elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第35节

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　〃We're　doing　him　a　kindness；　really。〃
　Emerson　glanced　at　his　solemn　face　and　burst　out　laughing。　〃Glad　you　agree；　my　boy。　I　haven't　made　up　my　mind　yet　where　we　will　be　working。　I　just　want　to　have　another　look　round。　Without；〃　he　added　indignantly；　〃half　a　dozen　people；　including　your　mother；　getting　in　my　way。〃
　Emerson　moved　at　a　rapid　pace；　he　had　insisted　on　carrying　the　heavier　load；　but　it　didn't　slow　him　in　the　slightest。　Though　he　did　not　pause；　he　greeted　everyone　he　met　and　responded　cheerfully　to　their　questions。　Several　passersby　asked　where　they　were　going。　Emerson　told　them。　Matching　his　father's　long　strides；　Ramses　realized　Emerson　didn't　really　expect　to　find　Jamil's　tomb　by　himself。　He　was　hoping　Jamil　would　show　himself　again。
　〃Do　you　think　he'll　be　there？〃　he　asked。
　〃Who？　Oh。　Hmph。　He　has　been。　He's　bound　to　make　a　mistake　sooner　or　later；　and　when　he　does　we'll　be　ready　for　him。〃
　〃You　don't　know　that　the　masked　demon　was　he。〃
　〃Who　else　could　it　have　been？　The　Gurnawis　don't　play　silly　tricks　like　that。〃
　〃Mother　will　find　out；　you　know　…　especially　if　Jamil　succeeds　in　bashing　one　of　us　with　a　boulder。〃
　〃Unlikely　in　the　extreme；〃　Emerson　declared。　〃However　。　。　。　No　one　is　a　better　panion　than　your　mother　…　when　she　is　in　a　friendly　state　of　mind　…　but　women　do　get　in　the　way　at　times。　Especially　your　mother。〃
　Ramses　grinned　but　saved　his　breath。　He　did　not　suffer　from　false　modesty　about　his　physical　fitness；　but　keeping　up　with　his　father　taxed　even　him。　Emerson　must　have　decided　to　take　one　of　his　famous　〃round…about…ways；〃　for　they　were　already　climbing；　along　a　steep；　winding　path　that　would　eventually　lead　them　behind　Deir　el　Medina　and　the　Valley　of　the　Queens。
　They　had　got　a　late　start　and　Emerson　was　in　a　hurry。　Once　they　had　reached　the　highest　part　of　the　path　they　made　good　time　over　relatively　level　ground。　Absorbed　in　thought；　Ramses　followed　his　father　without　speaking。
　He　didn't　want　to　be　here；　or　at　Medinet　Habu。　If　he'd　had　his　way　they　would　settle　down　for　the　season　at　Deir　el　Medina。　He　hadn't　explained　himself　very　eloquently；　and　apparently　his　father's　fascination　with　temples　prevented　him　from　seeing　what　Ramses　saw：　a　unique　opportunity　to　learn　about　the　lives　of　ordinary　Egyptians；　not　pharaohs；　not　noblemen；　but　men　who　worked　hard　for　a　living；　and　their　wives　and　children。　The　scraps　of　written　material　he　had　found　contained　work　schedules　and　lists　of　supplies；　and　tantalizing　hints　of　family　relationships；　friendly　and　not　so　friendly；　extending　over　many　generations。　He　was　certain　there　were　more　papyri　to　be　found；　one　of　the　men　had　mentioned　ing　across　a　similar　cache　some　years　earlier；　near　the　place　where　this　one　had　turned　up。　If　his　father　would　let　him　dig　there　。　。　。
