elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第40部分

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　〃You　never　got　round　to　doing　it？〃
　〃There　isn't　enough　time！〃　Emerson's　voice　rose。　〃There　never　will　be。　If　I　had　ten　lifetimes　I　couldn't　do　it　all。〃
　〃Have　a　sandwich；〃　Ramses　said　sympathetically。　〃I　know　how　you　feel；　Father。　We　must　just　do　the　best　we　can。〃
　〃Don't　talk　like　your　mother；〃　Emerson　growled。　He　accepted　a　sandwich；　but　instead　of　biting　into　it　he　stared　at　the　ground　and　said　rapidly；　〃I've　e　round　to　your　way　of　thinking；　you　know。　The　most　important　aspect　of　our　profession　is　recording。　At　the　rate　the　monuments　are　deteriorating；　there　won't　be　much　left　by　the　time　your　children　are　grown。〃
　Considering　that　they　aren't　born　yet；　that　will　be　a　long　time；　Ramses　thought。
　The　subject　of　children　was　one　he　and　Nefret　avoided；　and　so　did　everyone　else　in　the　family。　Some　of　them；　including　his　mother　…　and　himself　…　knew　that　her　failure　to　conceive　again　after　the　miscarriage　she　had　suffered　a　few　years　earlier　grieved　her　more　than　she　would　admit。　He　wanted　a　child；　too；　but　his　feelings　weren't　important；　pared　with　hers。
　His　father　appeared　not　to　have　noticed　the　gaffe；　if　it　could　be　called　that。　He　went　on；　in　mounting　passion；　〃But；　confound　it；　leaving　undiscovered　tombs　to　the　tender　mercies　of　thieves　is　inviting　further　destruction。　Finding　them　first　is　a　variety　of　preservation；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Don't　agree　with　everything　I　say！〃　Emerson　shouted。
　〃No；　sir。〃
　〃You　do　agree；　though。〃
　〃Yes　。　。　。〃　He　cut　off　the　〃sir。〃　Emerson's　morose　expression　indicated　that　he　was　not　in　the　mood　for　raillery。　Ramses　went　on；　〃In　this　case　we　have　an　additional；　equally　defensible　motive　for　exploring　the　area。　One　might　even　call　it　self…defense。〃
　He　hadn't　succeeded　in　cheering　his　father。　Emerson's　brow　darkened　even　more。　〃It's　ridiculous；〃　he　grumbled。　〃I　resent　having　to　waste　time　tracking　down　a　miserable　little　rat　like　Jamil。〃
　Ramses　understood　how　he　felt。　They　had　faced　a　number　of　formidable　enemies　in　the　past。　To　be　defeated；　even　temporarily；　by　such　a　feeble　adversary　was　what　his　father　would　call　a　damned　insult。　It　is　easier　to　trap　a　lion　than　a　rat；　though。　He　decided　not　to　voice　this　forting　adage　aloud。　It　sounded　like　something　his　mother　might　have　said。
　〃We'll　find　him；　Father；〃　he　said。
　〃Hmmh。　Yes。　Er　。　。　。〃　His　father　patted　him　awkwardly　on　the　arm。　〃You'll　get　a　chance　at　your　chapels；　my　boy。　I　promise。〃
　〃But；　Father；　I　don't　want　…〃
　〃This　way。〃
　They　located　two　pit　tombs　which　had　been　ransacked　in　antiquity；　many　shards　of　pottery；　and　a　number　of　hieratic　inscriptions　scratched　onto　the　rock　by　necropolis　inspectors　who　had　visited　the　area　in　pharaonic　times。　Several　of　the　names　were　known　from　similar　graffiti　in　the　Valley　of　the　Kings。　It　was　additional　evidence　that　there　were　tombs；　probably　royal　tombs；　in　the　wadis。　To　Emerson's　extreme　annoyance；　they　found　modern　graffiti　next　to　many　of　them：　the　initials　〃H。　C。〃　and　the　date　〃1916。〃
　〃Carter；　curse　him；〃　he　muttered。
　〃You　shouldn't　hold　it　against　him　just　because　he　got　here　before　you；〃　Ramses　said。
　〃I　was　here　thirty　years　ago；〃　Emerson　retorted。　〃But　I　didn't　scratch　my　name　all　over　the　scenery。〃
　〃It　is　a　courtesy；　Father；　telling　any　who　may　follow　that　he　has　copied　these　inscriptions。　I　presume　he　did？〃
　〃I　would　ask　him　if　I　could　lay　hands　on　him；〃　Emerson　snarled。　〃He　wasn't　in　Cairo；　he　isn't　in　Luxor。　Where　the　devil　is　he？〃
　〃Off　on　some　errand　for　the　War　Office；　I　presume。　He　said　he　was　working　for　the　intelligence　department。〃
　〃Bah；〃　said　Emerson。　〃Ramses；　I　want　copies　of　these　graffiti。　Carter　doesn't　understand　the　language。　Yours　are　bound　to　be　more　accurate。〃
　〃You　want　me　to　do　it　now？〃　Ramses　demanded。
　〃No；　there　won't　be　time。　Another　day。〃
