anner.themummy-第44节

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　These　remarks　amused　other　people　mightily。　In　fact；　other　passengers；　charmed　and　seduced　to　a　one；　seemed　to　regard　Ramsey　as　not　a　superintelligent　being　so　much　as　one　who　was　slightly　retarded。　Overly　sophisticated　themselves；　never　guessing　the　reason　behind　his　odd　exclamations；　they　treated　him　tenderly　and　indulgently；　never　availing　themselves　of　the　information　he　would　give　out　at　a　moment's　provocation。
　
　Not　so　with　Elliott；　who　pumped　him　mercilessly。〃　Ancient　battle。　What　was　it　really　like！　I　mean；　we've　seen　the　great　reliefs　on　the　temple　of　Ramses　the　Third。　。。。〃
　
　〃Ah；　now　that　was　a　brilliant　man；　a　worthy　namesake。。。〃
　
　〃What　did　you　say？〃
　
　〃A　worthy　namesake　of　Ramses　the　Second；　that's　all；　go　on。〃
　
　〃But　did　a　Pharaoh　himself　truly　fight！〃
　
　〃Oh；　yes；　of　course。　Why；　he　rode　at　the　head　of　his　troops；　he　was　symbol　in　action。　Why；　in　one　battle；　the　Pharaoh　himself　might　crush　two　hundred　skulls　with　his　bludgeon；　he　might　make　his　way　across　the　battlefield；　executing　the　wounded　and　dying　in　the　same　manner。　When　he　retired　to　his　tent；　his　arms　would　be　drenched　in　blood　to　the　elbows。　But　remember；　it　was　expected；　you　see。　If　the　Pharaoh　fell　。。。　well；　the　battle　would　be　over。〃
　
　Silence。
　
　Ramsey：〃　You　don't　want　to　know　these　things；　do　you？　And　yet　modern　warfare　is　ghastly。　That　recent　war　in　Africa；　men　were　blown　apart　by　gunpowder。　And　the　Civil　War　in　the　United　States；　what　a　horror。　Things　change；　but　they　do　not　change。　。。。〃
　
　〃Exactly。　Could　you　yourself　do　such　a　thing？　Crush　skulls　one　after　another？〃
　
　Ramsey　smiled。〃　You　are　a　brave　man；　aren't　you；　Lord　Elliott；　Earl　of　Rutherford。　Yes；　I　could　do　it。　So　could　you；　if　you　were　there；　and　you　were　Pharaoh；　you　could　do　it。〃
　
　The　ship　plowed　on　through　the　grey　sea。　The　coast　of　Africa　loomed。　The　party　was　almost　over。
　
　It　had　been　another　perfect　night。　Alex　had　retired　early；　and　Julie　had　been　left　alone　to　dance　with　Ramses　for　hours。　She'd　drunk　a　little　too　much　wine。
　
　And　now　as　they　stood　in　the　tiny　low…ceilinged　passage　outside　her　stateroom；　she　felt　as　always　the　wrenching；　the　temptation　and　the　desperation　that　she　mustn't　give　in　to　it。
　
　It　caught　her　utterly　off　guard　when　Ramses　spun　her　around；　crushed　her　to　his　chest　and　kissed　her　more　roughly　than　usual。　There　was　a　painful　urgency　to　it。　She　found　herself　fighting；　then　drawing　back　on　the　edge　of　tears；　her　hand　raised　to　hit　him。　She　didn't。
　
　〃Why　do　you　try　to　force　me？〃　　she　said。
　
　The　look　in　his　eyes　frightened　her。
　
　〃I'm　hungry；〃　　he　said；　all　semblance　of　courtesy　lost；〃　hungry　for　you；　for　everything。　For　food　and　drink　and　sunshine　and　life　itself。　But　above　all；　for　you。　It　is　a　pain　in　me！　I　grow　weary　of　it。〃
　
　〃God！〃　　she　whispered。　She　put　her　hands　up　delicately　to　cover　her　face。　Why　was　she　resisting？　For　the　moment；　she　didn't　know。
　
