cleopatra-第40章

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　　from　time　to　time　to　the　Hereditary　High　Priest　of　this　my　Temple。

　　And　if　any　High　Priest　that　shall　be　do　reveal　this　secret　to

　　another　than　the　Pharaoh；　or　Her　who　wears　the　Pharaoh's　crown　and

　　is　seated　upon　the　throne　of　Khem；　accursed　be　he　also。　Thus　have

　　I；　Menkau…ra；　the　Osirian；　written。　Now　to　thee；　who；　sleeping　in

　　the　womb　of　Nout；　yet　shall　upon　a　time　stand　over　me　and　read；　I

　　say；　judge　thou！　and　if　thou　judgest　evilly；　on　thee　shall　fall

　　this　the　curse　of　Menkau…ra　from　which　there　is　no　escape。

　　Greeting　and　farewell。〃



〃Thou　hast　heard；　O　Cleopatra；〃　I　said　solemnly；　〃now　search　thy

heart；　judge　thou；　and　for　thine　own　sake　judge　justly。〃



She　bent　her　head　in　thought。



〃I　fear　to　do　this　thing；〃　she　said　presently。　〃Let　us　hence。〃



〃It　is　well；〃　I　said；　with　a　lightening　of　the　heart；　and　bent　down　to

lift　the　wooden　lid。　For　I；　too；　feared。



〃And　yet；　what　said　the　writing　of　the　Divine　Menkau…ra？it　was

emeralds；　was　it　not？　And　emeralds　are　now　so　rare　and　hard　to　come

by。　Ever　did　I　love　emeralds；　and　I　can　never　find　them　without　a

flaw。〃



〃It　is　not　a　matter　of　what　thou　dost　love；　Cleopatra；〃　I　said；　〃it　is

a　matter　of　the　need　of　Khem　and　of　the　secret　meaning　of　thy　heart；

which　thou　alone　canst　know。〃



〃Ay；　surely；　Harmachis；　surely！　And　is　not　the　need　of　Egypt　great？

There　is　no　gold　in　the　treasury；　and　how　can　I　defy　the　Roman　if　I

have　no　gold？　And　have　I　not　sworn　to　thee　that　I　will　wed　thee　and

defy　the　Roman；　and　do　I　not　swear　it　againyes；　even　in　this　solemn

hour；　with　my　hand　upon　dead　Pharaoh's　heart？　Why；　here　is　that

occasion　of　which　the　Divine　Menkau…ra　dreamed。　Thou　seest　it　is　so；

for　else　Hat…shepsu　or　Rameses　or　some　other　Pharaoh　had　drawn　forth

the　gems。　But　no；　they　left　them　to　come　to　this　hour　because　the　time

was　not　yet　come。　Now　it　must　be　come；　for　if　I　take　not　the　gems　the

Roman　will　surely　seize　on　Egypt；　and　then　there　will　be　no　Pharaoh　to

whom　the　secret　may　be　told。　Nay；　let　us　away　with　fears　and　to　the

work。　Why　dost　look　so　frightened？　Having　pure　hearts；　there　is　naught

to　fear；　Harmachis。〃



〃Even　as　thou　wilt；〃　I　said　again；　〃it　is　for　thee　to　judge；　since　if

thou　judgest　falsely　on　thee　will　surely　fall　the　curse　from　which

there　is　no　escape。〃



〃So；　Harmachis；　take　Pharaoh's　head　and　I　will　take　his　Oh；　what

an　awful　place　is　this！〃　and　suddenly　she　clung　to　me。　〃Methought　I

saw　a　shadow　yonder　in　the　darkness！　Methought　that　it　moved　toward　us

and　then　straightway　vanished！　Let　us　be　going！　Didst　thou　see

naught？〃



〃I　saw　nothing；　Cleopatra；　but　mayhap　it　was　the　Spirit　of　the　Divine

Menkau…ra；　for　the　spirit　ever　hovers　round　its　mortal　tenement。　Let

us；　then；　be　going；　I　shall　be　right　glad　to　go。〃



She　made　as　though　to　start；　then　turned　back　again　and　spoke　once

more。



〃It　was　naughtnaught　but　the　mind　that；　in　such　a　house　of　Horror；

bodies　forth　those　shadowy　forms　of　fear　it　dreads　to　see。　Nay；　I　must

look　upon　these　emeralds；　indeed；　if　I　die；　I　must　look！　Cometo　the

work！〃　and　stooping；　she　with　her　own　hands　lifted　from　the　tomb　one

of　the　four　alabaster　jars；　each　sealed　with　the　graven　likeness　of

the　heads　of　the　protecting　Gods；　that　held　the　holy　heart　and

entrails　of　the　Divine　Menkau…ra。　But　nothing　was　found　in　these　jars；

save　only　what　should　be　there。



Then　together　we　mounted　on　the　Sphinx；　and　with　toil　drew　forth　the

body　of　the　Divine　Pharaoh；　laying　it　on　the　ground。　Now　Cleopatra

took　my　dagger；　and　with　it　cut　loose　the　bandages　which　held　the

wrappings　in　their　place；　and　the　lotus…flowers　that　had　been　set　in

them　by　loving　hands；　three　thousand　years　before；　fell　down　upon　the

pavement。　Then　we　searched　and　found　the　end　of　the　outer　bandage；

which　was　fixed　in　at　the　hinder　part　of　the　neck。　This　we　cut　loose；

for　it　was　glued　fast。　This　done；　we　began　to　unroll　the　wrappings　of