　Another　day；　another　distraction；　Ramses　thought；　concealing　his　annoyance。　There　was　no　man　alive　…　or　dead；　for　that　matter　…　whom　he　admired　more　than　his　father；　but　sometimes　Emerson's　obstinacy　rasped　on　his　nerves。　I'll　try　again　to　explain　about　Deir　el　Medina；　he　thought。　Perhaps　I　didn't　try　hard　enough。　Perhaps　if　I　tell　him　。　。　。　He　was　thinking　how　to　put　it　when　he　heard　a　strange　sound。　Clear　and　high；　it　might　have　been　a　bird's　trill；　but　it　was　unusual　to　find　a　songbird　this　far　from　the　cultivation。
　He　got　to　his　feet　and　turned　slowly；　raking　the　cliffs　with　narrowed　eyes。　The　sun　was　high；　reflecting　off　the　barren　rocks；　dazzling　the　vision。
　〃What　…〃　Emerson　began。
　〃Listen。〃
　This　time　Emerson　heard　it　too。　He　jumped　up。
　〃There；〃　Ramses　said；　pointing。
　The　figure　was　too　far　away　and　too　high　up　to　be　distinct。　Without　taking　his　eyes　off　it；　he　knelt　and　got　the　binoculars　out　of　his　pack。
　〃Jamil？〃　Emerson　asked　hopefully。
　〃No。〃　The　small　figure　jumped　into　focus。　〃Goddamn　it！　It's　Jumana。　What　the　hell　…〃
　Emerson　cupped　his　hands　round　his　mouth　and　let　out　a　bellow　whose　reverberations　brought　down　a　shower　of　rock　from　the　cliff。
　〃Did　she　hear　me？〃　He　picked　up　his　coat　and　waved　it　like　a　flag。
　〃The　entire　Western　Desert　heard　you；〃　Ramses　said。　〃She's　seen　us。　She's　ing。　Good　God；　she'll　break　her　neck　if　she　doesn't　slow　down。　Let's　go　and　meet　her。〃
　Leaving　their　belongings；　they　hurried　up　the　path　they　had　recently　descended。　She　descended　even　faster；　slipping　and　sliding；　waving　her　arms　to　maintain　her　balance。　When　she　was　ten　feet　above　them　she　glissaded　down　the　last　slope；　straight　into　Emerson's　outstretched　arms。
　〃Hurry；〃　she　gasped。　〃Quick。　We　must　find　him。〃
　Her　face　glowed　with　heat　and　exertion。　Scowling　blackly；　Emerson　held　her　off　at　arm's　length；　and　Ramses　saw　that　she　was　wearing　a　belt　like　that　of　his　mother；　hung　all　round　with　various　hard；　lumpy　objects。　The　only　one　he　could　identify　was　a　canteen。
　〃Who？〃　he　asked；　since　his　father　seemed　incapable　of　speech。　〃Jamil？〃
　〃No。〃　She　pushed　her　hair　out　of　her　eyes。　〃I　followed　。　。　。　I　didn't　know　。　。　。　you　were　here　。　。　。〃　Her　breath　gave　out。
　〃Curse　it；〃　Emerson　said。　He　swung　her　up　into　his　arms　and　swore　again　as　something　…　possibly　the　canteen　…　jabbed　him　in　the　ribs。　He　carried　her　back　to　the　place　where　they　had　left　their　knapsacks；　put　her　down　on　his　coat；　and　offered　her　the　water　bottle。
　〃I　have　this；〃　she　said　proudly；　unhooking　the　canteen。　〃And　other　useful　things。　Like　the　Sitt　Hakim。〃
　〃Wonderful；〃　said　Emerson；　rubbing　his　side。　〃Now　tell　us　who　you　followed。　Cyrus？〃
　〃Bertie。〃　She　wiped　her　chin　and　hung　the　canteen　back　on　her　belt。　〃I　don't　know　how　long　he　was　gone　before　I　realized。　I　asked　one　of　the　men；　he　said　he　saw　Bertie　walking　very　fast　down　the　road　away　from　Deir　el　Medina　and　…〃
　〃How　do　you　know　he　wasn't　going　home？〃　Emerson　asked。
　〃Without　telling　his　father　or　Reis　Abu？　He　stole　away；　like　a　thief！〃
　〃But　why　here？〃
　〃He　had　been　talking　of　how　he　wished　he　could　find　something　wonderful　for　Mr。　Vandergelt。　When　you　did　not　e；　we　were　wondering　why；　and　Mr。　Vandergelt　said　。　。　。〃　She　stopped　and　thought；　and　when　she　went　on；　it　was　in　Cyrus's　very　words　and　in　a　fairly　good　imitation　of　his　accent。　〃　'　。　。　。　he'd　durned　well　better　not　find　out　you　had　snuck　off　looking　for　queens'　tombs　behind　his　back。'　He　was　joking；　but　…〃
　〃Hmph；　yes；〃　Emerson　said　guiltily。　〃The　damned　young　fool！　You've　seen　no　sign　of　him？〃
　〃No。　I　looked　and　I　called　him；　over　and　over。〃　She　stood　up　and　straightened　her　skirt。　〃We　must　find　him。　He　may　have　fallen。　Hurry！〃
　〃Hold　on　a　minute；〃　said　Emerson　abstractedly。　〃No　sense　in　rushing　off　in　all　directions。　What　do　you　think；　Ramses？〃
　He　didn't　have　to　tell　them　what　he　thought；　they　were　as　familiar　with　the　terrain　as　he　was。　There　were　hundreds　of　square　meters　of　broken　country；　around　and　above　and　below；　split　by　crevices　of　all　sizes　and　shapes。　Locating　one　man　in　that　wilderness　would　be　hellishly　difficult；　especially　if　he　had　fallen　and　injured　himself。
　〃I　don't　think　he'd　have　gone　over　the　gebel　as　Jumana　did；〃　Ramses　answered。　〃He'd　have　e　the　way　we　came　the　other　day；　it's　the　only　route　he　knows。　He　didn't　enter　this　arm　of　the　wadi　or　we'd　have　seen　him。　Unless　he　arrived　long　before　we　did　。