annr.pandora-第37部分

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　〃e　here；〃　I　said。
　He　obeyed。
　〃Now　look　at　these　pages；　read　them；　are　they　not　in　Latin？〃
　Two　slaves　came　timidly；　hastily　washing　my　feet　and　fastening　on　my　sandals；　Above　me　Flavius　looked　at　the　pages。
　〃This　is　ancient　Egyptian　writing；〃　Flavius　said。　〃The　oldest　form　I've　ever　seen。　This　would　fetch　a　fortune　in　Athens！〃
　〃I　just　wrote　it！〃　I　said。　I　looked　at　the　Priest；　then　the　Priestess。　〃Summon　your　tall　blond…haired　friend；〃　I　said。　〃Get　him　here。　The　mind　reader；　the　one　who　can　read　the　old　script。〃
　〃We　can't；　Madam。〃　The　Priest　looked　helplessly　at　the　Priestess。
　〃Why　not？　Where　is　he？　He　only　es　after　dark；　doesn't　he？〃　I　asked。
　They　both　nodded。
　〃And　when　he　shops　for　books；　all　the　books　on　Egypt；　he　does　this　by　the　light　of　lamps　too？〃　I　asked。　I　already　knew　the　answer。
　They　looked　at　one　another　helplessly。
　〃Where　does　he　live？〃
　〃Madam；　we　do　not　know。　Please　don't　try　to　find　him。　He　will　be　here　as　soon　as　the　light　fades。　He　cautioned　us　last　night　that　you　were　most　precious　to　him。〃
　〃You　don't　know　where　he　lives。〃
　I　stood　up。
　〃All　right；〃　I　said；　I　picked　up　the　sheaf　of　my　pages；　my　spectacular　ancient　writing。
　〃Your　burnt　one；〃　I　said；　as　I　walked　out　of　the　room；　〃your　murdering　blood　drinker。　Did　he　e　last　night？　Did　he　leave　you　an　offering？〃
　〃Yes；〃　said　the　Priest。　He　looked　humiliated。　〃Lady　Pandora；　rest　and　take　some　food。〃
　〃Yes；〃　said　my　loyal　Flavius；　〃you　must。〃
　〃Not　a　chance；〃　I　said。　Clutching　the　pages；　I　walked　across　the　great　hall　to　the　front　doors。　They　pleaded　with　me。　I　ignored　them。
　I　went　out　into　the　heat　of　the　day。　Flavius　followed。　The　Priest　and　Priestess　pleaded　with　us　to　remain。
　I　scanned　the　enormous　marketplace。　The　good　booksellers　were　all　grouped　at　the　far　left　end　of　the　Forum。　I　walked　across　the　square。
　Flavius　struggled　to　keep　up。　〃Madam；　please；　what　are　you　going　to　do？　You've　lost　your　mind。〃
　〃I　have　not　and　you　know　it；〃　I　said。　〃You　saw　him　last　night！〃
　〃Madam；　wait　for　him　at　the　Temple；　as　he　asked；〃　Flavius　said。
　〃Why？　Why　should　I　do　that？〃　I　asked。
　The　bookshops　were　numerous；　containing　manuscripts　in　all　languages。　〃Egypt；　Egypt！〃　I　cried　out；　both　in　Latin　and　Greek。　There　was　lots　of　noise；　many　buyers　and　sellers。　Plato　was　everywhere；　and　Aristotle。　There　was　a　whole　stack　of　the　book　of　his　life　by　Caesar　Augustus；　which　he　had　pleted　in　the　years　before　his　death。
　〃Egypt！〃　I　cried　out。　Merchants　pointed　to　old　scrolls。　Fragments。
　The　canopies　flapped　in　the　breeze。　I　looked　into　one　room　after　another；　at　rows　of　slaves　busily　copying；　slaves　dipping　their　pens；　who　did　not　dare　to　look　up　from　their　work。
　There　were　slaves　outside；　in　the　shade；　writing　letters　dictated　by　humble　men　and　women。　It　was　all　very　busy。
　Trunks　were　being　brought　into　one　shop。　The　owner；　an　elderly　man；　came　forward。
　〃Marius；〃　I　said。　〃I　e　from　Marius；　the　tall　blond　one　who　es　to　your　shop　only　by　night。〃
　The　man　said　nothing。
　I　went　into　the　next　shop。　Everything　was　Egyptian；　not　merely　the　scrolls　rolled　out　for　display　but　the　fragments　of　painting　on　the　walls；　the　chunks　of　plaster　holding　still　the　profile　of　a　King　or　Queen；　rows　of　little　jars；　figures　from　some　long…defiled　tomb。　How　the　Egyptians　loved　to　make　those　tiny　wooden　figures。
　And　there　I　beheld　just　the　sort　of　man　I　sought；　the　true　antiquarian。　Only　reluctantly　did　he　look　up　from　his　book；　a　gray…haired　man；　the　book　a　codex　in　modern　Egyptian。
　〃Nothing　that　would　interest　Marius？〃　I　asked；　walking　into　the　shop。　Trunks　and　boxes　blocked　me　at　each　turn。　〃You　know；　the　tall　Roman；　Marius；　who　studies　the　ancient　manuscripts；　buys　the　most　prized　of　them？　You　know　the　man　I　mean。　Very　blue　eyes。　Blond　hair。　He　es　by　night；　you　stay　open　for　him。〃
　The　man　nodded。　He　glanced　at　Flavius　and　said　with　a　lift　of　his　eyebrows；　〃Quite　an　ivory　leg　there。〃　Cultured　Greek。　Excellent。　〃Grecian；　Oriental　and　perfectly　pale。〃
　〃I　e　on　Marius's　behalf；〃　I　said。
　〃I　save　everything　for　him；　as　he　asks；〃　said　the　man　with　a　little　shrug。　〃I　sell　nothing　that　isn't　offered　first　to　Marius。〃
