anner.themummy-第53部分

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　Ramses　laughed。　He　drank　down　a　tumbler　full　of　wine。〃　That's　true；　I　must　confess。　But　if　you　must　know；　I　am　。。。　Egyptian；　yes。〃
　
　〃And　where　in　the　world　。。。〃
　
　〃Alex；　please；〃　　Julie　said。
　
　Alex　shrugged。〃　What　a　puzzle　you　are；　Ramsey！〃　〃Ah；　but　I　don't　offend　you；　do　I；　Alexander？〃　〃Call　me　that　again　and　I'll　call　you　out；〃　　Alex　said。〃　What　does　this　mean？〃
　
　〃Nothing；〃　　Elliott　said。　He　patted　his　son's　hand。　But　Alex　wasn't　cross。　And　certainly　he　wasn't　offended。　He　gazed　at　Julie　across　the　table。　He　gave　her　a　little　sad　secret　smile；　for　which　she　knew　she　would　be　forever　grateful。
　
　It　was　burning　hot　at　midday　in　Luxor。　They　waited　until　late　afternoon　before　going　ashore　and　taking　the　long　stroll　through　the　immense　temple　plex。　Ramses　had　no　need　to　be　alone；　she　could　see　that。　He　walked　among　the　pillars；　now　and　then　looking　up；　but　for　the　most　part　deep　in　his　own　thoughts。
　
　Elliott　had　refused　to　miss　this　part　of　the　journey；　no　matter　how　difficult　it　was　for　him。　Alex　hung　back　to　give　his　father　an　arm　to　lean　on。　And　Samir　walked　with　the　Earl　as　well。　They　appeared　to　be　in　deep　discussion。
　
　〃The　pain's　leaving　you；　isn't　it？〃　　Julie　said。
　
　〃When　I　look　at　you　I　don't　feel　it　at　all；〃　　Ramses　answered。〃　Julie　is　as　beautiful　in　Egypt　as　she　was　in　London。〃
　
　〃Were　these　ruins　already　when　you　last　saw　them？〃
　
　〃Yes；　they　were；　and　covered　over　with　sand　so　deep　that　only　the　very　tops　of　the　columns　were　visible。　The　avenue　of　the　sphinxes　was　buried　entirely。　A　thousand　years　had　passed　since　I　walked　in　this　place　a　mortal　man；　a　fool　who　thought　the　kingdom　of　Egypt　was　the　civilized　world　and　that　no　truth　lay　outside　its　boundaries。〃　　He　stopped；　turning　to　her　and　kissing　her　quickly　on　the　forehead。　Then　there　was　a　guilty　glance　in　the　direction　of　the　party　ing　behind　him。　No；　not　guilty；　only　resentful。
　
　She　took　his　hand。　They　moved　on。
　
　〃Someday　I'm　going　to　tell　you　all　of　it；〃　　he　said。〃　I　shall　tell　you　so　much　that　you'll　tire　of　listening。　I　shall　tell　you　how　we　dressed　and　how　we　spoke　to　each　other；　and　how　we　dined　and　how　we　danced；　and　what　these　temples　and　palaces　were　when　the　paint　still　gleamed　on　the　walls；　and　I　came　forth　at　dawn　and　noon　and　sunset　to　greet　the　god　and　say　the　prayers　the　people　expected。　But　e；　there's　time　for　us　to　cross　the　river　and　ride　out　to　the　temple　of　Ramses　the　Third。　I　want　so　much　to　see　it。〃
　
　He　signaled　one　of　the　turbaned　Egyptians　near　at　hand。　He　wanted　a　buggy　to　take　them　to　the　landing。　She　was　glad　to　be　free　of　the　others　for　a　little　while。
　
　But　when　they　had　made　the　river　crossing　and　reached　the　immense　roofless　temple　with　its　court　of　pillars　within；　he　fell　strangely　silent。　He　looked　up　at　the　great　reliefs　of　the　warrior　King　in　battle。
　
　〃This　was　my　first　pupil；〃　　he　said。〃　The　one　to　whom　I　had　e　after　hundreds　of　years　of　wandering。　I'd　e　home　to　Egypt　to　die；　but　nothing　could　kill　me。　And　then　I　conceived　of　what　I　should　do。　Go　to　the　royal　house；　bee　a　guardian；　a　teacher。　He　believed　me；　this　one；　my　namesake；　my　distant　child。　When　I　spoke　to　him　of　history；　of　distant　lands；　he　listened。〃
　
　〃And　the　elixir；　did　he　want　it？〃　　Julie　asked。
　
　They　stood　alone　in　the　ruins　of　the　great　hall；　entirely　surrounded　by　the　carved　pillars。　The　desert　wind　was　cold　now。　It　tore　at　Julie's　hair。　Ramses　slipped　his　arms　around　her。
　
　〃I　never　told　him　I　had　been　a　mortal　man；〃　　he　said。〃　You　see；　I　never　told　that　to　any　of　them。　I　knew　from　the　last　years　of　my　own　mortal　life　what　the　secret　could　do。　I　had　seen　it　turn　my　son；　Meneptah；　into　a　traitor。　Of　course　he　failed　in　his　attempt　to　imprison　me　and　extract　from　me　the　secret。　I　gave　him　the　kingdom；　and　left　Egypt　then　for　centuries。　But　I　knew　what　the　knowledge　could　do。　It　was　centuries　later　that　I　told　Cleopatra。〃
　
　He　stopped。　It　was　clear　that　he　didn't　want　to　go　on。　The　pain　he'd　felt　in　Alexandria　had　returned。　The　light　had　gone　out　of　his　eyes。　They　walked　back　to　the　carriage　in　silence。
