elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第24部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


s　that　gets　the　use　of　it。〃
　〃I　depend　on　you；　Gargery；　to　keep　a　close　eye　out　when　you　take　Miss　Sennia　to　the　Castle　for　her　lessons　with　Mrs。　Vandergelt。　I　doubt　there　is　any　reason　for　concern；　but　it　would　be　foolish　to　take　chances。〃
　〃I　agree；　madam；〃　said　Gargery；　standing　stiff　as　a　wooden　soldier　and　smiling　broadly。
　〃How　good　of　you　to　say　so；　Gargery。　Where　the　devil　is　that　girl？　Gargery；　please　go　and　。　。　。　Ah；　there　you　are；　Jumana。　Sit　down　and　eat　something　and　be　quick　about　it。〃
　We　were　to　meet　Daoud　and　Selim　at　Gurneh　and　go　on　from　there　to　the　Cemetery　of　the　Monkeys；　taking　with　us　the　necessary　equipment　for　the　ghoulish　task　that　lay　ahead。　Since　no　one　was　keen　on　carrying　the　dreadful　burden　any　farther　than　they　had　to；　we　planned　to　go　the　long　way　round；　by　way　of　the　road　which　would　enable　us　to　bring　a　donkey…drawn　cart　part　of　the　distance。
　The　cart　was　ready　when　we　arrived　at　Selim's　house；　to　find　him　and　Daoud　and　Hassan；　another　of　our　fellows；　waiting。　I　could　see　by　their　faces　that　they　had　been　warned　of　what　they　were　supposed　to　do；　and　I　didn't　blame　them　for　looking　gloomy。
　〃I　have　everything　we　will　need；〃　Selim　announced。　〃But　before　we　go；　I　think　you　will　wish　to　talk　with　Mohammed　Hammad。　He　is　here。〃
　〃Ah；〃　said　Emerson。　〃The　disappointed　bridegroom。　Have　you　told　him　of　our　discovery　yesterday？〃
　〃No；　Father　of　Curses；〃　said　Selim；　looking　as　demure　as　a　husky　young　man　with　a　large　black　beard　can　look。
　Emerson　laughed　aloud　and　clapped　him　on　the　back。　〃Good。　It　will　be　an　even　greater　shock　ing　from　me。〃
　Mohammed　Hammad　was　a　wiry　little　man　with　a　face　as　wrinkled　as　a　raisin　and　a　graying　beard。　Like　most　Egyptians　of　the　fellahin　class；　he　was　probably　younger　than　he　looked。　Inadequate　diet；　insanitary　living　conditions；　and　an　absence　of　proper　medical　care　can　age　an　individual　rapidly。　Now　there；　I　thought；　is　a　cause　that　might　attract　Nefret；　and　allow　her　to　use　her　medical　skills　in　the　place　where　I　intended　she　should　be　…　a　clinic　on　the　West　Bank；　to　treat　mon　ailments　such　as　parasites　and　infections。　Not　a　stimulating　practice；　perhaps；　for　a　trained　surgeon；　but　one　thing　might　lead　to　another　。　。　。
　I　put　the　matter　aside　for　the　moment；　so　that　I　could　concentrate　on　our　suspect。　Expecting　to　be　lectured　by　Emerson　about　the　tomb；　and　prepared　to　deny　everything；　he　greeted　us　with　a　certain　reserve。　Emerson　did　not　beat　around　the　bush。
　〃We　found　one　of　your　friends　yesterday；　in　the　tomb　you　robbed。　Dead。　Murdered。〃
　It　was　an　effective；　if　somewhat　brutal；　method　of　shocking　Mohammed　into　an　admission。　I　thought　for　a　moment　the　poor　man　would　have　a　stroke　or　a　heart　attack。　He　finally　managed　to　gasp　out　a　word。　〃Who　。　。　。〃
　〃You　would　know　better　than　we；〃　Emerson　said。　〃Selim　tells　me　that　Abdul　Hassan　has　not　been　seen　for　a　week。　He　was　one　of　your　。　。　。　Damnation；〃　he　went　on；　in　English。　〃He's　about　to　have　a　fit。　Give　him　some　brandy；　Peabody。〃
　Mohammed　accepted　the　brandy　（one　of　the　little　items　I　always　carry　attached　to　my　belt）　with　an　eagerness　unbeing　a　good　Moslem　（which　I　had　never　thought　he　was）。　He　was　ready　to　talk；　the　words　poured　out　of　him；　and　a　disturbing　story　it　was。
　Of　the　original　thieves；　two　were　now　dead。　The　other　death　had　been　attributed　to　accident；　the　body　had　been　found　at　the　base　of　the　cliffs　and　it　was　assumed　he　had　fallen。
　〃The　curse　of　the　pharaohs；〃　said　Emerson；　unable　to　resist。　〃Death　to　those　who　defile　the　tombs。〃
　The　brandy　had　restored　Mohammed's　nerve。　He　gave　Emerson　a　cynical　look。　〃It　took　the　pharaohs　a　long　time　to　act；　Father　of　Curses。　Abdul　has　been　robbing　tombs　since　he　was　a　boy。〃
　〃He　won't　rob　any　more；〃　Emerson　pointed　out。　〃Who　were　the　others？〃
　Mohammed　rattled　the　names　off　without　hesitating。　Everyone　in　the　village　knew；　including　his　rivals　in　the　business；　so　there　was　no　profit　in　reticence。　He　demanded　extralarge　baksheesh　for　his　candor；　of　course。　〃That　is　all　I　can　tell　you；　Father　of　Curses。　Can　I　go　now？〃