　〃It's　what　it　does　to　me；　the　potion　in　my　veins；〃　　he　said。〃　I　need　nothing；　yet　nothing　fills　me。　Only　love；　perhaps。　And　so　I　wait。〃　　His　voice　grew　quieter；〃　I　wait　for　you　to　love　me。　If　that　is　what　is　required。〃
　
　She　laughed　suddenly。　How　clear　it　all　was。
　
　〃Ah；　but　with　all　your　wisdom；　you　have　it　backwards；〃　　she　said。〃　What　is　required　is　that　you　love　me。〃
　
　His　face　went　blank。　Then　slowly　he　nodded。　He　seemed　utterly　at　a　loss　for　words。　She　could　not　guess　what　he　was　really　thinking。
　
　Quickly　she　opened　the　door　and　went　inside　and　sat　down　alone　on　the　sofa。　She　put　her　face　in　her　hands。　How　childish　it　had　sounded。　And　yet　it　was　true；　it　was　heartbreakingly　true。　And　she　began　to　cry　softly；　hoping　Rita　would　not　hear　her。
　
　Twenty…four　hours；　the　navigator　had　told　him；　and　we　shall　dock　in　Alexandria。
　
　He　leaned　on　the　railing　of　the　deck。　And　peered　into　the　thick　mist　which　covered　the　water　pletely。
　
　It　was　four　o'clock。　Not　even　the　Earl　of　Rutherford　was　about。　Samir　had　been　fast　asleep　when　last　Ramses　visited　their　rooms。　And　so　he　had　the　deck　to　himself。
　
　He　loved　it。　He　loved　the　deep　rumble　of　the　engines　through　the　great　steel　hull。　He　loved　the　ship's　pure　power。　Ah；　the　paradox　of　twentieth…century　man　amid　his　great　machines　and　inventions；　for　he　was　the　same　two…legged　creature　he　had　ever　been；　and　yet　his　inventions　were　begetting　inventions。
　
　He　drew　out　a　cheroot…one　of　the　sweet；　mild　smokes　which　the　Earl　of　Rutherford　had　given　him；　and　cupping　his　hand　around　the　match　carefully　lighted　it。　He　could　not　see　the　smoke　as　it　disappeared；　yet　the　thing　tasted　divine。　He　closed　his　eyes　and　savored　the　wind；　and　let　himself　think　of　Julie　Stratford　again　now　that　she　was　safely　barricaded　in　her　little　bedchamber。
　
　But　Julie　Stratford　faded。　It　was　Cleopatra　he　saw。　Twenty…four　hours　and　we　shall　be　in　Alexandria。
　
　He　saw　the　conference　room　in　the　palace　of　long　ago；　the　long　marble　table；　and　she　the　young　Queen…young　as　Julie　Stratford　was　now…conversing　with　her　ambassadors　and　advisers。
　
　He　watched　from　an　antechamber。　He　had　been　gone　for　a　long　time；　wandering　far　to　the　north　and　to　the　east；　into　kingdoms　that　had　not　been　known　to　him　at　all　in　earlier　centuries。　And　returning　the　night　before；　had　gone　directly　to　her　bedchamber。
　
　All　night　long　they'd　made　love；　the　windows　had　been　open　to　the　sea；　she　had　been　as　hungry　for　him　as　he　had　been　for　her；　for　though　he　had　had　a　hundred　women　in　the　preceding　months；　he　loved　only　Cleopatra。　So　feverish　his　lovemaking　had　been　that　finally　he　had　almost　hurt　her；　yet　she　had　invited　him　to　go　on；　her　arms　holding　him　tight；　her　body　again　and　again　receiving　him。
　
　The　audience　was　over。　He　watched　her　dismiss　her　courtiers。　He　watched　her　rise　from　her　chair　and　e　towards　him…a　tall　woman　with　magnificent　bones；　and　a　long　slender　neck　beautifully　exposed；　her　rippling　black　hair　swept　back　from　her　face　into　a　circle　on　the　back　of　her　head　in　the　Roman　manner。
　