　〃I'm　sure　you　do。　I　e　on　his　behalf。〃　I　looked　around。　〃May　I　sit　down？〃
　〃Oh；　please　do；　forgive　me；〃　said　the　man。　He　gestured　to　a　sturdy　trunk。　Flavius　stood　perplexed。　The　man　sat　back　down　at　his　cluttered　table。
　〃I　wish　I　had　a　proper　table。　Where　is　my　slave？　I　know　I　have　some　wine　around　here。　I　just。。。　I　was　reading　in　this　text　the　most　amazing　story！〃
　〃Really；〃　I　said。　〃Well；　take　a　look　at　this。〃　I　thrust　the　pages　into　his　hand。
　〃My　God；　but　this　is　beautiful　copying；〃　he　said；　〃and　so　fresh！〃　He　whispered　under　his　breath。　He　could　make　out　many　of　the　words。　〃Marius　will　be　very　interested　in　this。　This　is　about　the　legends　of　Isis；　this　is　what　Marius　studies。〃
　I　drew　back　the　papers　gently。　〃I've　written　this　for　him！〃
　〃You　wrote　it？〃
　〃Yes；　but　you　see；　I　want　to　surprise　him　with　something；　a　gift！　Something　newly　arrived；　something　he　hasn't　seen　yet。〃
　〃Well；　there's　quite　a　lot。〃
　〃Flavius；　money。〃
　〃Madam；　I　don't　have　any。〃
　〃That's　not　true；　Flavius；　you　wouldn't　leave　the　house　without　the　keys　and　some　money。　Hand　it　over。〃
　〃Oh；　I'll　take　it　on　credit　if　it's　for　Marius；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃Hmmm；　you　know；　several　things　came　onto　the　market　this　very　week。　It's　because　of　the　famine　in　Egypt。　People　were　forced　to　sell；　I　suppose。　You　never　know　where　an　Egyptian　manuscript　es　from。　But　here　…〃　He　reached　up　and　took　a　fragile　papyrus　from　its　niche　in　the　dusty　crisscross　of　wooden　shelves。
　He　laid　it　down　reverently　and　most　cautiously　opened　it。　The　papyrus　had　been　well　preserved；　but　it　was　flaking　at　the　edges。　The　thing　would　disintegrate　if　not　handled　with　care。
　I　stood　to　look　at　it　over　his　shoulder。　A　dizziness　overcame　me。　I　saw　the　desert　and　a　town　of　huts　with　roofs　of　palm　branches。　I　strained　to　open　my　eyes。
　〃This　is；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃positively　the　oldest　manuscript　in　Egyptian　which　I　have　ever　seen！　Here；　steady　yourself；　my　dear。　Lean　upon　my　shoulder。　Let　me　give　you　my　stool。〃
　〃No；　not　necessary；〃　I　said　gazing　at　the　letters。　I　read　aloud；　〃To　my　Lord；　Narmer；　King　of　Upper　and　Lower　Egypt；　who　are　these　enemies　of　me　that　say　I　do　not　walk　in　righteousness'　When　has　Your　Majesty　ever　known　me　not　to　be　righteous？　Indeed　I　seek　to　do　always　more　than　what　is　asked　of　me　or　expected。　When　have　I　not　heard　every　word　of　the　accused　so　that　he　may　be　judged　in　fairness；　as　would　Your　Majesty？。。。〃
　I　broke　off。　My　head　swam。　Some　brief　recollection。　I　was　a　child　and　we　were　all　going　up　into　the　mountains　over　the　desert　to　ask　the　god　Osiris；　the　blood　god；　to　look　into　the　heart　of　the　evildoer。　〃Look；〃　said　those　around　me。　The　god　was　a　man　of　perfection；　bronze　of　skin　and　under　the　moon；　he　took　the　condemned　and　slowly　drew　out　his　blood。　Beside　me　a　woman　whispered　that　the　god　had　made　his　judgment　and　rendered　punishment　and　the　evil　blood　would　go　back　now　to　be　cleansed　and　reborn　in　another　in　which　it　would　do　no　harm。
　I　tried　to　banish　this　vision；　this　sense　of　enclosing　remembrance。　Flavius　was　greatly　concerned　and　held　me　by　the　shoulders。
　I　stood　suspended　in　two　worlds。　I　gazed　out　at　the　bright　sun　striking　the　stones　of　the　Forum；　and　I　lived　somewhere　else；　a　young　man　running　up　a　mountain；　declaring　my　innocence。　〃Summon　the　old　blood　god！　He　will　look　into　my　husband's　heart　and　see　that　the　man　lies。　I　never　lay　with　another。〃　Oh；　sweet　darkness；　e；　I　needed　it　to　shroud　the　mountains　because　the　blood　god　slept　by　day；　hidden；　lest　Ra；　the　sun　god；　find　him　and　destroy　him　out　of　jealousy。
　〃Because　she　had　conquered　them　all；〃　I　whispered。　I　meant　Queen　Isis。　〃Flavius；　hold　me。〃
　〃I　have　you；　Madam。〃
　〃There；〃　said　the　old　man；　who　had　risen　and　pushed　me　down　on　his　stool。
　The　night　over　Egypt　filled　with　stars。　I　saw　it　as　distinctly　as　I　saw　this　shop　around　me　in　Antioch　at　midday。　I　saw　the　stars　and　knew　I　had　won。　The　god　would　rule。　〃Oh；　e　forth；　please；　from　this　mountain；　our　beloved　Osiris；　and　look　into　my　husband's　heart　and　my　heart；　and　if　you　find　me