anner.themummy-第24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！
garden。
He studied all this with keen concentration。 Then she took an empty glass from the table and approached the wall that divided the far end of the conservatory from the kitchen。 She placed the mouth of the glass against the wall and pressed her ear to the bottom of the glass； and listened。 It amplified the sound of Rita moving about。 Then she invited him to do it。 He heard the amplification just as she had heard it。
He stared at her； thoughtful； dazzled； excited。
〃The wire of the telephone conducts sound；〃 she said。〃 It's a mechanical invention。〃 That's what she must do； show him what machines were！ Explain the great leap forward which machines had acplished； the plete transformation of thinking about how to do things。
〃Conducts sound；〃 he repeatedly thoughtfully。 He moved to the table and lifted the magazine he'd been reading。 He made a gesture as if to say Read aloud。 Quickly； she read a paragraph of mentary on home affairs。 Too dense with abstractions； but he was merely listening to the syllables； wasn't he？ Impatiently he took the magazine from her； and then answered：
〃Thank you。〃
〃Very good；〃 she said。〃 You're learning with amazing speed。〃
Then； he made a curious little series of gestures。 He touched his temple； his forehead； as though making some reference to his brain。 And then he touched his hair； and his skin。 What was he trying to tell her？ That the organ of thought responded as quickly as his hair and body had responded to the sunlight？
He turned to the table。〃 Sausages；〃 he said。〃 Beef。 Roast chicken。 Beer。 Milk。 Wine。 Fork。 Knife。 Napkin。 Beer。 More beer。〃
〃Yes；〃 she said。〃 Rita； bring him some more beer。 He likes beer。〃 She lifted a fold of her peignoir。〃 Lace；〃 she said。〃 Silk。〃
He made a little buzzing noise。
〃Bees！〃 she said。〃 Exactly。 Oh； you are so wonderfully clever。〃
He laughed。 〃Say again；〃 he said。
〃Wonderfully clever。〃 Now she pointed to her head； tap； tap； tap。 The brain； thought。
He nodded。 He glanced down at the silver…handled paring knife on the table。 He picked it up； as if asking her permission； and slipped it into his pocket。 Then beckoning for her to follow； he went into the Egyptian room。 He approached an old dim map of the world behind a dusty glass in a heavy frame and he pointed carefully to England。
〃Yes； England。 Britannia；〃 she said。 She pointed to America。〃 The United States；〃 she said。 Then she identified continents； oceans。 Finally she identified Egypt； and the Nile River； a tiny line on this small map。 〃Ramses； King of Egypt；〃 she said。 She pointed to him。
He nodded。 But he wanted to know something else。 Very carefully he articulated the question：
〃Twentieth century？ What means anno Domini？〃
She was speechless； looking at him。 He had slept through the birth of Christ！ Of course he had no way to grasp how long that sleep had lasted。 That he was a pure pagan did not disturb her so much as it fascinated her。 But she feared the shock she would give him now when she answered his question。
Roman numerals； where was that book？ She took down Plutarch's Lives from her father's shelves and found the date of publication in Roman numerals； only three years before； perfect。
Taking a sheet of notepaper from her father's desk； and dipping his pen； she hastily wrote out the correct date。 But how to make it known to him the beginning of the system？
Cleopatra was close enough； but she feared to use Cleopatra's name； for all the obvious reasons。 Then the clearest example came to her。
She wrote out in hand； printed letters the name Octavius Caesar。 He nodded。 She made a Roman numeral one beneath it。 Then she drew a long horizontal line； moving to the very right edge of the page； and she wrote her own name Julie； and the full date in Roman numerals。 And after that the Latin word： annum。
He blanched。 He looked at the paper for a long time； and then the colour appeared to dance in his cheeks。 There was no doubt he understood her。 His expression became grave； then curiously philosophical。 He seemed to be pondering rather than absorbing a shock。 She wrote the word century； and then the Roman numeral for one hundred； and the word annus。 He nodded a little impatiently； yes； yes； he understood。
Then he folded his arms and walked slowly around the room。 She could not guess what he was thinking。
〃A long time；〃 she whispered。〃 Tempus 。。。 tempus fugit！〃 She was embarrassed suddenly。 Time flies？ But it was all the Latin she could think of。 He was smiling at her。 Was it a clich6 two thousand years ago？
He approached the desk； and leaning over her gently； he took the pen and carefully drew the Egyptian cartouche which spelled his name in hieroglyphs； Ramses the Great。 Then he too drew a horizontal line stretching across the page almost to the edge； where he wrote Cleopatra。 In the very middle of that line he wrote the Roman numeral M meaning one thousand years； and then the arabic numbers for it which she had only taught him an hour ago。
He gave her a moment to read this。 And then he wrote beneath his cartouche the arabic numerals 3000。
〃Ramses is three thousand years old；〃 she said； pointing to him； 〃and Ramses knows it。〃
He nodded again； and smiled。 What was his expression？ Sad； resigned； merely thoughtful？ There was a great dark flicker of pain in his eyes。 The smile did not break； but she saw it； and she saw a subtle puckering of the lids beneath his eyes as he pondered this himself； and apparently moved back from it emotionally。 He looked about the room now as if he were seeing it for the first time。 He looked at the ceiling； and then at the floor； and then directly at the bust of Cleopatra。 His eyes were as wide as before； his smile as soft and agreeable； but the something was gone from his face。 The vigour。 It had pletely vanished。
When he looked at her again； there was a thin glaze of tears in his eyes。 She couldn't bear it。 She reached out and clasped his left hand。 His fingers curled around hers； squeezing them tenderly。 〃Very many years； Julie；〃 he said。 〃Very many years。 The world unseen by me。 Do I speak clearly？〃
〃Oh； yes； indeed you do；〃 she said。
He studied her； whispering slowly； and almost reverently；〃 Very many many years； Julie。〃 And then he smiled。 And his smile became broader。 And then his shoulders began to shake。 And she realized he was laughing。〃 Two thousand years； Julie。〃 He laughed outright。 And the look of wild excitement returned； the look of heightened vitality。 Only slowly did his eyes turn to the bust of Cleopatra。 He stared at it for a long moment； and then he looked at Julie again； and the curiosity and optimism had returned。 For that was it； a great vigorous optimism。
She wanted to kiss him。 In fact； the urge was so strong it amazed her。 It wasn't merely the beauty of his face； it was the deep resonant quality of his voice； and the look of pain in his eyes； and the way he smiled at her now； and reached up and touched her hair ever so respectfully。 Chills ran down her back。
〃Ramses is immortal；〃 she said。 〃Ramses has vitam eternom。〃
A small polite laugh of acknowledgment came from him。 A nod。〃 Yes；〃 he said。〃 Vitam eternam。〃
Was she feeling love for this man？ Or merely an infatuation so overpowering it swept every other consideration out of her mind？ Even Henry and what he had done； that he had killed her father？
Henry must wait。 Justice had to wait。 Unless she was to kill Henry herself； and that was quite unthinkable。 But this； this was everything now； this man sitting before her。 Her hatred for Henry would have its day。 Henry was heading towards God's justice more surely than any human being she had ever known。
And she stood gazing into these magnificent blue eyes； feeling the warmth of the hand that held hers； swept into this man's future by a miracle。
There was a violent noise from the street。 It could only have been a motor car。 He heard it； there was no doubt of that； but only very slowly did he respond； looking away from her and towards the front windows。 Then placing his arm very lightly
