anner.themummy-第48部分

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。〃　I　was　。。。　trying　to　persuade　him　to　advise　Julie　to　marry　Alex。〃
　
　〃Don't　lie　to　me！〃　　Elliott　said。　His　left　hand　clutched　at　the　silver　walking　stick；　ready　to　lift　it；　to　wield　it　like　a　club。
　
　〃I　don't　know　what　happened；〃　　Henry　pleaded。〃　Or　what　it　saw！　It　was　wrapped　up　in　the　damned　mummy　case。　What　the　hell　could　it　have　seen！　Uncle　Lawrence　was　arguing　with　me。　He　was　upset。　The　heat。。。　I　don't　know　what　happened。　Suddenly　he　was　lying　on　the　floor。〃
　
　He　slumped　forward；　elbows　on　his　knees；　head　in　his　hands。〃　I　didn't　mean　to　hurt　him；〃　　he　sobbed。〃　Oh；　God；　I　didn't　mean　to　hurt　him！　I　did　what　I　had　to　do。〃　　He　bowed　his　head；　fingers　meshed　in　his　dark　hair。
　
　Elliott　stared　down　at　him。　If　this　had　been　his　son；　life　would　have　no　meaning。　And　if　this　miserable　creature　was　lying　。。。　But　he　didn't　know。　He　simply　could　not　tell。
　
　〃All　right；〃　　he　murmured。〃　You　have　told　me　everything？〃
　
　〃Yes！〃　　Henry　said。〃　God；　I　have　to　get　off　this　ship！　I　have　to　get　away　from　it！〃
　
　〃But　why　does　it　despise　you？　Why　did　it　try　to　kill　you；　and　why　does　it　seek　to　humiliate　you？〃
　
　There　was　a　moment　of　silence。　All　he　heard　were　Henry's　desperate　broken　gasps。　Then　the　thin　white　face　was　turned　up　again；　the　sunken　dark　eyes　imploring　him。
　
　〃I　saw　it　e　alive；〃　　Henry　said。〃　I'm　the　only　one　other　than　Julie　who　really　knows　what　it　is。　You　know；　but　I'm　the　one　who　saw　it。　It　wants　to　kill　me！〃　He　stopped；　as　if　he　feared　losing　control　altogether。　His　eyes　were　dancing　as　he　looked　at　the　carpet。〃　I'll　tell　you　something　too；〃　　he　said；　as　he　slumped　back　again　on　the　couch。〃　It's　unnaturally　strong；　that　thing。　It　could　kill　a　man　with　its　bare　hands。　Why　it　didn't　kill　me　the　first　time　it　tried；　I　don't　know。　But　it　could　succeed　if　it　tried　again。〃
　
　The　Earl　didn't　respond。
　
　He　turned　and　left　the　stateroom。　He　went　out　onto　the　deck。　The　sky　was　black　over　the　sea；　and　the　stars　were；　as　always　on　a　cloudless　night　over　the　ocean；　wonderfully　clear。
　
　He　leaned　on　the　railing　for　a　long　time；　and　then　drew　out　a　cheroot　and　lighted　it。　He　tried　to　reason　things　out。
　
　Samir　Ibrahaim　knew　this　thing　was　immortal。　He　was　travelling　with　it。　Julie　knew。　Julie　had　been　swept　off　her　feet。　And　now　in　his　sheer　obsession　with　this　mystery；　he　had　let　Ramsey　know　that　he　knew　as　well。
　
　Now；　Ramsey　clearly　felt　affection　for　Samir　Ibrahaim。　He　felt　something　for　Julie　Stratford；　though　what　that　something　was；　still　wasn't　clear。　But　what　did　Ramsey　feel　for　him？　Maybe　he　would　turn　on　him　as　he　had　on　Henry；〃　the　only　witness。〃
　
　But　somehow　that　didn't　make　sense。　Or　at　least　if　it　did；　it　didn't　frighten　Elliott。　It　only　fascinated　him。　And　the　whole　question　of　Henry　continued　to　puzzle　him　and　repel　him。　Henry　was　a　convincing　liar。　But　Henry　wasn't　telling　the　whole　truth。
　
　Nothing　to　do　but　wait；　he　figured。　And　do　what　he　could　to　protect　Alex；　his　poor　vulnerable　Alex；　who　had　failed　so　miserably　at　dinner　to　conceal　his　growing　hurt。　He　had　to　help　Alex　through　this；　make　it　clear　to　his　son　that　he　was　going　to　lose　his　childhood　sweetheart；　for　there　was　no　longer　the　slightest　doubt　of　that。
　
　But　oh；　how　he　himself　was　loving　this。　How　secretly　and　pletely　it　thrilled　him。　The　truth　was；　no　matter　what　the　oute；　he　was　experiencing　a　rejuvenation　because　of　this　mystery。　He　was　having　the　best　time　he'd　had　in　years　and　years。
　
　If　he　leafed　back　through　the　happy　memories　of　his　life；　there　had　been　one　tune　only；　when　simply　being　alive　had　been　this　wondrous　and　strange。　He'd　been　at　Oxford　then；　he'd　been　only　twenty；　and　he'd　been　in　love　with　Lawrence　Stratford；　and　Lawrence　Stratford　had　been　in　love　with　him。
　
　The　thought　of　Lawrence　now　destroyed　everything。　It　was　as　if　the　icy　wind　off　the　sea　had　frozen　his　heart。　Something　had　happened　in　that　tomb；　something　Henry　did　not　dare　to　confess　to　him。　And　Ramsey　knew　it。　And　no　matter　what　else　happened　in　this　dangerous　little　venture；　Elliott　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　dance