elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第7部分

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em　as　diverse　as　their　insignia：　tall　rangy　Australians　and　bearded　Sikhs；　dark…skinned　Nubians　and　pink…cheeked　boys　fresh　from　the　English　countryside。
　It　was　a　depressing　sight。　These　men；　now　so　bright…eyed　and　cheerful；　were　destined　for　the　battlefields　of　Palestine　and　Europe；　from　which　most　would　never　return。
　The　Khan　el　Khalili　at　least　had　not　changed　…　the　same　narrow　lanes；　covered　with　matting　and　lined　with　small　shops　selling　every　variety　of　goods　from　silks　to　carpets　to　silver。　Peddlers　and　sellers　of　sweetmeats　wended　their　way　through　the　crowds；　a　waiter；　carrying　aloft　a　tray　with　small　cups　of　Turkish　coffee；　hastened　to　the　shopkeeper　who　had　ordered　it。
　Not　far　from　the　mosque　of　the　venerated　Saint　Hosein　is　the　area　given　over　to　the　stalls　of　the　booksellers；　and　it　was　here　I　hoped　to　rid　myself　of　the　amiable　but　inconvenient　presence　of　my　spouse。　Somewhat　to　my　surprise　he　did　not　put　up　much　of　an　argument。
　〃You　are　calling　on　Aslimi；　I　suppose；〃　he　said。
　〃And　perhaps　a　few　others。〃
　〃Very　well。〃　Emerson　took　out　his　watch。　〃I　will　give　you　three　hours；　Peabody。　If　you　aren't　back　by　then；　I　will　e　looking　for　you。〃
　〃Anything　but　that！〃　I　exclaimed　jestingly。
　Emerson　grinned。　〃Quite。　Enjoy　yourself；　my　love；　and　don't　buy　any　fakes。〃
　Aslimi　did　deal　in　fake　antiquities；　as　had　his　father；　who　had　met　a　very　ugly　death　in　his　own　shop　some　years　before。　At　first　I　did　not　recognize　him。　He　had　gained　an　enormous　amount　of　weight　and　was　almost　as　fat　as　his　father　had　been。　Seated　on　the　mastaba　bench　outside　his　shop；　he　was　importuning　passersby　in　the　traditional　fashion　and　in　a　mixture　of　languages：　〃Oh；　Howadji；　I　have　beautiful　antiquities！　Monsieur　et　madame；　écoutez…vous！〃　and　so　on。　When　he　saw　me　he　broke　off　with　a　gurgle　and　began　wriggling；　trying　to　stand。
　〃Good　morning；　Aslimi；〃　I　said。　〃Stay　where　you　are。〃
　Aslimi　swallowed。　〃The　Father　of　Curses　…〃
　〃Is　not　with　me。〃
　〃Ah。〃　Aslimi　put　his　hands　on　the　approximate　region　of　his　waist　and　sighed　heavily。　〃He　gives　me　pains　in　the　stomach；　Sitt　Hakim。〃
　〃It　is　as　God　wills；〃　I　said　piously。　Aslimi　shot　me　a　look　that　indicated　he　was　more　inclined　to　put　the　blame　on　Emerson　than　on　Allah；　but　he　rallied　enough　to　go　through　the　prescribed　gestures　of　hospitality；　offering　me　coffee　or　tea　and　a　seat　on　the　mastaba。　Then　we　got　down　to　business。
　I　left　the　shop　an　hour　and　a　half　later；　with　several　parcels。　Bargaining　takes　quite　a　long　time；　and　the　subtle　interrogation　at　which　I　excel　takes　even　longer。　Since　I　had　time　to　spare；　I　stopped　at　a　few　more　stalls；　learning　little　more　than　I　had　from　Aslimi；　but　purchasing　a　number　of　items　that　would　be　needed　in　our　new　home：　a　set　of　handsome　copper　cooking　vessels；　thirty　yards　of　blue…and…silver　Damascus　silk；　and　two　elegant　carpets；　all　of　which　I　directed　to　be　sent　to　the　hotel。
　I　found　Emerson　surrounded　by　loosely　bound　volumes　and　piles　of　manuscripts　and　several　of　the　more　learned　booksellers；　with　whom　he　was　engaged　in　heated　argument。　I　had　begun　to　suspect　that　they　enjoyed　egging　him　on；　for　his　views　on　religion　…　all　varieties　of　religion　…　were　unorthodox　and　eloquently　expressed。　The　discussion　ended　when　I　appeared；　and　after　an　exchange　of　pliments　all　round；　I　led　Emerson　away。
　〃Why　do　you　do　that？〃　I　scolded。　〃It　is　very　rude　to　criticize　another　individual's　religious　beliefs；　and　there　is　not　the　slightest　possibility　that　you　will　convert　them。〃
　〃Who　wants　to　convert　them？〃　Emerson　demanded　in　surprise。　〃Islam　is　as　good　a　religion　as　any　other。　I　don't　approve　of　Christianity　or　Judaism　or　Buddhism　either。〃
　〃I　am　well　aware　of　that；　Emerson。　I　don't　suppose　you　learned　anything　of　interest？〃
　〃It　was　very　interesting。　I　raised　several　unanswerable　points　。　。　。〃　He　noticed　my　parcels　and　took　them　from　me。　〃What　have　you　got　there？〃