　〃You　have　not　told　me　everything；〃　Emerson　said。　〃You　gave　me　six　names。　There　was　a　seventh　man；　wasn't　there？〃
　〃He　was　not　one　of　us；〃　Mohammed　muttered。
　〃I　know　who　he　was。〃
　〃The　Father　of　Curses　knows　all；〃　Daoud　intoned。
　Emerson　acknowledged　this　tribute　with　a　gracious　nod；　and　went　on；　〃Was　it　Jamil　who　found　the　tomb？〃
　〃We　all　found　it！　We　shared　with　him　…　we　were　generous。〃
　Mohammed's　voice　was　shrill　with　unconvincing　indignation。　The　falsity　of　his　claim　was　obvious。　Jamil　was　not　a　regular　member　of　their　little　gang；　they　would　never　have　shared　the　treasure　with　him　unless　he　had　been　the　one　responsible　for　discovering　it。
　〃Have　you　seen　or　heard　from　him　since　you　divided　the　money？〃　Emerson　persisted。
　A　look　of　calculation；　not　unmixed　with　fear；　sharpened　Mohammed's　features。　〃No；　Father　of　Curses。〃　He　clutched　his　chest　and　rolled　his　eyes。　〃Ah！　The　pain！〃
　He　was　not　too　feeble　to　hold　out　his　hand。　Emerson　dropped　a　few　coins　into　it。　〃There　will　be　more　for　you；　Mohammed；　if　you　bring　us　news　of　Jamil。　Tell　the　others　the　same　…　and　warn　them　to　watch　out　for　accidents。〃
　〃Hmmmm。〃　Mohammed　scratched　his　neck。　〃Accidents。〃
　〃You　should　have　asked　him　to　break　the　news　to　Abdul's　family；　Emerson；〃　I　said；　after　Mohammed　had　scuttled　off。
　〃He　will　anyhow；〃　said　Emerson。　〃Let's　go　before　the　bereaved　relatives　descend　on　us。〃
　After　all；　there　is　nothing　like　an　early…morning　ride　in　the　brisk　desert　air　to　raise　the　spirits。　We　were　taking　the　horses　as　far　as　they　could　safely　go；　and　even　the　thought　of　the　nasty　job　ahead　of　us　faded　as　we　went　on。　Admittedly；　the　worst　part　of　the　business　was　not　something　I　had　to　tackle。　I　wondered　what　Abdullah　would　have　thought　of　it。　He　would　probably　have　remarked　that　it　served　the　fellow　right；　and　that　we　should　leave　it　to　his　family　to　have　the　body　out；　but　if　he　had　been　asked　to　take　the　responsibility　he　would　have　carried　it　out　with　his　usual　efficiency。
　I　had　not　dreamed　of　him　for　a　long　time。　They　were　strange　dreams；　unlike　most　others　…　as　vivid　and　consistent　as　a　real…life　encounter　would　have　been。　I　am　not　at　all　superstitious；　but　I　had　e　to　believe　that　in　some　way　the　profound　affection　Abdullah　and　I　had　felt　for　one　another　transcended　the　barrier　of　death；　and　I　looked　forward　to　those　dreams　as　I　would　have　anticipated　another　meeting　with　a　distant　friend。　Perhaps　now　that　I　was　back　in　Luxor；　where　we　had　shared　so　many　unforgettable　experiences；　Abdullah　would　e　to　me　again。
　After　we　passed　Medinet　Habu　the　road　narrowed　to　a　path　and　then　to　a　track　as　it　turned　toward　the　hills。　It　was　Ramses　who　halted　our　caravan　and　Ramses　who　was　the　first　to　dismount；　swinging　himself　off　Risha's　back　in　a　single　smooth　movement。　The　rest　of　us　followed　his　lead。
　It　was　over　a　mile　to　the　end　of　the　wadi。　Leaving　the　cart　and　the　horses　there；　we　proceeded　on　foot　for　a　few　hundred　yards；　to　the　place　where　the　wide　mouth　of　the　canyon　narrowed　and　the　hills　began　to　rise；　dividing　the　southern　branch　of　the　wadi　from　another　tongue　that　ran　off　to　the　north。　Ramses　stripped　off　his　coat　and　took　one　of　the　coils　of　knotted　rope。
　We　had　discussed　the　best　method　of　proceeding　the　night　before；　and　had　agreed；　or　so　I　believed；　Emerson　had　not　liked　it　then　and　he　did　not　like　it　now。
　〃My　turn；〃　he　insisted。　〃You've　been　in　the　stinking　place　already。　Once　was　enough。〃
　Ramses's　mouth　tightened　with　annoyance。　I　knew　how　he　felt；　when　there　is　a　dirty　job　to　be　done；　one　wishes　to　get　it　over。　He　wanted　to　spare　his　father；　who　wanted　to　spare　him；　and　neither　of　them　would　give　in　without　a　struggle。　Then　Bertie；　who　stood　a　little　to　one　side；　said　suddenly；　〃I'll　go。〃
　Taken　by　surprise；　all　of　us　turned　to　stare　at　him。　Meeting　my　doubtful　eye；　he　smiled。　〃I've　almost　certainly　seen　worse；　you　know。〃
　It　was　almost　certainly　true。　He　had　been　in　the　trenches　in　France　for　almost　two　years　before　he　suffered　the　wounds　that　sent　him　home；　ill　and　embittered。　I　had　heard　stories　。　。　。
　〃You　are　not　a　good　climber；〃　said　Jumana；　arms　folded。　〃Ramses　is　much　better。〃
　I　co