead；　surely。　Tell　me　he　is　really　dead　this　time；　Sitt！'　〃
　〃Hmmm；〃　said　Emerson。
　〃Now　don't　get　any　ideas　about　pretending　you　are　'the　Master；'　Emerson。〃
　〃I　don't　see　why　I　shouldn't；〃　said　Emerson　sulkily。　〃You　are　always　telling　me　I　cannot　disguise　myself　effectively。　It　is　cursed　insulting。　So　…　from　whom　did　Aslimi　acquire　these　objects？〃
　〃He　claimed　the　man　was　someone　he'd　never　seen　before。〃
　〃I　trust　you　extracted　a　description？〃
　〃Certainly。　Tall；　heavyset；　black　beard　and　mustache。〃
　〃That's　no　help。　Even　if　it　was　true。〃
　〃Aslimi　would　not　lie　to　me。　Emerson；　please　don't　walk　so　fast。〃
　〃Ha；〃　said　Emerson。　But　he　slowed　his　steps　and　gave　me　his　arm。　We　had　emerged　onto　the　Muski；　with　its　roaring　traffic　and　European　shops。　〃We'll　just　have　time　to　tidy　up　before　luncheon；〃　he　added。　〃Do　you　suppose　the　children　are　back？〃
　〃One　never　knows。　I　only　hope　they　haven't　got　themselves　in　trouble。〃
　〃Why　should　you　suppose　that？〃
　〃They　usually　do。〃
　　
　FROM　MANUSCRIPT　H
　The　infamous　Red　Blind　district　of　Cairo　was　centered　in　an　area　embarrassingly　close　to　the　Ezbekieh　and　the　luxury　hotels。　In　the　brothels　of　el…Wasa；　Egyptian；　Nubian；　and　Sudanese　women　plied　their　trade　under　conditions　of　abject　squalor。　In　theory　they　were　under　government　medical　supervision；　but　the　government's　only　concern　was　the　control　of　venereal　disease。　There　had　been　no　place　for　the　women　who　had　suffered　beatings　or　botched　abortions　or　illnesses　of　other　kinds。　Even　more　difficult　to　control　were　the　brothels　in　the　adjoining　area　of　Wagh　el…Birka；　which　were　populated　by　European　women　and　run　by　European　entrepreneurs。　They　were　foreigners　and　therefore　subject　only　to　the　authority　of　their　consuls。　Ramses　had　heard　Thomas　Russell；　the　assistant　mander　of　the　Cairo　police；　cursing　the　restrictions　that　prevented　him　from　closing　down　the　establishments。
　The　alleys　of　el…Wasa　were　fairly　quiet　at　that　early　hour。　The　stench　was　permanent；　even　a　hard　rain　only　stirred　up　the　garbage　of　the　streets　and　gathered　it　in　oily　pools；　where　it　settled　again　once　the　water　had　evaporated。　There　were　no　drains。　Ramses　glanced　at　his　wife；　who　walked　briskly　through　the　filth；　giving　it　no　more　attention　than　was　necessary　to　avoid　the　worst　bits；　and　not　for　the　first　time　he　wondered　how　she　could　bear　it。　To　his　eyes　she　was　always　radiant；　but　in　this　setting　she　glowed　like　a　fallen　star；　her　golden…red　hair　gathered　into　a　knot　at　the　back　of　her　head　and　her　brow　unclouded。
　Initially　the　clinic　had　been　regarded　with　suspicion　and　dislike　by　the　denizens　of　the　Red　Blind　district；　and　Nefret　and　her　doctor　friend　Sophia　had　deemed　it　advisable　not　to　advertise　its　presence。　Now　it　was　under　the　protection　of　the　Cairo　police。　Russell　sent　patrols　around　frequently　and　came　down　hard　on　anyone　who　tried　to　make　trouble。　Emerson　had　also　e　down　hard　on　a　few　offenders　who　had　not　known　that　the　person　in　charge　was　the　daughter　of　the　famed　Father　of　Curses。　They　knew　now。　Nefret　had　found　another；　unexpected　supporter　in　Ibrahim　el…Gharbi；　the　Nubian　transvestite　who　controlled　the　brothels　of　el…Wasa；　so　the　expanded　building　now　proclaimed　its　mission　in　polished　bronze　letters　over　the　door；　and　the　area　around　it　was　regularly　cleaned　of　trash　and　dead　animals。
　〃I'll　not　e　in　this　time；〃　Ramses　said；　when　they　reached　the　house。
　Nefret　gave　him　a　provocative　smile。　〃You　don't　like　trailing　round　after　me　and　Sophia；　do　you？〃
　He　didn't；　especially；　he　felt　useless　and　ineffective；　and　only　too　often；　wrung　with　pity　for　misery　he　was　helpless　to　relieve。　This　time　he　had　a　valid　excuse。
　〃I　saw　someone　I　want　to　talk　with；〃　he　explained。　〃I'll　join　you　in　a　bit。〃
　〃All　right。〃　She　didn't　ask　who；　her　mind　was　already　inside　the　building；　anticipating　the　duties　that　awaited　her。
　He　went　back　along　the　lane；　kicking　a　dead　rat　out　of　his　path　and　trying　to　avoid　the　deeper　pools　of　slime。　The　man　he　had　seen　was　sitting　on　a　bench　outside　one　of　the　more　pretentious　cribs。　He　was　asleep；　his　head　fallen　back　and　his　mouth　open。　The　flies　crawling　across　his　face　did　not　disturb　his　slumber；　he　was　used　to　them。　Ramses　nudged　him　and　he　looked　up；　blinking。
　〃Salaam　aleikhum；　Brother　of　Demons。　So　you　are　back；　and　it　is　true　what　they　say　…　that　the　Brother　of　Demons　appears　out　of　thin　air；　without　warning。〃
　Ramses　didn't　point　out　that　Musa　had　been　sound　asleep　when　he　approached；　his　reputation　for　being　on　intimate　terms　with　demons　stood　him　in　good　stead　with　the　more　superstitious　Egyptians。　〃You　have　e　down　in　the　world　since　I　last　saw　you；　Musa。　Did　el…Gharbi　dismiss　you？〃
　〃Have　you　not　heard？〃　The　man's　dull　eyes　brightened　a　little。　It　was　a　matter　of　pride　to　be　the　first　to　impart　information；　bad　or　good；　and　he　would　expect　to　be　rewarded。　He　looked　as　if　he　could　use　money。　As　a　favorite　of　el…Gharbi　he　had　been　sleek　and　plump　and　elegantly　dressed。　The　rags　he　wore　now　barely　covered　his　slender　limbs。
　〃I　will　tell　you；〃　he　went　on。　〃Sit　down；　sit　down。〃
　He　shifted　over　to　make　room　for　Ramses。　The　latter　declined　with　thanks。　Flies　were　not　the　only　insects　infesting　Musa　and　his　clothes。
　〃We　knew　the　cursed　British　were　raiding　the　houses　and　putting　the　women　into　prison；〃　Musa　began。　〃They　set　up　a　camp　at　Hilmiya。　But　my　master　only　laughed。　He　had　too　many　friends　in　high　places；　he　said。　No　one　could　touch　him。　And　no　one　did　…　until　one　night　there　came　two　men　sent　by　the　mudir　of　the　police　himself；　and　they　took　my　master　away；　still　in　his　beautiful　white　garments。　They　say　that　when　Harvey　Pasha　saw　him；　he　was　very　angry　and　called　him　rude　names。〃
　〃I'm　not　surprised；〃　Ramses　murmured。　Harvey　Pasha；　mander　of　the　Cairo　police；　was　honest；　extr