elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第96章

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！


　〃My　sentiments　exactly；　ma'am；〃　said　Bertie。
　〃Of　course　not；〃　I　said　heartily。　〃We　will　tell　you　all　about　it　this　evening；　how's　that？〃
　〃Precisely　what　are　we　going　to　tell　them？〃　demanded　Emerson；　after　he　had　succeeded　in　drawing　me　aside。
　I　had　had　a　little　chat　with　Selim　before　we　left　Cairo。　I　knew　Ramses　had　told　him　part　of　the　story；　and　I　felt　fairly　certain　he　had　worked　the　rest　of　it　out。　He　had　known　Sir　Edward　Washington；　he　had　known　a　great　deal　about　Sethos；　he　had　been　present　on　several　occasions　when　we　had　discussed　matters　that　would　enable　a　clever　man；　which　Selim　was；　to　put　the　pieces　together。　So　I　took　him　into　my　confidence；　holding　nothing　back。　If　any　man　deserved　that　confidence；　it　was　he。
　〃Ah；〃　said　Selim；　unsurprised。　〃I　knew　when　I　saw　him　clean…shaven　that　he　must　be　a　kinsman　of　the　Father　of　Curses。　They　are　very　much　alike。　We　do　not　speak　of　this　to　others；　Sitt？〃
　〃Except　for　Ramses　and　Nefret；　you　are　the　only　one　who　knows。　We　do　not　speak　of　it；　even　to　Vandergelt　Effendi。〃
　His　face　brightened　with　gratified　pride。　〃You　can　trust　me；　Sitt　Hakim。〃
　〃I　am　sure　I　can。　But　now　we　must　work　out　what　we　are　to　tell　the　others；　including　Daoud。〃
　I　repeated　the　conversation　to　Emerson；　adding；　〃You　may　be　sure　Selim　produced　a　thrilling　narrative　without　giving　anything　important　away。　Anyhow；　I　am　tired　of　all　this　confounded　secrecy。　The　more　tight…lipped　and　mysterious　we　are；　the　more　suspicious　people　will　be。　A　partial　truth　will　put　them　off　the　track　far　better　than　silence。〃
　〃You　may　be　right；〃　Emerson　agreed。　〃I　will　leave　it　to　you；　then；　my　dear。　What　have　you　done　with　my　field　notes？〃
　I　found　his　notebook　in　the　pile　of　papers　he　had　brought；　and　set　about　erecting　my　little　shelter。
　〃I　must　say　it　looks　rather　pitiful　pared　with　the　Albions's　arrangement；〃　I　remarked　to　Nefret；　who　was　helping　me。
　Nefret　chuckled。　〃Did　you　ever　see　anything　more　ridiculous　than　Mrs。　Albion　in　her　armchair　being　hoisted　aloft　by　those　two　poor　fellows？　God　help　either　of　them　if　he　stumbles　and　spills　her　out。　Mr。　Albion　would　probably　have　him　beheaded。〃
　〃What　did　you　think　of　their　excessive　courtesy　to　Jumana？　That　young　man　is　not　still　under　the　impression　that　he　can　…　er　…　win　her　over；　surely。〃
　〃Surely　not；〃　Nefret　said。　〃They　were　only　trying　to　ingratiate　themselves　with　us；　Mother。　And　they　succeeded。　I'm　like　Cyrus；　I　was　rather　hoping　Father　would　blow　them　to　bits　and　perform　one　of　his　famous　curses。〃
　〃Oh；　were　you？〃　said　Emerson；　appearing　upon　the　scene。　〃I　cannot　imagine　why　everyone　in　this　family　is　under　the　false　impression　that　I　am　a　violent　and　unreasonable　man。　Bring　the　camera；　Nefret；　we　are　about　to　start　on　a　new　section。〃
　　
　FROM　MANUSCRIPT　H
　　
　Emerson　stood　staring　up　at　the　hillside；　his　hand　shading　his　eyes。　He　was；　as　usual；　without　a　hat。
　〃May　I　have　a　moment　of　your　time；　Father？〃　Ramses　asked。
　〃What　the　devil　is　Bertie　doing　up　there？〃
　〃Continuing　his　survey；　I　suppose。　May　I　…〃
　〃Certainly；　my　boy；　certainly。　Something　about　that　new　section？〃
　〃No；　sir。　Something　about　the　Albions。　I　would　be　happy　to　assist　in　whatever　you're　planning；　if　you　care　to　let　me　in　on　it。〃
　Emerson's　eyes　shifted　warily　from　side　to　side；　around；　and　behind。　〃Promise　you　won't　tell　your　mother？〃
　〃I'll　try　not　to。　But　you　know　how　she　…〃
　〃Yes；　yes；　I　do　know。　But　this　time；　by　Gad；　I　think　I'm　one　step　ahead　of　her。　e　over　here　where　she　can't　hear　us。〃
　His　mother　was　two　hundred　feet　away　but　Ramses　let　his　father　draw　him　aside。　〃Well；　sir？〃
　Emerson　took　out　his　pipe。　〃It　struck　me　as　somewhat　strange　that　the　Albions　would　select　that　particular　part　of　the　valley。　There　is　no　more　reason　to　expect　a　big　find　there　than　anywhere　else。　Unless　they　had　a　hint　from　someone。〃
　He　lit　a　match　and　puffed。　〃A　hint　such　as　the　fragment　of　wall　painting？〃　Ramses　asked。　〃Khonsu。　He　is　a　god　and　he　has　human　hands。〃
