jherbert.sepulchre-第58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！


oring　the　site　against　thieving　infiltrators。　He　had　worked　diligently；　never　being　too　greedy　with　his　own　finds；　taking　only　those　objects　small　enough　to　be　smuggled　safely　from　the　camp　to　the　single　roam　he　had　rented　inside　the　city；　a　place　where　he　could　hide　his　private　cache　and　where　every　so　often；　the　merchant　from　Jerusalem　would　arrive　to　relieve　him　of　the　treasures。　The　system　worked　well　and　when　all　was　plete；　the　merchant　assured　him；　the　profits　would　be　admirable。
　　He　had　not　e　upon　the　secret　tunnel　leading　to　the　pit　by　accident；　for　he　had　always　had　the　gift；　the　seeing　in　the　mind；　the　ability　to　predict　a　death　before　it　was　claimed；　a　birth　before　conception；　to　judge　beforehand　good　fortune　for　some；　tragedy　for　others。　Even　when　he　was　a　child；　should　his　mother　lose　a　needle；　it　was　he　whom　she　urged　to　find　it；　。should　his　father　misplace　an　article；　it　was　the　boy　who　sought　out　its　hiding　place。　Later；　when　his　gift　became　known　to　others；　it　was　he　who　was　taken　into　arid　territories　to　locate　a　source　of　water　beneath　the　soil　so　that　new　settlements　could　be　built　around　it。　Rewards　for　that　rare　inner　knowledge　had　paid　for　his　welfare　and　education　after　his　entire　family　had　been　taken　by　disease　（strangely　a　tragedy　he　had　not　been　able　to　predict）。　So　it　was　that　the　merchant　realised　the　young　man's　potential　when　the　great　find　outside　the　distant　city　of　Ur　in　the　land　where　the　ancient　Sumerians　had　once　reigned　became　world　news。　Who　better　then　to　seek　out　those　exquisite　but　concealed　antiquities　that　would　end　up　as　mere　exhibits　in　some　stuffy　London　museum　unless　re…directed　elsewhere？
　　On　his　very　first　day　inside　that　vast　labyrinth　of　shafts　and　corridors；　hidden　rooms　and　sepulchres；　lie　had　bee　confused　and　almost　overwhelmed　by　mourning　voices　of　the　dead；　whose　spirits　were　locked　beneath　the　earth；　for　their　human　vessels　had　taken　their　own　lives　to　be　with　their　deceased　kings　and　queens；　and　their　high　priests。　Over　the　weeks　that　followed　he　had　learned　to　shut　out　those　incorporeal　murmurings　from　his　mind；　yet　one　sensing　persisted　throughout；　something　that　was　not　a　spiritual　utterance；　but　a　kind　of　pulse；　a　split…second　shifting　of　atmosphere；　as　if　time　itself　had　hiccuped。　He　would　feel　it　but　once　or　twice　a　day；　never　more　than　that。　At　first　he　had　believed　it　was　a　physical　phenomenon；　a　faraway　subsidence；　but　no　one　else　ever　noticed　the　brief　disturbance。　The　deeper　he　worked　his　way　into　the　plex　layers　of　tombs；　the　louder…　or　more　sensed　the　unheard　'sound'　became。　Then　one　evening；　when　the　day's　labour　was　done；　the　workmen　returned　to　their　tents　or　hovels　outside　the　city　walls；　and　the　foreigners　retired　to　their　lodgings；　he　had　wandered　alone　through　the　lowest　chambers；　drawn　by　he　knew　not　what；　but　pelled　towards　a　destiny　he　had　never　dreamed　of。
　　The　secret　tunnel　was　behind　an　empty　room　at　the　furthermost　extremity　of　the　Royal　Cemetery；　a　square　space　that　had　puzzled　the　learned　archaeologists；　for　it　seemed　to　have　no　purpose：　its　walls　were　bare　and　there　were　no　casks　or　ornaments　within。　It　was　merely　an　isolated　chamber；　one　that　was　reached　by　crouching　low　along　a　lengthy　corridor　which　had　many　turns　and　dips。
　　The　pulse　had　e　as　he　had　stood　in　that　soulless　room；　and　this　time　it　was　as　though　he　had　really　heard　the　sound。　The　walls　themselves　had　seemed　to　tremble。　Startled；　he　had　swung　his　lamp　around　and　the　light　had　caused　a　shadow　on　one　wall。　He　moved　closer　to　inspect　the　shadow　and　found　a　mud　brick　jutting　out　a　fraction　from　its　neighbours。　He　had　used　the　trowel　he　carried；　standard　equipment　along　with　brushes　for　the　diggers；　to　cut　round　the　brick　and　ease　it　from　the　wall。　The　stench　of　released　gases　sent　him　reeling　backwards。
　　He　approached　again　more　cautiously；　and　the　smell　was　still　strong　but　less　of　a　shock。　Other　mud　bricks　easily　came　loose　and　soon　a　passageway　was　exposed。　A　dreadful　fear　had　overe　him　then　and　he　had　almost　run　from　that　place。　But　a　curious　fascination　stayed　him。
