anner.themummy-第33部分

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e　stopped：
　
　〃Oh；　my　darling　dear；　if　only　you　understood；〃　　he　said。　There　was　no　urgency　in　his　voice；　but　there　was　great　feeling。　And　it　seemed　the　cadence　was　English　now；　almost　intimately　so。〃　For　a　thousand　years　I　guarded　this　truth；〃　　he　said；〃　even　from　those　I　loved　and　served。　They　never　knew　whence　I　came；　or　how　long　I'd　lived；　or　what　had　befallen　me。　And　now　I've　blundered　into　your　time；　revealing　this　truth　to　more　mortals　in　one　full　moon　than　ever　knew　it　since　Ramses　ruled　Egypt。〃
　
　〃I　understand；〃　　she　said。　But　she　was　thinking　something　else　quite　different。　You　wrote　the　whole　story　in　the　scrolls。　You　left　them　there。　And　that　was　because　you　could　not　bear　this　secret　any　longer。〃　You　don't　understand　these　times；〃　　she　said　again。〃　Miracles　aren't　believed；　even　by　those　to　whom　they　happen。〃
　
　〃What　a　strange　thing　to　say！〃
　
　〃Were　I　to　shout　it　from　the　rooftops　no　one　would　believe。　Your　elixir　is　safe；　with　or　without　these　poisons。〃
　
　It　seemed　a　shock　of　pain　went　through　him。　She　saw　it。　She　felt　it。　She　regretted　her　words。　What　madness　to　think　this　creature　is　all　powerful；　that　his　ready　smile　doesn't　conceal　a　vulnerability　as　vast　as　his　strength。　She　was　at　a　loss。　She　waited。　And　then　his　smile；　once　again；　came　to　her　rescue。
　
　〃What　can　we　do　but　wait　and　see；　Julie　Stratford？〃
　
　He　sighed。　He　removed　his　frock　coat；　and　walked　away　from　her　into　the　Egyptian　room。　He　stared　at　the　coffin；　his　coffin；　and　then　at　the　row　of　jars。　He　reached　down　and　carefully　switched　on　the　electric　lamp；　as　he　had　seen　her　do；　and　then　looked　up　at　the　rows　and　rows　of　books　rising　over　Lawrence's　desk　to　the　ceiling。
　
　〃Surely　you　need　to　sleep；〃　　she　said。〃　Let　me　take　you　upstairs　to　Father's　room。〃
　
　〃No；　my　darling　dear；　I　do　not　sleep；　except　when　I　mean　to　take　leave　of　life　for　the　time　being。〃
　
　〃You　mean　。。。　day　in　and　day　out；　you　need　no　sleep　whatsoever！〃
　
　〃That　is　correct；〃　　he　said；　flashing　her　another　little　smile。〃　I　shall　tell　you　another　wicked　secret　too。　I　do　not　need　the　food　or　the　drink　I　take；　I　merely　crave　it。　And　my　body　enjoys　it。〃　　He　laughed　softly　at　her　shock。〃　But　what　I　do　need　now　is　to　read　in　your　father's　books；　if　you　will　allow　me。〃
　
　〃Of　course；　you　needn't　ask　me　for　such　a　thing；〃　　she　said。〃　You　must　take　what　you　need　and　what　you　want。　Go　to　his　room　when　you　wish。　Put　on　his　robe。　I　want　you　to　have　every　fort。〃　　She　laughed。〃　I'm　beginning　to　speak　the　way　you　speak。〃
　
　They　looked　at　each　other。　Only　a　few　feet　separated　them；　and　she　was　grateful　for　them。
　
　〃I'll　leave　you　now；〃　　she　said；　but　instantly　he　caught　her　hand；　and　closed　the　distance　and　locked　her　in　his　arms；　and　kissed　her　again。　Then；　almost　roughly　he　let　her　go。
　
　〃Julie　is　Queen　in　her　own　domain；〃　　he　said；　a　little　apologetically。
　
　〃And　your　words　to　Samir；　let　us　remember　them。　'But　for　now；　I　shall　protect　Julie　Stratford　from　anyone　or　anything　that　would　hurt　her。'〃
　
　〃I　did　not　He。　And　I　should　like　to　lie　at　your　side；　the　better　to　protect　you。〃
　
　She　laughed　softly。　Better　escape　now　while　it　was　still　morally　and　physically　possible。〃　Oh；　but　there　is　one　other　thing；〃　　she　said。　She　went　to　the　far　northeast　corner　of　the　room；　and　opened　the　cabinet　gramophone。　She　cranked　the　thing；　and　looked　at　the　RCA　Victor　records。　Verdi's　Aida。〃　Ah；　the　very　thing；〃　　she　said。　And　no　appalling　picture　on　the　front　of　the　album　to　repel　him。　She　put　the　heavy；　brittle　black　disk　on　the　velvet　turntable。　She　set　the　arm　in　place。　And　then　turned　to　watch　his　face　as　the　triumphal　march　from　the　opera　began；　a　low；　faraway　chorus　of　lovely　voices。
　
　〃Oooh；　but　what　is　this　magic！　The　machine　is　making　music！〃
　
　〃Just　wind　and　play。　And　I　shall　sleep　as　mortal　women　do；　dreaming；　though　real　life　has　bee　all　I　ever　dreamed　it　would　be。〃
　
　She　glanced　back　once　to　see　him　rocking　to　the　music；　his　arms　folded；　his　head　bowed。　He　was　singing　with　it；　very　low；　under　his　breath。　And　even　the　simple　sight　of　the　white　shirt　stretched　taut　over　his　broad　back　and　powerful　arms　sent　the　shivers　through　her。