　He　didn't　want　to　be　here；　but　he'd　had　no　choice。　Once　Emerson　got　the　bit　in　his　teeth　it　was　impossible　to　turn　him　aside；　and　wandering　the　western　wadis　alone　was　dangerous；　even　for　an　old　hand　like　his　father。　Paths　wound　all　over　the　place；　marked　in　some　places　by　tumbles　of　stone　that　marked　the　ruins　of　ancient　huts；　used　by　the　necropolis　guards　or　by　workmen。　Ramses　could　only　marvel　at　his　father's　encyclopedic　memory　of　the　terrain；　he　did　not　pause　before　turning　into　a　track　that　led　downhill；　following　the　eastern　ridge　of　a　deep　wadi。　When　he　finally　stopped；　they　were　only　twenty　feet　from　the　valley　floor；　and　Ramses　saw　a　flight　of　rough　stone　stairs　going　down。
　〃Rest　a　bit；〃　Emerson　said；　unstrapping　his　knapsack。　He　removed　his　coat；　tossed　it　onto　the　ground；　sat　on　it；　and　took　his　pipe　from　his　pocket。　Ramses　followed　his　example；　except　for　the　pipe。　He　took　advantage　of　the　lull　while　his　father　fussed　with　the　pipe　to　look　round　and　try　to　get　his　bearings。
　For　the　past　half　hour　they　had　been　going　roughly　southwest；　and　must　now　be　near　the　mouth　of　one　of　the　wadis　that　spread　out　northward　from　the　plain。　It　wasn't　the　one　they　had　visited　twice　before；　this　configuration　was　quite　different　from　that　of　the　Cemetery　of　the　Monkeys。　There　was　ample　evidence　of　ancient　occupation：　several　deep　pits；　too　obvious　to　have　been　overlooked　by　modern　tomb　robbers；　and　more　remains　of　ancient　stone　huts。
　Once　he　had　his　pipe　going；　Emerson　opened　his　knapsack　and　began　fumbling　in　it。　〃Hmph；〃　he　said；　as　if　the　idea　had　just　struck　him。　〃I　suppose　I　ought　to　have　thought　of　bringing　some　water。　Are　you　thirsty；　my　boy？〃
　〃A　little。〃　It　was　the　understatement　of　the　day；　his　mouth　was　so　dry　it　felt　like　sand。　He　unstrapped　his　own　knapsack。　〃I　asked　Fatima　for　a　few　bottles　of　water。　And　a　packet　of　sandwiches。〃
　〃Good　thinking。　No；　no　…〃　Emerson　waved　the　bottle　away。　〃You　first。〃
　Ramses　took　a　long　pull　and　watched；　with　the　admiring　vexation　his　father　continued　to　inspire；　as　Emerson　went　on　rooting　round　in　his　knapsack。　He　had　flung　his　pith　helmet　aside　and　the　sun　beat　down　on　his　bare　black　head。　His　pipe　lay　beside　him；　it　was　still　glowing；　and　Ramses　remembered　a　story　his　mother　had　once　told　him；　about　Emerson　putting　a　lighted　pipe　in　his　pocket。　She　had　thought　it　very　amusing。
　〃Ah；〃　said　Emerson；　removing　a　long　roll　of　paper　from　his　knapsack。　〃Here　it　is。　Hold　this　end。〃
　Once　the　paper　was　unrolled　and　held　flat　by　rocks；　Emerson　said；　〃I　did　this　some　years　ago。　Very　rough；　as　you　can　see。〃
　It　was　a　map　of　the　area；　annotated　in　Emerson's　decisive　handwriting；　and　although　it　was　obviously　not　to　scale；　it　made　the　general　layout　of　the　wadis　clear。　They　resembled　the　fingers　of　a　hand　that　stretched　out　to　the　north；　penetrating　deep　into　the　rising　cliffs；　below　the　flatter　〃palm〃　was　a　mon　entrance；　very　wide　and　fairly　level；　opening　onto　the　plain　below。　Emerson　had　labeled　the　separate　wadis　with　their　Arabic　names。
　〃We're　here；〃　Emerson　went　on；　jabbing　at　the　paper　with　the　stem　of　his　pipe。　〃We'll　have　a　look　at　Wadi　Siqqet　e　Zeide　first。　Hatshepsut's　tomb　is　at　the　far　end　of　it。〃
　〃What　are　these　x's？〃
　〃Spots　I　thought　worth　investigating。〃
　〃You　never　got　round　to　doing　it？〃