　
　〃Julie；　let　us　make　this　journey　fast；〃　　he　said。〃　Tomorrow　the　Valley　of　the　Kings　and　then　we　sail　south　again。〃
　
　They　went　at　dawn；　before　the　full　heat　of　the　sun　came　down　on　them。
　
　Julie　took　Elliott's　arm。　Ramses　was　talking　again；　with　spirit；　prompted　by　any　question　Elliott　asked；　and　they　took　their　time　on　the　path；　descending　through　desecrated　tombs；　where　the　tourists　were　already　thick　as　well　as　the　photographers　and　the　turbaned　peddlers　in　their　filthy　gellebiyyas；　selling　trinkets　and　fakes　with　fantastical　claims。
　
　Julie　was　already　suffering　from　the　heat。　Her　big　drowsy　straw　hat　did　not　help　much；　she　had　to　stop；　take　a　deep　breath。　The　smell　of　camel　dung　and　urine　almost　overcame　her。
　
　A　peddler　brushed　against　her　and　she　looked　down　to　see　a　blackened　hand　outstretched；　fingers　curling　like　the　legs　of　a　spider。
　
　She　screamed　before　she　could　stop　herself。
　
　〃Get　away！〃　　Alex　said　roughly。〃　These　native　fellows　are　intolerable。〃
　
　〃Mummy's　hand！〃　　cried　the　peddler。〃　Mummy's　hand；　very　ancient！〃
　
　〃I'm　sure；〃　　Elliott　laughed。〃　Probably　came　from　some　mummy　factory　in　Cairo。〃
　
　But　Ramses　was　staring　at　the　peddler　and　at　the　hand；　as　if　transfixed。　The　peddler　suddenly　froze；　there　was　a　look　of　terror　in　his　face。　Ramses　reached　out　and　grabbed　the　withered　hand；　and　the　peddler　let　it　go；　stumbling　to　his　knees　and　then　scrambling　backwards　off　the　path。
　
　〃What　in　the　world？〃　　Alex　said。〃　Surely　you　don't　want　that　thing。〃
　
　Ramses　stared　at　the　hand；　at　the　ragged　bits　of　linen　wrapping　still　clinging　to　it。
　
　Julie　couldn't　tell　what　was　wrong。　Was　he　outraged　by　the　sacrilege？　Or　did　the　thing　have　some　other　fascination？　A　memory　swept　over　her；　the　mummy　in　the　coffin　in　her　father's　library；　and　this　living　being　whom　she　loved　had　been　that　thing。　It　seemed　a　century　had　passed　since　then。
　
　Elliott　was　watching　all　this　with　keen　concentration。
　
　〃What　is　it；　sire？〃　　Samir　said　under　his　breath。　Did　Elliott　hear　it？
　
　Ramses　drew　out　several　coins　and　threw　them　in　the　sand　for　the　peddler。　The　man　gathered　them　up　and　then　took　off　at　a　dead　run。　Then　Ramses　took　out　his　handkerchief；　neatly　covered　the　hand　and　slipped　it　in　his　pocket。
　
　〃And　what　were　you　saying？〃　　Elliott　said　politely；　resuming　their　conversation　as　if　nothing　had　happened。〃　I　believe　you　were　saying　that　the　dominant　theme　of　our　time　is　change？〃
　
　〃Yes；〃　　Ramses　said　with　a　sigh。　He　appeared　to　be　seeing　the　valley　in　an　entirely　new　perspective。　He　stared　at　the　gaping　doors　of　the　tombs；　at　the　dogs　lying　there　in　the　morning　sun。　Elliott　went　on：
　
　〃And　the　dominant　theme　of　these　ancient　times　was　that　things　would　remain　the　same；　always。〃
　
　Julie　could　see　the　subtle　changes　in　his　face；　the　faint　shadow　of　despair；　yet　as　they　moved　on；　he　answered　Elliott　smoothly。
　
　〃Yes；　no　concept　of　progress　whatsoever。　But　then　the　concept　of　time　was　not　as　well　developed；　either。　A　new　count　of　years　began　with　each　King's　birth。　You　know　that；　of　course。　No　one　counted　time　itself　in　terms　of　centuries。　I'm　not　sure　the　simple　Egyptian　had　any　sense　at　ail　。。。　of　centuries。〃
　
　Abu　Simbel。　They　had　e　at　last　to　the　greatest　of　Ramses'　temples。　The　shore　excursion　had　been　brief　on　account　of　the　heat；　but　now　the　night　wind　blew　cold　over　the　desert。
　
　Stealthily　Julie　and　Ramses　climbed　down　the　rope　ladder　into　the　dinghy。　She　wrapped　her　shawl　tightly　over　her　shoulders。　The　moon　hung　perilously　low　over　the　shimmering　water。　With　the　help　of　a　lone　native　servant；　they　mounted　the　camels　awaiting　them；　and　rode　towards　the　great　temple　where　stood　the　largest　statues　of　Ramses　the　Great　in　existence。
　
　It　was　thrilling　to　ride　this　mad；　terrifying　beast。　Julie　laughed　into　the　wind。　She　dared　not　look　at　the　ground　moving　unevenly　beneath　her。　But　she　was　glad　when　they　came　to　a　halt；　and　Ramses　jumped　down　and　reached　up　to　catch　her。
　
　The　servant　took　the　beasts　away。　Alone　they　stood；　she　and　Ramses；　under　the