elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第43部分

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　〃I　will　not　be　distracted；　Emerson；〃　I　informed　him。
　〃No？〃　He　stepped　out　of　the　bath　and　reached　for　me。　He　has　very　long　arms。
　After　a　time　I　said；　〃Turn　round　and　let　me　dry　your　back。〃
　〃I　can　think　of　another　way　of　…〃
　〃No；　Emerson！　I　am　soaking　wet　already　and　we　have　a　great　deal　to　do　if　we　are　to　get　everything　ready　for　tomorrow。　I　sent　a　message　to　Selim；　inviting　him　to　dinner。〃
　〃Good　thought；〃　said　Emerson；　sufficiently　distracted　by　this　reminder　to　release　me。　〃I　wonder　what　he　will　say　about　the　latest　development。〃
　Seated　next　to　me　…　a　delicate　attention　I　always　paid　him　when　he　condescended　to　favor　us　with　his　pany　…　Selim　listened　in　frowning　silence　to　Emerson's　account　of　the　day's　adventure。　Then　he　shook　his　head。
　〃I　am　surprised；　Emerson；　that　you　should　have　been　so　thoughtless；〃　he　said　severely。　〃The　temples　and　the　workmen's　village　are　more　important　than　searching　for　tombs　in　that　dangerous　place。　And　you；　Ramses；　ought　not　have　let　him　go。〃
　Emerson　had　bee　accustomed　to　Selim's　occasional　criticisms；　but　having　his　own　words　quoted　back　at　him　silenced　him　momentarily。　Ramses　said　meekly；　〃You　are　absolutely　right；　Selim；　but　when　the　Father　of　Curses　speaks；　the　whole　world　obeys。〃
　〃Huh；〃　said　Selim；　just　as　Abdullah　might　have　done。　A　thought　occurred　to　him；　and　he　said　in　a　milder　voice；　〃Well；　perhaps　it　was　meant　to　be。　Had　you　not　gone　there；　Mr。　Bertie　and　that　foolish　girl　might　have　e　to　harm。〃
　〃That's　one　way　of　looking　at　it；〃　Emerson　agreed；　as　Jumana　glared　at　her　cousin。
　〃As　for　Jamil；〃　Selim　continued；　returning　Jumana's　glare　with　interest；　〃he　has　caused　us　enough　trouble　and　kept　us　from　our　work。　Leave　him　to　me。〃
　Even　Emerson　was　silenced　by　that　flat　demand；　which　had　been　delivered　with　a　dignity　and　authority　as　great　as　Abdullah's　had　been。　Selim　was　being　more　and　more　like　his　father；　his　handsome；　strongly　defined　features　framed　by　a　neatly　trimmed　beard　and　mustache。　Perhaps　it　is　not　surprising　that　I　should　have　dreamed　of　Abdullah　that　night。
　He　was　waiting　for　me　in　the　place　we　both　loved　best；　the　top　of　the　cliff　above　Deir　el　Bahri；　where　the　path　went　on　to　the　Valley　of　the　Kings；　and　the　sun　was　rising　over　the　eastern　mountains。　As　I　mounted　the　last　steep　slope；　I　wondered　why　I　was　beginning　to　find　the　ascent　as　difficult　as　I　would　have　done　in　waking　life。　If　it　was　a　touch　of　realism；　it　was　one　I　could　have　done　without。　I　was　extremely　short　of　breath　when　Abdullah　gave　me　his　hand　and　assisted　me　to　attain　the　summit。
　〃They　are　all　well　in　England；〃　he　said。　〃My　next　grandchild　grows　strong　in　the　womb　of　her　mother。〃
　〃A　girl　this　time？〃　I　panted。
　Abdullah　nodded。　〃Sit　down；　Sitt；　and　rest。　Yes；　it　is　a　girl；　that　is　already　determined。〃
　〃Er　…　speaking　of　grandchildren；　Abdullah　。　。　。〃
　He　threw　his　head　back　and　laughed　heartily。　As　always　in　these　dreams；　he　was　youthfully　handsome；　without　a　single　gray　thread　in　his　beard；　his　laughter　was　as　merry　as　Selim's。
　〃What　about　them；　Sitt？〃
　〃You　aren't　going　to　tell　me；　are　you？〃
　〃There　is　a　time　for　all　things；　Sitt　Hakim。　When　that　time　es　you　will　be　among　the　first　to　know。　How　could　it　be　otherwise？〃
　Annoyed　as　I　was　at　his　teasing；　I　could　not　help　smiling　a　little。　He　had　said　〃when；〃　not　〃if〃！　That　was　hopeful。　〃I　expect　I　will；〃　I　said。　〃How　could　it　be　otherwise？〃
　〃There　are　other　things　I　will　tell　you：　The　boy　who　is　in　France　is　safe　still；　but　David　is　troubled　because　he　feels　he　should　be　here　with　you。　Do　not　let　him　e。　The　underwater　boats　will　sink　many　ships　this　winter。　You　are　wise　to　stay　in　Egypt　until　that　danger　is　over。〃
　Having　recovered　my　breath；　I　rose　from　the　extremely　lumpy　rock　on　which　I　had　been　sitting　and　stood　beside　him；　watching　the　slow　spread　of　sunlight　across　the　landscape。　Below　us　the　columns　of　Hatshepsut's　temple　were　ivory…pale　in　the　morning　shadows。
　〃I　know　better　than　to　press　you　when　you　are　determined　to　keep　silent；〃　I　grumbled。　〃But　you　haven't　said　anything　about　our　current　plans。　Where　is　that　cursed　boy；　Abdullah；　and　what　are　we　going　to　do　about　him？〃