　There　was　a　vaguely　defiant　expression　on　her　face；　and　a　lift　to　her　chin　which　accentuated　it。　It　gave　an　immediate　impression　of　strength；　badly　needed　to　temper　innate　seductiveness。
　
　Only　when　she　had　drawn　the　curtain　did　she　turn　to　him　and　smite；　her　dark　eyes　firing　beautifully。
　
　There　had　been　a　time　in　his　life　when　dark…eyed　beings　were　all　he　knew；　he　alone　was　the　blue…eyed　one　because　he　had　drunk　the　elixir。　Then　he　traveled　to　distant　lands；　lands　of　which　Egyptians　knew　nothing；　and　he　met　pale…eyed　mortal　men　and　women。　And　dazzling　though　these　things　were；　brown　eyes　for　him　remained　the　true　eyes；　the　eyes　he　could　fathom　instantly。
　
　Julie　Stratford's　eyes　were　deep　brown；　and　large；　and　full　of　easy　affection　and　response；　as　Cleopatra's　eyes　had　been　that　day　when　she　embraced　him。
　
　〃Now；　what　are　my　lessons　for　this　afternoon？〃　　she'd　asked　in　Greek；　the　only　language　they　spoke　to　each　other；　something　in　her　gaze　acknowledging　the　long　night　of　intimacy。
　
　〃Simple；〃　　he　said。〃　Disguise　yourself　and　e　with　me　and　walk　among　your　people。　To　see　what　no　Queen　can　ever　see。　That　is　what　I　want　of　you。〃
　
　Alexandria。　What　would　it　be　tomorrow？　It　had　been　a　Greek　city　then　of　stone　streets　and　whitewashed　walls；　and　merchants　who　sold　to　all　the　world…a　port　full　of　weavers；　jewelers；　glass　blowers；　makers　of　papyri。　In　a　thousand　marketplace　shops　they　worked　above　the　crowded　harbour。
　
　Through　the　bazaar　they　had　walked　together；　both　of　them　in　the　shapeless　cloaks　all　men　and　women　wore　who　did　not　wish　to　be　recognized。　Two　travellers　through　time。　And　he　had　spoken　to　her　of　so　many　things…of　his　wanderings　north　into　Gaul；　of　his　long　trek　to　India。　He　had　ridden　elephants　and　seen　the　great　tiger　with　his　own　eyes。　He　had　e　back　to　Athens　to　listen　to　the　philosophers。
　
　And　what　had　he　learned？　That　Julius　Caesar；　the　Roman　general；　would　conquer　the　world；　that　he　would　take　Egypt　if　Cleopatra　did　not　stop　him。
　
　What　had　her　thoughts　been　that　day？　Had　she　let　him　ramble　on　without　absorbing　all　the　desperate　advice　he　gave　her？　What　had　she　seen　of　the　mon　men　about　her？　The　women　and　children　hard　at　work　at　the　laundry　tubs　and　the　looms？　Of　the　sailors　of　all　nations　searching　for　the　brothels？
　
　To　the　great　university　they　had　wandered；　to　listen　to　the　teachers　under　the　porticoes。
　
　Finally　in　a　dirt　square　they'd　stopped。　From　the　mon　well　Cleopatra　had　drunk；　from　the　mon　cup　on　its　rope。
　
　〃It　tastes　the　same；〃　　she　had　said　with　a　playful　smile。
　
　He　remembered　so　clearly　the　cup　dropped　down　into　the　deep　cool　water。　The　sound　echoing　up　the　stone　walls；　the　hammering　that　came　from　the　docks；　and　the　vision　through　the　narrow　street　to　his　right　of　the　masts　of　the　ships；　a　leafless　forest　there。
　
　〃What　is　it　you　really　want　of　me；　Ramses？〃　　she　had　asked。
　
　〃That　you　be　a　good　and　wise　Queen　of　Egypt。　I've　told　you。〃
　
　She'd　taken　his　arm；　forced　him　to　look　at　her。
　
　〃You　want　more　than　that。　You're　preparing　me　for　something　much　more　important。〃
　
　〃No；〃　　he　said；　but　that　had　been　a　lie；　the　first　lie　he　had　ever　told　h