elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第51部分

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s；　houses　and　villages　and　ruins　…　almost　two　miles　long　from　Medinet　Habu　to　the　slopes　of　Drah　abu'l　Naga　on　the　north。　The　sun　was　low　over　the　western　cliffs。
　〃Wait；〃　Ramses　called。　Selim　stopped；　and　the　others　came　up　to　him。
　〃What　can　we　do？〃　the　reis　asked；　for　the　hopelessness　of　pursuit　was　evident　to　him　as　well。　〃It　was　hours　ago　that　they　were　here。　Even　if　one　saw　them　…〃
　〃He　wouldn't　be　here　either；〃　Ramses　cut　in。　〃Or　remember　them。　Father　and　his　damned　disguises！〃
　〃The　Father　of　Curses；〃　said　Daoud；　his　calm　unshaken；　〃cannot　be　mistaken　for　any　other　man。〃
　〃That's　true；〃　Nefret　agreed。　〃Not　to　mention　Mother　trotting　along　holding　up　the　skirts　of　somebody　else's　galabeeyah。　Ramses　…　Selim　…　let's　just　keep　calm；　shall　we？　We　will　spread　the　word；　asking　anyone　who　may　have　seen　them　to　report　to　us；　but　that　may　take　a　while。　Perhaps　we　can　deduce　where　they　might　have　gone。〃　She　turned　to　Jumana。　〃You　know　whom　they　were　following；　don't　you？〃
　The　girl's　eyes　fell。　〃Jamil？〃
　〃It　couldn't　have　been　anyone　else；〃　Nefret　said。　〃He's　taller　than　you；　but　otherwise　the　resemblance　between　you　is　strong。　Somehow　he　got　hold　of　clothes　like　yours。　He　must　have　sent　the　message。　I　don't　believe　your　father　knew　anything　about　it。〃
　If　it　was　meant　as　consolation；　Jumana　remained　indifferent。　〃Why？〃　she　demanded。　〃Why　would　Jamil　do　this？〃
　〃Not　to　lead　them　to　his　tomb；〃　Ramses　said。　He　was　too　worried　now　to　be　considerate　of　her　feelings。　〃Face　the　facts；　Jumana。　He　meant　to　do　them　harm　…　and　he　must　have　succeeded；　God　knows　how；　or　they　would　have　been　back　before　this。　Can　you　think　of　anything　…　anything　at　all　…　that　might　help　us　to　find　them？〃
　〃How　could　Jamil　harm　the　Father　of　Curses？〃　She　flinched　back　from　Ramses　and　her　eyes　filled　with　tears。　〃No　…　wait　…　don't　be　angry。　I　am　trying　to　think；　trying　to　help。　And　I　think　there　are　only　a　few　things　he　could　do。　He　is　not　very　strong；　Jamil；　or　very　brave；　the　Father　of　Curses　could　break　him　in　two　with　one　hand；　and　the　Sitt　Hakim　is　as　fierce　as　a　man。　He　would　lead　them　to　some　place　where　he　can　play　a　dangerous　trick　on　them　with　no　danger　to　himself。〃
　The　sun　was　sinking。　It　would　be　dark　in　a　few　hours。　〃This　isn't　getting　us　anywhere；〃　Ramses　said；　trying　to　keep　his　voice　level。　〃There　are　too　many　places　like　that。　If　he's　got　in　the　habit　of　pushing　people　off　cliffs；　as　Mother　put　it　。　。　。〃
　〃Can　you　visualize　Jamil　pushing　Father？〃　Nefret　demanded。　〃He'd　have　to　back　off　twenty　feet　and　run　at　Father　…　and　then　have　another　go　at　Mother；　who　would　be　peppering　him　with　bullets　while　he　ran。〃
　Jumana　gave　her　a　look　of　surprise　and　reproach；　but　Ramses　knew　his　wife's　lighthearted　ment　was　a　valiant　attempt　to　keep　their　spirits　up　and　reassure　them。　It　did　help　to　relieve　Ramses's　anxiety　a　bit；　the　scene　she　had　described　was　so　ludicrous　it　brought　a　halfhearted　smile　to　his　face。
　〃You're　right；　though；　Jumana；〃　she　went　on。　〃He'd　want　some　place　away　from　people。　Not　toward　the　cultivation；　but　back　that　way；　along　the　base　of　the　cliffs。　A　place　he　could　trick　them　into　entering　without　exposing　himself。〃
　〃But　then；〃　said　Daoud；　〃they　would　e　out　again。　How　could　he　prevent　them？　Unless　。　。　。〃
　Quick　wits　were　not　Daoud's　most　notable　characteristic；　but　every　now　and　then　he　confounded　them　all　by　reaching　a　conclusion　that　had　escaped　everyone　else。　They　waited　for　him　to　continue。
　〃Unless　it　was　a　very　narrow　space；〃　Daoud　went　on；　his　brow　wrinkling。　〃With　no　other　way　out。　Then；　when　they　tried　to　e　out；　crawling　or　bent　over；　he　could　prevent　them　…　standing　to　one　side　with　a　long　heavy　stick。　If　he　was　quick　and　lucky；　one　blow　might　be　enough。〃
　The　simple　words　had　created　a　vivid　and　very　ugly　picture。　〃You're　talking　about　a　tomb；〃　Ramses　said　slowly。　〃Or　a　cave。　Surely　they　wouldn't　be　stupid　enough　to　enter　an　obvious　trap　…　not　both　of　them　。　。　。〃　He　caught　Nefret's　eye　and　threw　up　his　hands。　〃Hell　and　damnation！　They　would；　wouldn't　they？　Especially　Mother。　Daoud；　you　reason　well；　but　there　are　hundreds　of　such　places　in　the　cliffs。　We　wouldn't　know　where　to　start　looking。　I'm　going　back　and　talk　to　Yusuf。　There's　an　outside　chance　…〃