the　holy　corpse。　Setting　my　shoulders　against　the　sarcophagus；　I　sat

upon　the　rocky　floor；　the　body　resting　on　my　knees；　and；　as　I　turned

it；　Cleopatra　unwound　the　cloths；　and　awesome　was　the　task。　Presently

something　fell　out；　it　was　the　sceptre　of　the　Pharaoh；　fashioned　of

gold；　and　at　its　end　was　a　pomegranate　cut　from　a　single　emerald。



Cleopatra　seized　the　sceptre　and　gazed　on　it　in　silence。　Then　once

more　we　went　on　with　our　dread　business。　And　ever　as　we　unwound；　other

ornaments　of　gold；　such　as　are　buried　with　Pharaohs；　fell　from　the

wrappingscollars　and　bracelets；　models　of　sistra；　an　inlaid　axe；　and

an　image　of　the　holy　Osiris　and　of　the　holy　Khem。　At　length　all　the

bandages　were　unwound；　and　beneath　we　found　a　covering　of　coarsest

linen；　for　in　those　very　ancient　days　the　craftsmen　were　not　so

skilled　in　matters　pertaining　to　the　embalming　of　the　body　as　they　are

now。　And　on　the　linen　was　written　in　an　oval；　〃Menkau…ra；　Royal　Son　of

the　Sun。〃　We　could　in　no　wise　loosen　this　linen；　it　held　so　firm　on　to

the　body。　Therefore；　faint　with　the　great　heat；　choked　with　mummy　dust

and　the　odour　of　spices；　and　trembling　with　fear　of　our　unholy　task；

wrought　in　that　most　lonesome　and　holy　place；　we　laid　the　body　down；

and　ripped　away　the　last　covering　with　the　knife。　First　we　cleared

Pharaoh's　head；　and　now　the　face　that　no　man　had　gazed　on　for　three

thousand　years　was　open　to　our　view。　It　was　a　great　face；　with　a　bold

brow；　yet　crowned　with　the　royal　ur？us；　beneath　which　the　white　locks；

stained　yellow　by　the　spices；　fell　in　long；　straight　wisps。　Not　the

cold　stamp　of　death；　and　not　the　slow　flight　of　three　thousand　years；

had　found　power　to　mar　the　dignity　of　those　shrunken　features。　We

gazed　on　them；　and　then；　made　bold　with　fear；　stripped　the　covering

from　the　body。　There　at　last　it　lay　before　us；　stiff；　yellow；　and

dread　to　see；　and　on　the　left　side；　above　the　thigh；　was　the　cut

through　which　the　embalmers　had　done　their　work；　but　it　was　sewn　up　so

deftly　that　we　could　scarcely　find　the　mark。



〃The　gems　are　within；〃　I　whispered；　for　I　felt　that　the　body　was　very

heavy。　〃Now；　if　thy　heart　fail　thee　not；　thou　must　make　an　entry　to

this　poor　house　of　clay　that　once　was　Pharaoh；〃　and　I　gave　her　the

daggerthe　same　dagger　which　had　drunk　the　life　of　Paulus。



〃It　is　too　late　to　doubt；〃　she　answered；　lifting　her　white　beauteous

face　and　fixing　her　blue　eyes　all　big　with　terror　upon　my　own。　She

took　the　dagger；　and　with　set　teeth　the　Queen　of　this　day　plunged　it

into　the　dead　breast　of　the　Pharaoh　of　three　thousand　years　ago。　And

even　as　she　did　so　there　came　a　groaning　sound　from　the　opening　to　the

shaft　where　we　had　left　the　eunuch！　We　leapt　to　our　feet；　but　heard　no

more；　and　the　lamp…light　still　streamed　down　through　the　opening。



〃It　is　nothing；〃　I　said。　〃Let　us　make　an　end。〃



Then　with　much　toil　we　hacked　and　rent　the　hard　flesh　open；　and　as　we

did　so　I　heard　the　knife　point　grate　upon　the　gems　within。



Cleopatra　plunged　her　hand　into　the　dead　breast　and　drew　forth

somewhat。　She　held　it　to　the　light；　and　gave　a　little　cry；　for　from

the　darkness　of　Pharaoh's　heart　there　flashed　into　light　and　life　the

most　beauteous　emerald　that　ever　man　beheld。　It　was　perfect　in　colour；

very　large；　without　a　flaw；　and　fashioned　to　a　scarab？us　form；　and　on

the　under　side　was　an　oval；　inscribed　with　the　divine　name　of

Menkau…ra；　Son　of　the　Sun。



Again；　again；　and　yet　again；　she　plunged　in　her　hand　and　drew　emeralds

from　Pharaoh's　breast　bedded　there　in　spices。　Some　were　fashioned　and

some　were　not；　but　all　were　perfect　in　colour　without　a　flaw；　and　in

value　priceless。　Again　and　again　she　plunged　her　white　hand　into　that

dread　breast；　till　at　length　all　were　found；　and　there　were　one

hundred　and　forty　and　eight　of　such　gems　as　are　not　known　in　the

world。　The　last　time　that　she　searched　she　brought　forth　not　emeralds；

indeed；　but　two　great　pearls；　wrapped　in　linen；　such　as　never　have

been　seen。　And　of　these　pearls　more　hereafter。