　　He　crawled　into　the　narrow　passage；　holding　the　lamp　before　his　face。
　　The　passage　led　downwards；　so　steeply　at　certain　points　that　he　had　to　use　his　strength　to　prevent　himself　tumbling　forward。
　　Before　long　it　opened　out　into　a　wide　circular　chamber；　at　the　centre　of　which　was　a　gaping　hole；　an　open　pit。　Around　the　opening　lay　human　bones；　their　rotting　robes　those　of　high　priests　and　priestesses。　Resting　against　the　walls　were　clay　tablets　of　cuneiform　writing；　wedge…shaped　signs　that　represented　words　or　syllables。　He　trod　carefully　to　the　edge　of　the　pit　and　stared　dawn　at　the　blackness。　That　was　when　his　fear　became　too　much　to　bear；　for　something　was　urging　him　to　descend；　an　inner　pulsion　inviting　him　to　leap。
　　And　the　mind…sound　was　a　sound；　disgorging　from　the　pit。
　　THUD…UP　He　had　fled。
　　Despite　his　terror；　he　had　resealed　the　opening　to　the　secret　passageway；　using　dirt　from　the　floor　to　cover　the　cracks　（not　that　the　room　was　of　any　interest　to　Sir　Leonard　and　his　team　of　archaeologists；　who　had　treasures　in　abundance　to　drool　aver　without　bothering　with　empty　chambers）。　This　discovery　would　be　his　alone。
　　Four　days　went　by　before　he　gained　enough　courage　to　venture　down　to　that　pit　again；　four　days　of　nagging　agitation　and　four　nights　of　feverish　nightmares。　He　knew　he　would　go　back；　the　difficulty　was　finding　the　will　to　do　so。
　　He　waited　until　evening　once　more　when　all　digging　had　stopped；　only　a　few　guards　that　he；　himself；　had　helped　organise　left　on　duty　above　ground。　This　time　he　returned　to　the　pit　with　rope　and　stanchion　。　。　。
　　。　。　。　Kline　wailed　as　he　slept　and　Khayed　and　Daoud　leaned　over　him　anxiously　。　。　。
　　。　。　。　and　fearfully；　his　limbs　trembling　so　badly　that　lee　almoyt　lost　his　grip；　lowered　himself　over　the　edge　of　the　pit。　He　descended　slowly；　drawn　by　an　allure　he　could　not　prehend；　his　lamp　dangling　below　him；　attached　to　his　waist　by　thick　string。　He　was　aware　that　something　evil　awaited　him；　something　ancient　and　cruel；　for　his　dreams　over　the　past　few　nights　had　revealed　that　at　least　to　him；　although　no　images；　no　visions　of　what　it　was；　were　presented。　For　in　his　sleep　he　had　tasted　the　joys　of　carnality；　had　been　seduced　by　the　delights　of　depravity；　had　been　pleasured　by　the　thrill　of　vileness。　The　dreams　had　promised　that　those　glories　would　be　his　if　。　。　。　if　。　。　。　if　。　。　。　he　would　but　claim　them。　And　to　claim　them；　he　would　have　to　descend　the　pit。
　　THUD…UP！
　　The　pulse　was　thunderous；　reverberating　around　the　shaft；　causing　a　tremor；　dislodging　dust。　His　grip　on　the　rope　slipped　and　he　plunged。
　　But　not　far。
　　For　the　pit　was　not　deep　at　all。　Its　very　blackness　had　created　that　illusion。
　　His　legs　buckled　and　he　crashed　onto　his　back；　the　lamp　toppling　over；　fortunately　still　burning。　Without　pause　to　regather　his　breath；　he　reached　out　and　righted　the　lamp　lest　he　be　cast　into　plete　darkness。　Only　then　did　he　suck　in　the　foul　air　and　feel　the　pain　of　his　jarred　body。
　　He　pushed　himself　into　a　sitting　position；　his　back　against　the　crumbling　wall；　his　chest　heaving；　his　eyes　wide　and　frightened。
　　Opposite　was　a　niche。　A　square　hole　that　was　no　more　than　two　foot　high；　cleverly　concealed　in　shadow　so　that　no　one　above　would　ever　realise　it　was　there。
　　It　was　some　time　before　he　was　able　to　crawl　towards　the　niche。
　　The　lamp　revealed　a　closed　receptacle　of　some　kind　inside；　its　surface　dulled　by　centuries　of　dust。　He　brushed　shivery　fingers　across　the　front　and　felt　metal；　bumps　and　ridges　that　might　have　been　symbols　were　embossed　on　what　must　have　been　a　door；　for　set　in　one　side　was　a　small　projection　that　served　as　a　handle。
　　He　stared。　He　did　not　want　to　open　it。　He　knew　he　was　going　to。
　　His　hand　shook　so　violently　he　could　barely　grasp　the　handle。　Squeezing　his　fingers　tight　around　it；　he　tugged。
　　The　door　opened　easily。
　　And　his　scream　threatened　to　bring　the　walls　of　the　pit　down　on　him。　。　。
　　。　。　。　Kline's　scream　caused　Khayed　and　Daoud　to　leap　away　from　the　bed　in　surprise。　They　quickly　ran　forward　again　and　babbled　soothing　words　to　their　master；　assuri