anner.themummy-第60节

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　Of　course　the　officials　might　be　lying；　but　that　seemed　unlikely。　Not　enough　time　had　elapsed　for　such　cleverness。　And　she　had　had　the　opportunity；　for　die　guards　had　been　busy　taking　him　away。
　
　He　tried　to　see　again　what　he　had　seen　in　that　shadowy　hallway…the　horrid　monstrosity　which　he　had　resurrected　from　the　case。　He　saw　the　thing　trudging　towards　him；　he　heard　the　hoarse；　almost　gurgling　voice。　He　saw　the　attitude　of　suffering　stamped　on　the　half…eaten…away　face！
　
　What　was　he　to　do？　This　morning　for　the　first　time　since　he　had　been　a　mortal　man；　he　had　thought　of　his　gods。　In　the　museum　as　he　had　stood　over　her　remains；　ancient　chants　had　e　back　to　him；　ancient　words　he'd　spoken　before　the　populace　and　in　the　darkened　temple　surrounded　by　priests。
　
　And　now　in　the　hot　teeming　street；　he　found　himself　whispering　under　his　breath　old　prayers　again。
　
　Julie　sat　on　the　small　white　chintz　sofa　in　the　sitting　room　of　her　cluttered　hotel　suite。　She　was　glad　that　Alex　was　holding　her　hand。　Samir　stood　quietly　beside　the　only　empty　chair。　Two　British　officials　sat　opposite。　Miles　Winthrop；　standing　near　the　door；　hands　clasped　behind　his　back；　looked　miserable。　The　elder　of　the　two　officials；　a　man　named　Peterson；　held　a　telegram　in　his　hand。
　
　〃But　you　see；　Miss　Stratford；〃　　he　said　with　a　condescending　smile；〃　with　a　death　in　London　and　now　a　death　here　in　Cairo　。。。〃
　
　〃How　do　you　know　they　are　connected？〃　　Samir　asked。〃　This　man　in　London。　You　say　he　was　a　maker　of　illegal　loans！〃
　
　〃Ah；　Tommy　Sharpies；　yes；　that　was　his　profession。〃
　
　〃Well；　what　would　Mr。　Ramsey　have　to　do　with　him？〃　　Julie　asked。　How　remarkable　that　I　sound　so　calm；　she　thought；　when　I　am　going　mad　inside。
　
　〃Miss　Stratford；　the　Cleopatra　coin　found　in　the　dead　man's　pocket　connects　these　murders。　Surely　it　came　from　your　collection。　It　is　identical　with　the　five　coins　cataloged。〃
　
　〃But　it　is　not　one　of　the　five　coins。　You've　told　me　that。〃
　
　〃Yes；　but　you　see；　we　found　several　others；　here　at　Shepheard's。〃
　
　〃I　don't　follow　you。〃
　
　〃In　Mr。　Ramsey's　room。〃
　
　Silence。　Samir　cleared　his　throat。〃　You　searched　his　room？〃
　
　It　was　Miles　who　answered：
　
　〃Julie；　I　know　this　is　a　very　dear　friend　of　yours；　and　the　whole　situation　is　painful。　But　you　see；　these　killings…they're　extraordinarily　vicious。　And　you　must　tell　us　anything　that　can　help　us　to　apprehend　this　man。〃
　
　〃He　did　not　kill　anyone　in　London！〃
　
　Miles　went　on　as　if　he　hadn't　heard　this　outburst；　with　maddening　civility。
　
　〃Now；　the　Earl；　we　must　talk　to　the　Earl　also；　and　at　the　moment　we　can't　find　him。〃　　He　looked　to　Alex。
　
　〃I　don't　know　where　my　father　is；〃　　Alex　said　helplessly。
　
　〃And　Henry　Stratford；　where　can　we　find　him？〃
　
　The　two　Egyptians　hurried　through　the　narrow　streets　of　old　Cairo；　with　the　blanket　over　their　shoulders；　the　bulging　body　quite　a　weight　in　the　noon　heat。
　