　
　AS　MIDNIGHT　struck；　Elliott　closed　the　notebook。
　
　〃He　had　spent　the　evening　reading　Lawrence's　translations　through　and　through；　and　reexamining　his　dusty　old　biographies　of　the　King　called　Ramses　the　Great；　and　the　Queen　known　as　Cleopatra。　There　was　nothing　in　these　historical　tomes　that　could　not　acmodate　the　assertions　of　the　mummy's　preposterous　story。
　
　A　man　who　ruled　Egypt　for　sixty　years　might　damn　well　have　been　immortal。　And　the　reign　of　Cleopatra　VI　had　been　by　any　standards　utterly　remarkable。
　
　But　what　intrigued　him　more　than　anything　at　the　moment　was　a　paragraph　Lawrence　had　written　in　Latin　and　in　Egyptian…the　very　last　of　his　notes。　Elliott　had　had　no　trouble　reading　this。　He　had　kept　his　diary　in　Latin　when　he　was　in　Oxford；　and　he　had　studied　Egyptian　for　years　along　with　Lawrence；　and　then　on　his　own。
　
　This　was　not　a　transcript　of　the　material　in　Ramses'　scrolls。　Rather　the　paragraph　contained　Lawrence's　private　ments　on　what　he'd　read。
　
　〃Claims　to　have　taken　this　elixir　once　and　once　only。　No　further　infusion　was　required。　Brewed　the　mix　for　Cleopatra；　but　felt　it　was　unsafe　to　discard　it。　Reluctant　to　take　it　into　his　body　for　fear　of　adverse　results。　What　if　all　chemicals　in　this　tomb　are　properly　tested？　What　if　there　is　some　chemical　here　which　has　a　rejuvenating　effect　upon　the　human　body；　and　can　substantially　prolong　life？〃
　
　The　two　lines　in　Egyptian　were　incoherent。　They　said　something　about　magic；　secrets；　natural　ingredients　bined　to　wholly　new　effect。
　
　So　that　is　what　Lawrence　had　believed；　more　or　less。　And　he　had　taken　pains　to　conceal　it　in　the　ancient　languages。　Now　what　did　Elliott　really　believe　about　this　situation？　Especially　in　light　of　Henry's　story　of　the　mummy　ing　to　life？
　
　It　occurred　to　him　again　that　he　was　playing　a　very　dramatic　little　game；　that　belief　is　a　word　we　seldom　thoroughly　examine。　For　example；　he　had　all　his　life〃　believed〃　　in　the　teaching　of　the　Church　of　England。　But　he　did　not　really　for　a　moment　expect　to　enter　a　Christian　heaven　when　he　died；　and　certainly　not　a　Christian　hell。　He　would　not　have　gambled　one　farthing　on　the　existence　of　either。
　
　One　thing　was　most　certain。　If　he　had　actually　seen　the　thing　climb　out　of　the　coffin；　as　Henry　claimed　to　have　done；　he　would　not　be　behaving　like　Henry。　A　man　of　no　imagination；　that　was　Henry。　Perhaps　the　lack　of　imagination　had　always　been　the　tragic　flaw。　It　occurred　to　him　that　Henry　was　a　man　who　did　not　grasp　the　implications　of　things。
　
　Far　from　running　from　this　mystery；　as　Henry　had　chosen　to　do；　Elliott　had　bee　obsessed　with　it。　If　only　he　had　stayed　longer　in　the　Stratford　house；　been　a　little　more　clever。　He　could　have　examined　those　alabaster　jars；　he　could　have　taken　one　of　the　scrolls。　That　poor　little　Rita　would　have　settled　for　just　about　any　explanation。
　
　He　wished　he　had　tried。
　
　He　also　wished　that　his　son；　Alex；　were　not　suffering。　For　that　was　the　only　unpleasant　aspect　of　this　entertaining　mystery　so　far。
　
　Alex　had　been　calling　Julie　all　day。　He　was　in　a　great　state　of　alarm　over　the　guest　in　Julie's　house；　whom　he　had　only　glimpsed　through　the　conservatory　doors…〃an　enormous　man；　well；　very　tall；　anyhow；　with　blue　eyes。　Quite　a　。。。　a　good…looking　fellow；　but　certainly　too　old　to　be　courting　Julie！〃
　
　Then　at　eight　this　evening；　there　had　e　a　call　from　one　of　those　well…meaning　friends　who　make　a　point　of　circulating　rumours　relentlessly。　Julie　had　been　seen　dancing　at　the　Victoria　Hotel　with　a　handsome　and　imposing　stranger。　Were　not　Alex　and　Julie　engaged？　Alex　was　now　beside　himself　with　worry。
　
　Though　he　had　called　Julie　every　hour　upon　the　hour　all　afternoon；　there　had　been　no　response　from　her。　Finally　he　had　begged　his　father　to　intervene。　Could　not　Elliott　get　to　the　bottom　of　this？
　
　Yes。　Elliott　would　get　to　the　bottom　of　this。　In　fact；　Elliott　felt　curiously　enlivened　by　this　entire　development。　Elliott　felt　almost　young；　daydreaming　about　Ra