the virgin of the sun-第4章

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seen　in　old　Indian　shawls　which　give　a　general　effect　of　crimson。　This
crimson　robe　clearly　was　worn　over　a　skirt　of　linen　that　had　a　purple
border。　In　the　box　that　I　have　spoken　of　were　the　ornaments；　all　of
plain　dull　gold：　a　waist…band；　a　circlet　of　gold　for　the　head　from
which　rose　the　crescent　of　the　young　moon　and　a　necklace　of　emeralds；
uncut　stones　now　much　flawed；　for　what　reason　I　do　not　know；　but
polished　and　set　rather　roughly　in　red　gold。　Also　there　were　two
rings。　Round　one　of　these　a　bit　of　paper　was　wrapped　upon　which　was
written；　in　another　hand；　probably　that　of　the　father　of　the　writer　of
the　memorandum：

　〃Taken　from　the　first　finger　of　the　right　hand　of　a　lady's　mummy
　　which　I　am　sorry；　in　our　circumstances；　it　was　quite　impossible　to
　　carry　away。〃

This　ring　is　a　broad　band　of　gold　with　a　flat　bezel　upon　which
something　was　once　engraved　that　owing　to　long　and　hard　wear　now
cannot　be　distinguished。　In　short；　it　appears　to　be　a　signet　of　old
European　make　but　of　what　age　and　from　what　country　it　is　impossible
to　determine。　The　other　ring　was　in　a　small　leathery　pouch；
elaborately　embroidered　in　gold　thread　or　very　thin　wire；　which　I
suppose　was　part　of　the　lady's　costume。　It　is　like　a　very　massive
wedding　ring；　but　six　or　eight　times　as　thick；　and　engraved　all　over
with　an　embossed　conventional　design　of　what　look　like　stars　with　rays
round　them；　or　possibly　petalled　flowers。　Lastly　there　was　the　sword…
hilt；　of　which　presently。

Such　were　the　trinkets；　if　so　they　may　be　called。　They　are　of　little
value　intrinsically　except　for　their　weight　in　gold；　because；　as　I
have　said；　the　emeralds　are　flawed　as　though　they　have　been　through　a
fire　or　some　other　unknown　cause。　Moreover；　there　is　about　them
nothing　of　the　grace　and　charm　of　ancient　Egyptian　jewellery；
evidently　they　belonged　to　a　ruder　age　and　civilization。　Yet　they　had；
and　still　have；　to　my　imagining；　a　certain　dignity　of　their　own。

Alsohere　I　became　infected　with　the　spirit　of　the　peculiar　Potts
without　doubt　these　things　were　rich　in　human　associations。　Who　had
worn　that　dress　of　crimson　with　the　crosses　worked　on　it　in　gold　wire
（they　cannot　have　been　Christian　crosses）；　and　the　purple…bordered
skirt　underneath；　and　the　emerald　necklace　and　the　golden　circlet　from
which　rose　the　crescent　of　the　young　moon？　Apparently　a　mummy　in　a
tomb；　the　mummy　of　some　long…dead　lady　of　a　strange　and　alien　race。
Was　she　such　a　one　as　that　old　lunatic　Potts　had　dreamed　he　saw
standing　before　him　in　the　filthy；　cumbered　upper…chamber　of　a　ruinous
house　in　an　England　market　town；　I　wondered；　one　with　great　eyes　like
to　those　of　a　doe　and　a　regal　bearing？

No；　that　was　nonsense。　Potts　had　lived　with　shadows　until　he　believed
in　shadows　that　came　out　of　his　own　imagination　and　into　it　returned
again。　Still；　she　was　a　woman　of　some　sort；　and　apparently　she　had　a
lover　or　a　husband；　a　man　with　a　great　fair　beard。　How　at　this　date；
which　must　have　been　remote；　did　a　golden…bearded　man　come　to
foregather　with　a　woman　who　wore　such　robes　and　ornaments　as　these？
And　that　sword　hilt；　worn　smooth　by　handling　and　with　an　amber　knob？
Whence　came　it？　To　my　mindthis　was　before　expert　examination
confirmed　my　viewit　looked　very　Norse。　I　had　read　the　Sagas　and　I
remembered　a　tale　recovered　in　them　of　some　bold　Norsemen　who　about
the　years　eight　or　nine　hundred　had　wandered　to　the　coast　of　what　is
known　now　to　be　AmericaI　think　a　certain　Eric　was　their　captain。
Could　the　fair…haired　man　in　the　grave　have　been　one　of　these？

Thus　I　speculated　before　I　looked　at　the　pile　of　parchments　so
evidently　prepared　from　sheep　skins　by　one　who　had　only　a　very
rudimentary　knowledge　of　how　to　work　such　stuff；　not　knowing　that　in
those　parchments　was　hid　the　answer　to　many　of　my　questions。　To　these
I　turned　last　of　all；　for　we　all　shrink　from　parchments；　their
contents　are　generally　so　dull。　There　was　a　great　bundle　of　them　that
had　been　lashed　together　with　a　kind　of　straw　rope；　fine　straw　that
reminded　me　of　that　used　to　make　Panama　hats。　But　this　had　rotted
underneath　together　with　all　the　bottom　part　of　the　parchments；　many
sheets　of　them；　of　which　only　fragments　remained；　covered　with　dry
mould　and　crumbling。　Therefore　the　rope　was　easy　to　remove　and　beneath
it；　holding　the　sheets　in　place；　was　only　some　stout　and　comparatively
modern　stringit　had　a　red　thread　in　it　that　marked　it　as　navy　cord
of　an　old　pattern。