　〃It　is　a　matter　of　shame　to　me　that　Jamil　is　a　member　of　my　family。〃　Abdullah's　face　was　as　stern　as　a　bronze　mask。　〃He　will　be　punished；　Sitt；　but　not　by　you。　Leave　him　to　me。　Do　not　take　foolish　chances；　here　or　elsewhere。〃
　〃Where　else　would　I　be？　If　you　are　referring　to　the　submarine　menace；　we　have　already　decided　。　。　。　Curse　it；　Abdullah；　you　are　trying　to　get　me　off　the　track　again。　Where　is　the　confounded　tomb？〃
　〃It　would　be　tangling　the　web　of　the　future　to　tell　you　that；〃　Abdullah　said　dreamily。　〃Now；　Sitt；　do　not　swear。　It　will　e　right　in　the　end；　though　not；　perhaps；　as　you　expect。〃
　He　took　my　hand　and　held　it　for　a　moment。　Then　he　turned　away。
　〃Wait；〃　I　said。　〃Please。〃
　〃No　more　questions；　Sitt。　I　have　told　you　all　I　am　allowed。〃
　〃I　only　wondered　how　you　liked　your　new　tomb。〃
　Abdullah　turned　back　to　face　me。　〃It　is　well　enough。〃
　〃Is　that　all　you　can　say？　David　designed　the　structure；　you　know；　and　Selim　got　the　men　to　work　as　soon　as　you　asked　me　for　it。〃
　〃I　should　not　have　had　to　ask；〃　said　Abdullah；　sounding　as　sulky　as　Sennia。
　It　was　so　like　him　…　so　human　…　so　like　a　man！　Laughing；　I　threw　my　arms　around　him　in　an　impetuous　embrace。　It　was　the　first　time　I　had　ever　done　so；　and　for　the　first　time　he　held　me　close　…　only　for　a　moment；　before　he　gently　loosened　my　hands　and　stepped　back。
　〃Is　there　anything　else　you　would　like？〃　I　asked。
　〃No。〃　The　corners　of　his　mouth　twitched；　and　he　said；　〃It　is　a　very　fine　tomb；　Sitt。　Fine　enough　for　a　pasha。〃
　I　did　not　follow　him。　I　never　had。　Something　held　me　back；　perhaps　it　was　the　sure　knowledge　that　I　would　see　him　again；　or　the　fort　I　always　gained　from　speaking　with　him；　even　when　he　was　at　his　most　irritatingly　vague。
　〃Good…bye　for　now；〃　I　called。　〃Maassalameh；　my　friend。〃
　　
　I　had；　of　course；　arrived　at　the　logical　solution　to　our　dilemma　…　or；　to　be　more　accurate；　Emerson　and　Cyrus's　impractical　plan。　I　had　said　nothing　to　Emerson；　for　in　my　opinion　he　did　not　deserve　my　confidence　after　playing　such　a　trick　on　me。　He　was　therefore　in　a　state　of　happy　ignorance　when　we　got　to　Deir　el　Medina；　where　we　found　Cyrus　and　Abu　and　their　crew　awaiting　us。　Bertie　was　not　there；　as　I　had　expected　she　would；　Katherine　wanted　to　keep　him　under　her　wing　for　a　few　days。　Sennia　had　gone　off　to　her　lessons　with　less　fuss　than　usual；　since　she　looked　forward　to　〃taking　care　of　Bertie。〃
　We　all　gathered　round　Emerson；　and　a　sizable　audience　we　were：　Selim　and　Daoud；　Cyrus　and　Abu；　Jumana；　Nefret；　Ramses；　and　of　course　the　Great　Cat　of　Re；　who　had　climbed　up　onto　Ramses's　shoulder　and　was　staring　at　Emerson　with　round　green　eyes。　I　waited　until　Emerson　had　drawn　a　deep　breath　and　opened　his　mouth　before　I　spoke。
　〃The　solution　to　our　problem　is　obvious。〃
　Caught　off…balance；　figuratively　speaking；　Emerson　forgot　what　he　had　been　about　to　say。　〃I　。　。　。　Curse　it；　Peabody；　what　are　you　talking　about？　What　problem？　We　have　no　problem。　We　…〃
　〃Several　problems；　I　should　have　said。　First；　the　distinct　possibility　that　your　plan　will　enrage　M。　Daressy　and　result　in　our　being　forbidden　to　work　in　Egypt。　Second；　the　fact　that　although　Bertie　has　bee　a　petent　supervisor；　he　knows　nothing　of　hieratic　and　cannot　cope　with　the　inscribed　materials　we　have　been　finding。　Third；　Ramses's　desire　to　continue　working　here。　Are　you　so　indifferent　to　the　feelings　of　your　son；　Emerson；　that　you　will　ride　roughshod　over　them？　I　had　not　supposed　you　would　be　so　unkind。〃
　I　managed　to　get　through　this　entire　speech　without　interruption；　since　I　had　learned　the　trick　of　pausing　for　breath；　not　at　the　end　of　sentences；　but　at　random　intervals　the　listeners　did　not　expect。　Emerson　would　not　have　been　reluctant　to　interrupt　at　any　interval；　but　as　he　explained　later；　my　tone　of　voice　warned　him　he　had　better　not。　And　by　the　time　I　had　finished；　the　alteration　of　his　expression　assured　me　that　the　last　point；　at　least；　had　made　the　desired　impression。
　He　turned　to　his　son；　his　handsome　features　sober。　〃Do　you　feel　that　strongly　about　it；　Ramses？