　But　it　was　well　worth　the　sweat　and　time　taken；　for　the　body　would　bring　them　plenty。　As　the　winter　months　approached；　tourists　would　descend　in　droves　upon　Egypt。　They　had　found　a　good　and　handsome　corpse　just　in　time。
　
　Finally　they　reached　Zaki's　house；　or〃　the　factory；〃　　as　it　was　known　to　them　in　their　own　tongue。　Through　the　courtyard　gate　they　entered；　hurrying　with　their　trophy　into　the　first　of　a　series　of　dimly　lighted　rooms。　They　had　taken　no　notice　of　the　mummies　propped　against　the　stone　wall　as　they　passed；　or　of　the　numerous　dark；　leathery　bodies　on　tables　in　the　room。
　
　Only　the　stench　of　the　chemicals　bothered　them。　And　they　waited　impatiently　for　Zaki　to　e。
　
　〃Good　body；〃　　said　one　of　the　men　to　the　workman　who　stirred　a　giant　pot　of　bitumen　in　the　centre　of　the　room。　A　great
　
　bed　of　coals　beneath　it　kept　it　bubbling；　and　it　was　from　this　pot　that　the　foul　smell　came。
　
　〃Good　bones？〃　　asked　the　man。
　
　〃Ah；　yes；　beautiful　English　bones。〃
　
　The　disguise　was　a　good　one。　Thousands　of　such　Bedouins　roamed　Cairo。　He　might　as　well　have　been　invisible；　that　is；　when　he　took　off　the　sunglasses　which　did　occasionally　bring
　
　stares。
　
　He　pocketed　them　now　beneath　the　striped　robe　as　he　entered　the　rear　yard　of　Shepheard's　Hotel。　The　brown…skinned　Egyptian　boys；　lathering　a　motor　car；　did　not　even　look　up　from　their　labor　as　he　passed。
　
　Moving　along　the　wall；　behind　the　fruit　trees；　he　approached　a　small　nondescript　door。　An　uncarpeted　rear　stairs　lay　within。　Mops；　brooms；　a　wash　pail　in　the　alcove。
　
　He　took　the　broom　and　made　his　way　slowly　up　the　stairs。　He　dreaded　the　inevitable　moment　when　Julie　would　ask　what　he　had　done。
　
　She　sat　on　the　side　of　the　bed；　eating　from　the　tray　he'd　put　before　her　on　the　small　wicker　table　from　the　yard。　She　wore　a　thin　chemise　now；　the　only　undergarment　he'd　found　in　Malenka's　closet。　He　had　helped　her　put　it　on。
　
　Malenka　had　prepared　the　food　for　him…fruit；　bread；　cheese　and　wine…but　she　would　not　e　near　the　room。
　
　The　creature's　appetite　was　fierce　and　she　ate　almost　savagely。　The　bottles　of　wine　she'd　drunk　as　if　they　were　water。　And　though　she　had　remained　in　the　sun　steadily；　no　more　healing　had　taken　place；　of　that　he　was　fairly　sure。
　
　As　for　Malenka；　she　remained　shivering　in　the　front　room。　How　long　he　could　control　her；　Elliott　was　unsure。
　
　He　slipped　away　now　and　went　in　search　of　her。　He　found　her　crouched；　her　arms　folded；　against　the　far　wall。
　
　〃Don't　be　frightened；　dear；〃　　he　said　to　her。
　
　〃My　poor　English；〃　　she　said　in　a　whisper。
　
　〃I　know；　my　dear；　I　know。〃　　But　that's　just　it；　he　didn't　know。　He　sat　down　in　the　peacock　chair　again；　and　took　out　a　few　more　bills。　He　gestured　to　her　to　e　and　take　them。　But　she　merely　stared　at　him；　dull…eyed；　shivering；　and　then　turned　her　head　to　the　wall。
　
　〃My　poor　English；〃　　she　said；〃　is　in　the　boiling　vat　by　now。〃
　
　Had　he　heard　her　properly？
　
　〃What　vat？〃　　he　asked　her。〃　What　are　you　saying？〃
　
　〃They　make　a　great　Pharaoh　of　my　English。　My　beautiful　English。　They　put　him　in　the　bitumen；　they　make　a　mummy　of　him　for　tourists　to　buy。〃