　〃Don't　unwrap　them　here；〃　I　cautioned；　for　Emerson　was；　in　his　impetuous　fashion；　tugging　at　the　strings。　〃While　you　were　wasting　your　time　debating　theology；　I　went　about　the　business　for　which　we　came　to　the　Khan。　Aslimi　showed　me　some　remarkable　things；　Emerson。　He　told　me　he　had　never　known　the　supply　of　merchandise　to　be　so　great。　He　is　getting　objects　from　all　over　Egypt；　including　Luxor。〃
　〃What　the　devil！〃　Emerson　came　to　a　dead　stop　in　the　middle　of　the　road。　He　began　to　unwrap　the　largest　parcel；　ignoring　the　camel　advancing　ponderously　toward　him。　The　driver；　recognizing　Emerson；　managed　to　stop　the　recalcitrant　animal　before　it　ran　into　my　equally　recalcitrant　spouse。　He　turned　an　outraged　glare　on　the　camel；　which　responded　with　its　usual　look　of　utter　disgust。　I　stifled　my　laughter；　for　Emerson　would　not　have　found　anything　amusing　about　his　attempt　to　stare　down　a　camel。
　Somehow　the　driver　got　the　beast　past　Emerson；　who　had　not　stirred　an　inch。　I　took　the　parcel　from　him。
　〃It　is　not　like　you　to　be　so　careless；　Emerson；〃　I　said　severely。　〃Careless　with　antiquities；　I　mean。　e　out　of　the　middle　of　the　road　and　let　me　undo　the　wrappings　enough　to　give　you　a　peep。〃
　Care　was　necessary；　since　there　were　two　objects　in　the　wrappings；　both　of　them　breakable　…　or　at　least；　chippable。　The　one　I　showed　Emerson　was　an　alabaster　disk　with　a　thin　band　of　gold　around　the　rim。
　〃No　hieroglyphs；〃　he　muttered。　〃Beautiful　piece　of　work；　though。　It's　the　lid　of　a　pot　or　jar。〃
　〃A　very　expensive　pot；〃　I　amended。　〃I　have　the　pot　as　well　…　an　exquisitely　shaped　alabaster　container；　most　probably　for　cosmetics。　Now　shall　we　go　back　to　the　hotel　where　we　can　examine　it　in　private？〃
　〃Hmmm；　yes；　certainly。〃　Emerson　watched　me　rewrap　the　lid。　〃I　beg　your　pardon；　my　dear。　You　were　quite　right　to　scold　me。　What　else　have　you　got？〃
　〃Nothing　so　exciting　as　the　cosmetic　jar；〃　I　said；　〃but　I　believe　they　are　all　from　the　same　tomb　…　the　one　Cyrus　told　us　about。〃
　〃So　Mohassib　didn't　get　everything。〃　Emerson　strode　along　beside　me；　his　hands　in　his　pockets。　〃How　did　Aslimi　e　by　these？〃
　〃Not　from　Sethos。〃
　〃You　asked　him　point…blank；　I　suppose；〃　Emerson　grumbled。　〃Aslimi　is　a　congenital　liar；　Peabody。　How　do　you　know　he　was　telling　you　the　truth？〃
　〃He　turned　pea…green　at　the　very　mention　of　'the　Master。'　It　would　have　been　rather　amusing　if　he　had　not　been　in　such　a　state　of　abject　terror；　he　kept　wringing　his　hands　and　saying；　'But　he　is　dead。　He　is　dead；　surely。　Tell　me　he　is　really　dead　this　time；　Sitt！'　〃
　〃Hmmm；〃　said　Emerson。
　〃Now　don't　get　any　ideas　about　pretending　you　are　'the　Master；'　Emerson。〃
　〃I　don't　see　why　I　shouldn't；〃　said　Emerson　sulkily。　〃You　are　always　telling　me　I　cannot　disguise　myself　effectively。　It　is　cursed　insulting。　So　…　from　whom　did　Aslimi　acquire　these　objects？〃
　〃He　claimed　the　man　was　someone　he'd　never　seen　before。〃
　〃I　trust　you　extracted　a　description？〃
　〃Certainly。　Tall；　heavyset；　black　beard　and　mustache。〃
　〃That's　no　help。　Even　if　it　was　true。〃
　〃Aslimi　would　not　lie　to　me。　Emerson；　please　don't　walk　so　fast。〃
　〃Ha；〃　said　Emerson。　But　he　slowed　his　steps　and　gave　me　his　arm。　We　had　emerged　onto　the　Muski；　with　its　roaring　traffic　and　European　shops。　〃We'll　just　have　time　to　tidy　up　before　luncheon；〃　he　added。　〃Do　you　suppose　the　children　are　back？〃
　〃One　never　knows。　I　only　hope　they　haven't　got　themselves　in　trouble。〃
　〃Why　should　you　suppose　that？〃
　〃They　usually　do。〃
　　
　FROM　MANUSCRIPT　H
　The　infamous　Red　Blind　district　of　Cairo　was　centered　in　an　area　embarrassingly　close　to　the　Ezbekieh　and　the　luxury　hotels。　In　the　brothels　of　el…Wasa；　Egyptian；　Nubian；　and　Sudanese　women　plied　their　trade　under　conditions　of　abject　squalor。　In　theory　they　were　under　government　medical　supervision；　but　the　government's　only　concern　was　the　control　of　venereal　disease。　There　had　been　no　place　for　the　women　who　had　suffered　beatings　or　botched　abortions　or　illnesses　of　other　kinds。　Even　more　difficult　to　control　were　the　brothels　in　the　adjoining　area　of　Wagh　el…Birka；　which　were　populated　by　European　women　and　run　by　European　entrepreneurs。　They　were　foreigners　and　therefore　subject　only　to　the　authority　of　their　consuls。　Ramses　had　heard　Thomas　Russell；　the　assistant　mander　of　the　Cairo　police；　cursi