　〃There　isn't　enough　time！〃　Emerson's　voice　rose。　〃There　never　will　be。　If　I　had　ten　lifetimes　I　couldn't　do　it　all。〃
　〃Have　a　sandwich；〃　Ramses　said　sympathetically。　〃I　know　how　you　feel；　Father。　We　must　just　do　the　best　we　can。〃
　〃Don't　talk　like　your　mother；〃　Emerson　growled。　He　accepted　a　sandwich；　but　instead　of　biting　into　it　he　stared　at　the　ground　and　said　rapidly；　〃I've　e　round　to　your　way　of　thinking；　you　know。　The　most　important　aspect　of　our　profession　is　recording。　At　the　rate　the　monuments　are　deteriorating；　there　won't　be　much　left　by　the　time　your　children　are　grown。〃
　Considering　that　they　aren't　born　yet；　that　will　be　a　long　time；　Ramses　thought。
　The　subject　of　children　was　one　he　and　Nefret　avoided；　and　so　did　everyone　else　in　the　family。　Some　of　them；　including　his　mother　…　and　himself　…　knew　that　her　failure　to　conceive　again　after　the　miscarriage　she　had　suffered　a　few　years　earlier　grieved　her　more　than　she　would　admit。　He　wanted　a　child；　too；　but　his　feelings　weren't　important；　pared　with　hers。
　His　father　appeared　not　to　have　noticed　the　gaffe；　if　it　could　be　called　that。　He　went　on；　in　mounting　passion；　〃But；　confound　it；　leaving　undiscovered　tombs　to　the　tender　mercies　of　thieves　is　inviting　further　destruction。　Finding　them　first　is　a　variety　of　preservation；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Don't　agree　with　everything　I　say！〃　Emerson　shouted。
　〃No；　sir。〃
　〃You　do　agree；　though。〃
　〃Yes　。　。　。〃　He　cut　off　the　〃sir。〃　Emerson's　morose　expression　indicated　that　he　was　not　in　the　mood　for　raillery。　Ramses　went　on；　〃In　this　case　we　have　an　additional；　equally　defensible　motive　for　exploring　the　area。　One　might　even　call　it　self…defense。〃
　He　hadn't　succeeded　in　cheering　his　father。　Emerson's　brow　darkened　even　more。　〃It's　ridiculous；〃　he　grumbled。　〃I　resent　having　to　waste　time　tracking　down　a　miserable　little　rat　like　Jamil。〃
　Ramses　understood　how　he　felt。　They　had　faced　a　number　of　formidable　enemies　in　the　past。　To　be　defeated；　even　temporarily；　by　such　a　feeble　adversary　was　what　his　father　would　call　a　damned　insult。　It　is　easier　to　trap　a　lion　than　a　rat；　though。　He　decided　not　to　voice　this　forting　adage　aloud。　It　sounded　like　something　his　mother　might　have　said。
　〃We'll　find　him；　Father；〃　he　said。
　〃Hmmh。　Yes。　Er　。　。　。〃　His　father　patted　him　awkwardly　on　the　arm。　〃You'll　get　a　chance　at　your　chapels；　my　boy。　I　promise。〃
　〃But；　Father；　I　don't　want　…〃
　〃This　way。〃
　They　located　two　pit　tombs　which　had　been　ransacked　in　antiquity；　many　shards　of　pottery；　and　a　number　of　hieratic　inscriptions　scratched　onto　the　rock　by　necropolis　inspectors　who　had　visited　the　area　in　pharaonic　times。　Several　of　the　names　were　known　from　similar　graffiti　in　the　Valley　of　the　Kings。　It　was　additional　evidence　that　there　were　tombs；　probably　royal　tombs；　in　the　wadis。　To　Emerson's　extreme　annoyance；　they　found　modern　graffiti　next　to　many　of　them：　the　initials　〃H。　C。〃　and　the　date　〃1916。〃
　〃Carter；　curse　him；〃　he　muttered。
　〃You　shouldn't　hold　it　against　him　just　because　he　got　here　before　you；〃　Ramses　said。
　〃I　was　here　thirty　years　ago；〃　Emerson　retorted。　〃But　I