　
　He　was　too　shocked　to　answer　her。　He　looked　away；　unable　to　form　the　simplest　words。
　
　〃My　beautiful　English；　they　wrap　him　in　linen；　they　make　him　a　King。〃
　
　He　wanted　to　say；　Stop；　he　could　hear　no　more。　But　he　only　sat　there　in　silence　until　suddenly　the　sound　of　the　gramophone　startled　him…the　sound　of　a　pinched　voice　speaking　English　grinding　out　from　the　other　room。　The　English　records。　She　had　found　them。　He　trusted　that　they　would　content　her；　that　they　would　give　him　this　little　time　to　rest。
　
　But　there　came　a　great　shattering　crash。　The　mirror。　She　had　broken　it。
　
　He　rose　and　hurried　towards　her；　she　stood　rocking　back　and　forth　on　the　carpet；　the　broken　glass　all　over　the　dressing　table；　all　over　the　floor　around　her；　the　gramophone　droning　on。
　
　〃Regina；〃　　he　said。〃　Bella　Regina　Cleopatra。〃
　
　〃Lord　Rutherford；〃　　she　cried。〃　What　has　happened　to　me！　What　is　this　place？〃　　A　long　string　of　words　in　a　strange　tongue　she　spoke　rapidly；　and　then　the　words　gave　out　altogether　into　hoarse　hysterical　cries　breaking　one　after　another；　and　finally　forming　one　great　roaring　sob。
　
　Zaki　inspected　the　operation。　He　watched　them　sink　the　naked　body　of　the　Englishman　deep　into　the　thick；　viscous　green　fluid。　On　occasion；　he　would　embalm　these　bodies；　he　would　carry　the　replication　of　the　original　process　to　the　extreme。　But　that　was　no　longer　necessary。　The　English　weren't　so　keen　anymore　to　unwrapping　them　at　their　parties　in　London。　It　was　only　necessary　to　have　them　thoroughly　soaked　in　bitumen；　and　then　the　wrappings　could　be　applied。
　
　He　approached　the　vat；　he　studied　the　face　of　the　Englishman　floating　below　the　surface。　Good　bones；　that　was　true。　That's　what　the　tourists　like…to　see　a　real　face　beneath　the　linen。　And　this　one　would　look　very　good　indeed。
　
　A　soft　knock　on　her　door。
　
　〃I　don't　want　to　see　anyone；〃　　Julie　said。　She　sat　on　the　couch
　
　in　the　sitting　room　of　her　suite；　beside　Samir；　who　had　been　holding　her　as　she　cried。
　
　She　could　not　understand　what　had　happened。　There　was　no　doubt　Ramses　had　been　in　the　museum；　that　he　had　been　badly　wounded；　and　that　he　had　escaped。　But　the　murder　of　the　maid；　she　could　not　believe　he　would　do　such　a　thing。
　
　〃The　theft　of　the　mummy；　this　I　understand；〃　　she　had　told　Samir　only　moments　before。〃　He　knew　that　woman；　he　knew　who　she　was。　He　could　not　bear　to　see　the　body　desecrated　any　longer；　and　so　he　sought　to　remove　her。〃
　
　〃But　none　of　the　pieces　fit　together；〃　　Samir　said。〃　If　he　was　taken　prisoner；　who　then　removed　the　mummy？〃　　He　paused　as　Rita　answered　the　door。
　
　Julie　turned；　caught　a　glimpse　of　a　tall　Arab　standing　there；　in　full　flowing　robes。　She　was　about　to　turn　away　when　she　saw　a　flash　of　blue　eyes。
　
　It　was　Ramses。　He　pushed　his　way　past　Rita　and　shut　the　door。　At　once　she　rushed　into　his　arms。
　
　She　did　not　know　what　her　doubts　had　been；　or　her　fears。　She　held　him；　burying　her　face　in　his　neck。　She　felt　his　lips　graze　her　forehead；　and　then　his　embrace　tightened。　He　kissed　her　hard；　yet　tenderl