I　slipped　these　fastenings　off　and　lifted　a　blank　piece　of　skin　set
upon　the　top。　Beneath　appeared　the　first　sheet　of　parchment；　closely；
very　closely　covered　with　small　〃black…letter〃　writing；　so　faint　and
faded　that　even　if　I　were　able　to　read　black…letter；　which　I　cannot；
of　it　I　could　have　made　nothing　at　all。　The　thing　was　hopeless。
Doubtless　in　that　writing　lay　the　key　to　the　mystery；　but　it　could
never　be　deciphered　by　me　or　any　one　else。　The　lady　with　the　eyes　like
a　deer　had　appeared　to　old　Potts　in　vain；　in　vain　had　she　bidden　him
to　hand　over　this　manuscript　to　me。

So　I　thought　at　the　time；　not　knowing　the　resources　of　science。
Afterwards；　however；　I　took　that　huge　bundle　to　a　friend；　a　learned
friend　whose　business　in　life　it　was　and　is；　to　deal　with　and　to
decipher　old　manuscripts。

〃Looks　pretty　hopeless；〃　he　said；　after　staring　at　these。　〃Still；
let's　have　a　try；　one　never　knows　till　one　tries。〃

Then　he　went　to　a　cupboard　in　his　muniment　room　and　produced　a　bottle
full　of　some　straw…coloured　fluid　into　which　he　dipped　an　ordinary
painting　brush。　This　charged　brush　he　rubbed　backwards　and　forwards
over　the　first　lines　of　the　writing　and　waited。　Within　a　minute；
before　my　astonished　eyes；　that　faint；　indistinguishable　script　turned
coal…black；　as　black　as　though　it　had　been　written　with　the　best
modern　ink　yesterday。

〃It's　all　right；〃　he　said　triumphantly；　〃it's　vegetable　ink；　and　this
stuff　has　the　power　to　bring　it　up　as　it　was　on　the　day　when　it　was
used。　It　will　stay　like　that　for　a　fortnight　and　then　fade　away　again。
Your　manuscript　is　pretty　ancient；　my　friend；　time　of　Richard　II；　I
should　say；　but　I　can　read　it　easily　enough。　Look；　it　begins；　'I；
Hubert　de　Hastings；　write　this　in　the　land　of　Tavantinsuyu；　far　from
England　where　I　was　born；　whither　I　shall　never　more　return；　being　a
wanderer　as　the　rune　upon　the　sword　of　my　ancestor；　Thorgrimmer；
foretold　that　I　should　be；　which　sword　my　mother　gave　me　on　the　day　of
the　burning　of　Hastings　by　the　French；'　and　so　on。〃　Here　he　stopped。

〃Then　for　heaven's　sake；　do　read　it；〃　I　said。

〃My　dear　friend；〃　he　answered；　〃it　looks　to　me　as　though　it　would　mean
several　months'　work；　and　forgive　me　for　saying　that　I　am　paid　a
salary　for　my　time。　Now　I'll　tell　you　what　you　have　to　do。　All　this
stuff　must　be　treated；　sheet　by　sheet；　and　when　it　turns　black　it　must
be　photographed　before　the　writing　fades　once　more。　Then　a　skilled
personso…and…so；　or　so…and…so；　are　two　names　that　occur　to　memust
be　employed　to　decipher　it　again；　sheet　by　sheet。　It　will　cost　you
money；　but　I　should　say　that　it　was　worth　while。　Where　the　devil　is；
or　was；　the　land　of　Tavantinsuyu？〃

〃I　know；〃　I　answered；　glad　to　be　able　to　show　myself　superior　to　my
learned　friend　in　one　humble　instance。　〃Tavantinsuyu　was　the　native
name　for　the　Empire　of　Peru　before　the　Spanish　Invasion。　But　how　did
this　Hubert　get　there　in　the　time　of　Richard　II？　That　is　some
centuries　earlier　than　Pizarro　set　foot　upon　its　shores。〃

〃Go　and　find　out；〃　he　answered。　〃It　will　amuse　you　for　quite　a　long
while　and　perhaps　the　results　may　meet　the　expenses　of　decipherment；
if　they　are　worth　publishing。　I　expect　they　are　not；　but　then；　I　have
read　so　many　old　manuscripts　and　found　most　of　them　so　jolly　dull。〃

Well；　that　business　was　accomplished　at　a　cost　that　I　do　not　like　to
record；　and　here　are　the　results；　more　or　less　modernised；　since　often
Hubert　of　Hastings　expressed　himself　in　a　queer　and　archaic　fashion。
Also　sometimes　he　used　Indian　words　as　though　he　had　talked　the　tongue
of　these　Peruvians；　or　rather　the　Chanca　variety　of　it；　so　long　that
he　had　begun　to　forget　his　own　language。　Myself　I　have　found　his　story
very　romantic　and　interest