　〃As　do　many　other　gods；〃　Emerson　said。　〃But　the　Albions；　for　all　Sebastian's　book　learning；　haven't　much　experience；　and　at　the　moment　they　are　at　a　loss　as　to　where　to　look。〃
　〃For　Jamil's　tomb？〃
　〃I　see　the　idea　does　not　surprise　you。　What　made　you　think　of　it？〃
　〃I　don't　like　the　Albions；〃　Ramses　said。　〃Any　of　them。〃
　〃I　am　glad　to　see　you　are　beginning　to　trust　your　instincts；〃　his　father　said　approvingly。
　〃As　Mother　would　say　…〃　Emerson's　scowl　made　him　abandon　that　thought。　〃I　don't　like　their　behavior　toward　Jumana；〃　Ramses　elaborated。　〃Their　attitude　toward　Egyptians　is　characteristic　of　their　class　and　nationality　…　bigoted　and　prejudiced；　in　other　words。　After　his　initial　blunder　Sebastian　has　leaned　over　backward　to　be　polite　to　her。　Nefret　thinks　it　is　because　they　hope　to　ingratiate　themselves　with　us；　but　there　could　be　another　reason。〃
　His　father　nodded。　〃Go　on。〃
　〃Let's　go　at　it　from　another　direction。　Jamil　was　getting　financial　support　from　someone。　We　assumed　it　was　Yusuf；　but　there　were　those　interesting　items　of　European　manufacture　among　his　supplies。　The　Albions　asked　you　to　introduce　them　to　a　few　tomb　robbers。　I　don't　believe　it　was　a　joke。　They　had　been　asking　around　Gurneh；　and　Albion　mentioned　that　'Mohammed'　had　put　them　on　to　someone。　What　if　that　someone　was　Jamil？〃
　〃Mohassib's　first　name　is　Mohammed；〃　Emerson　said。
　〃It　might　have　been　Mohassib；　or　Mohammed　Hassan　…　or　any　one　of　several　other　Mohammeds。　Those　two　are　the　most　likely；　however。　Both　had　spoken　with　Jamil；　both　were　afraid　of　him。　What　better　way　of　conciliating　him　than　to　introduce　him　to　a　wealthy　patron？　Then　Jamil　was　inconsiderate　enough　to　get　himself　killed　before　he　disclosed　the　location　of　the　tomb。　The　Albions　believe　there's　a　chance　he　confided　in　Jumana。　An　outside　chance；　but　that's　what　they　have　been　reduced　to。〃
　〃And　Jamil　promised　that　in　exchange　for　their　support　he　would　sell　them　the　objects　from　the　tomb　once　he'd　cleared　it。　My　thought　exactly。〃
　〃If　I　know　Albion；　he'd　insist　on　more　than　promises；〃　Ramses　said。
　〃Oh；　well　done；〃　Emerson　said　approvingly。　〃Yes；　he'd　want　proof　of　the　find；　and　…　a　little　something　on　account？　Something　as　fine　as　the　cosmetic　jar？〃
　〃Possibly。　It's　all　conjecture；　and　we　can't　。　。　。　Father；　no！〃
　〃Can't　do　what？〃　said　Emerson；　fumbling　with　his　pipe。　He　was　too　late；　his　face　had　betrayed　him。
　〃Search　their　rooms。　Don't　deny　it；　Father；　that　is　what　you　were　thinking。〃
　〃You　thought　of　it；　too；　or　you　wouldn't　have　been　so　quick　to　read　my　mind。〃
　The　accusation　was　accurate；　the　grin　conspiratorial；　but　Ramses　tried　to　look　stern。　〃That　sort　of　thing　is　more　in　Mother's　line。〃
　〃We　can't　have　her　doing　something　like　that；〃　Emerson　said。　〃It's　against　the　law。〃
　Ramses　couldn't　resist　the　grin。　He　began　to　laugh。　〃It's　a　tempting　thought；　but　not　really　practical。　Even　if　we　found　illegal　antiquities；　we　couldn't　confiscate　them　or　prove　where　they　came　from。　Jamil　may　have　dropped　enticing　hints　to　the　Albions；　but　they　don't　seem　to　know　any　more　than　we　do。〃
　His　father's　abstracted　expression　told　him　he　hadn't　got　the　point　across。　〃This　is　all　conjecture；〃　he　insisted。　〃Logical　and　consistent；　but　without　substantiating　evidence。　We　can't　even　be　certain　that　Jamil　told　the　Albions　about　the　hand　of　the　god。　It　may　have　been　pure　coincidence　that　they　chose　to　dig　in　that　spot。〃
　〃Well；　we　will　soon　find　out。〃
　〃Ah。　Those　alternate　sites　you　suggested？〃
　〃Mmmm。〃　Emerson　sucked　on　his　pipe。　〃None　of　them　has　any　connection　with　a　divine　representation。　If　the　Albions　are　solely　interested　in　excavation　…〃
　〃Ramses！〃　His　mother's　voice　had　considerable　carrying　power。　Emerson　twitched　guiltily　and　Ramses　turned。　She　was　on　her　feet；　waving　some　object　at　him。　It　appeared　to　be　a　large　piece　of　pottery　…　an　ostracon。
　Ramses　waved　back。　〃We　may　as　well　stop　for　lunch；〃　he　said。　〃Sennia　has　told　me　twice　already　that　she's　faint　with　hunger。〃
　〃Where　is　she？〃　Emerson　turned；　scanning　the　terrain。
　〃Probably　in　the　shelter；　investigating　the　basket；　which　would　explain　why　the　Great　Cat　of　Re　has　also　abandoned　us。　I　must　speak　to　her　about　overfeeding　the　creature；　it's　get