　〃Wait　…　wait！〃　Jumana　was　bouncing　on　her　toes；　her　face　flushed　with　excitement。　〃I　have　remembered　something　…　something　Jamil　said　when　we　first　met　at　Luxor。　He　was　talking　about　the　tomb　of　the　princesses　and　how　he　had　been　cheated；　and　then　he　talked　very　fast　and　very　angrily；　saying　that　he　had　discovered　two　rich　treasures　and　had　nothing　to　show　because　everyone　had　cheated　him　of　what　was　rightfully　his；　and　…〃
　She　paused　to　draw　a　long　breath。　Ramses　was　about　to　express　his　impatience　with　her　dramatic；　long…drawn…out　narrative　when　Nefret　said　softly；　〃Let　her　tell　it　her　way。〃
　〃I　am　trying　to　remember　exactly　what　he　said；〃　Jumana　explained。　She　hadn't　missed　Ramses's　signs　of　impatience　either。　〃These　are　the　words；　the　exact　words。　'They　took　it；　the　Inglizi；　but　I　have　taken　it　back；　the　dwelling　place　of　a　god　is　not　too　good　for　me；　and　they　will　never　find　me　there；　and　someday　。　。　。　'　It　was　then　he　threatened　to　kill　you；　Ramses；　and　I　forgot　what　he　said　before　because　it　made　no　sense　and　I　was　very　worried　and　…〃
　〃Ah；　yes。〃　Daoud　nodded。　So　far　as　he　was　concerned；　the　matter　was　settled。　〃The　shrine　of　Amon…Re。　I　should　have　thought　of　it。〃
　〃The　place　certainly　fits　your　specifications；〃　Ramses　said。　He　was　afraid　to　let　his　hopes　rise。　〃I　suppose　it　can't　do　any　harm　to　have　a　look。〃
　〃Shall　we　go　back　for　the　horses？〃　Nefret　asked。
　〃They　went　on　foot；〃　Ramses　said。　〃We　may　find　some　trace　of　them　along　the　way。〃
　They　took　the　most　direct　path；　straight　toward　the　western　cliffs；　over　rising　rocky　ground　interrupted　by　occasional　outcroppings。　Remembering　the　shrine　chamber　they　had　cleared　the　previous　year；　Ramses　had　to　admit　it　would　make　an　ideal　spot　for　an　ambush；　assuming　Jamil　could　trick　them　into　entering　the　place。　It　might　not　have　been　difficult。　They　had　thought　they　were　following　Jumana；　and　if　they　had　believed　Jamil　was　inside　the　man…made　cavern；　Emerson　would　not　have　hesitated　to　go　down　after　him。　And　his　mother　would　have　followed；　of　course　…　〃to　protect　him！〃　If　they　had　found　the　place　empty　they　would　have　returned　to　the　shaft；　which　was　perpendicular　and　not　very　deep。　If　he　was　standing　on　the　bottom；　Emerson's　head　would　be　less　than　two　feet　below　the　surface。　The　picture　that　formed　in　Ramses's　mind　was　even　uglier　than　the　first：　a　long；　heavy　club　crashing　down　on　his　father's　bare　head。
　Their　precipitate　pace　aroused　the　curiosity　of　the　people　they　encountered。　Several　of　them　followed　along；　in　case　something　of　interest　might　occur。　Questions　assailed　them。　〃Had　something　happened？　Where　were　they　going？〃　Ramses　didn't　answer；　he　wanted　to　swat　at　them；　as　he　would　have　swatted　flies。　Receiving　no　replies；　one　of　them　suggested；　〃Are　you　looking　for　the　Father　of　Curses；　then？　He　was　…〃
　The　word　ended　in　a　gurgle　as　Selim　spun　round　and　caught　him　by　the　throat。　〃You　saw　him？　When？　Why　didn't　you　say　so？〃
　Plucking　at　his　fingers；　the　luckless　man　gasped；　〃You　did　not　ask；　Selim。〃
　Selim　loosened　his　grip　and　Ramses　apologized　in　the　usual　way。　Clutching　a　handful　of　coins　and　swelling　with　pride　at　being　the　center　of　attention；　their　informant　explained　that　he　had　seen　the　Father　of　Curses　and　the　Sitt　Hakim　early　that　morning；　when　he　was　on　his　way　to　work。　They　had　been　wearing　Egyptian　dress；　but；　the　fellow　added；　the　Father　of　Curses　could　not　be　mistaken　for　any　other　man。　He　had　been　tempted　to　follow；　but　he　was　late　for　his　work　and　they　were　going　too　fast。　Yes；　that　way；　toward　Deir　el　Bahri。
　He　and　several　of　the　other　men　trailed　along；　speculating　and　discussing　the　matter。　The　sun　was　low　and　the　shallow；　well…remembered　bay　was　deep　in　shadow。　Ramses　thought　he　saw　a　darker　shadow；　slim　and　supple　as　a　snake；　move　rapidly　along　the　broken　ground　to　the　south。　He　might　have　imagined　it；　and　just　then　it　was　the　least　of　his　concerns。
　One　look　into　the　shaft　told　him　they　had　e　to　the　right　place。　It　was　four　feet　deep　in　r