elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第47节

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ere　to　look　next；　they　had　returned　to　the　house　in　the　hope　that　some　or　all　of　us　had　returned。
　I　cannot　say　that　anyone　behaved　sensibly。　Cyrus　had　sent　for　his　wife；　Sennia　demanded　that　she　be　allowed　to　take　the　Great　Cat　of　Re　out　to　look　for　Ramses；　and　Gargery　had　to　be　forcibly　restrained　from　dashing　wildly　out　of　the　house　waving　a　pistol。　His　grumbles；　on　the　monotonous　theme　of　〃going　off　like　that　without　me〃　were　the　loudest　of　all。
　〃Do　be　still；　Gargery；〃　I　said　sternly。　〃And　the　rest　of　you。　We　had　no　choice　but　to　act　at　once。〃
　〃Quite；〃　said　Emerson；　who　was　having　some　difficulty　smoking　his　pipe　and　drinking　his　whiskey　with　only　one　serviceable　arm。　Nefret　had　tended　to　him；　he　had　a　nice　neat　cast　and　a　proper　sling。　Nefret　had　admitted；　in　confidence；　that　she　had　made　the　cast　twice　as　heavy　and　thick　as　was　usual；　since　she　knew　he　would　keep　hitting　it　against　things。　I　saw　the　logic　of　this；　though　I　knew　it　would　mean　a　few　more　shirts　ruined。　I　had　had　to　cut　a　long　slit　in　the　sleeve　of　the　one　he　was　wearing　so　he　could　get　it　over　the　cast。
　〃Well；　mebbe　so；〃　Cyrus　conceded。　〃But　you　four　should　have　left　word　with　someone。　You　knew　we'd　be　worried。〃
　Ramses　began；　〃I'm　very　…〃
　〃Sorry　be　damned；〃　said　his　father　gruffly。　〃For　all　you　knew；　there　was　not　a　moment　to　lose。　Ramses；　my　boy　…　er　…　thank　you。　Again。〃
　Ramses's　thin　brown　face　broke　into　a　smile。　〃It　wasn't　me；　Father；　it　was　Daoud　and　Jumana。　Sherlock　Holmes　couldn't　have　done　better。〃
　Daoud　beamed。　〃Who　is　Sherlock　Holmes？〃　he　asked。
　〃The　greatest　detective　who　ever　lived；〃　Ramses　replied。　None　of　us　laughed；　for　fear　of　hurting　Daoud's　feelings；　but　Ramses　directed　another　smile　at　me。　〃Except　for　Mother。〃
　Then　we　could　laugh。　I　joined　in　as　heartily　as　the　others；　my　heart　swelling　with　affection。
　〃Sennia；　it　is　long　past　your　bedtime；〃　I　said。　〃Off　you　go。〃
　She　had　to　give　everyone　a　good…night　kiss　and　of　course　she　had　to　have　the　last　word。　〃The　Great　Cat　of　Re　would　have　found　you。〃
　〃Ha；〃　I　said；　but　I　said　it　under　my　breath。　The　kitten　had　grown　very　fat　and　lazy。　Curled　up　on　Ramses's　lap；　it　resembled　a　shapeless　bundle　of　spotted　gray　fur。
　After　Sennia　had　gone　I　took　another　cucumber　sandwich。　I　was　ravenous；　for　the　peas　and　the　foie　gras　that　had　preceded　them　had　done　very　little　to　assuage　the　hunger　resulting　from　long　hours　of　strenuous　manual　labor。
　〃Let　us　now；〃　I　said；　〃discuss　what　we　have　learned。　It　has　not　been　wasted　effort；　though　we　did　let　Jamil　get　away　from　us。〃
　〃I　haven't　learned　a　blamed　thing　except　that　you　two　are　incorrigible；〃　Cyrus　grumbled。
　〃Not　at　all；　Cyrus。　First；　there　is　the　interesting　matter　of　Jamil's　costume。　He　was　not　wearing　Jumana's　clothes。　They　would　have　been　far　too　small　for　him。　He　cannot　have　purchased　them　because　。　。　。　Need　I　explain　my　reasoning？〃
　〃No；〃　Katherine　said。　〃Aside　from　the　question　of　how　he　could　pay　for　them；　I　can't　see　him　going　into　one　of　the　shops　and　trying　on　blouses　and　skirts。〃
　〃That　is　right。　We　will　leave　that　matter　for　the　moment。　I　think　I　know　the　answer；　and　it　can　easily　be　proved。　The　second　clue　。　。　。　Ramses；　at　one　time　you　were　able　to　recall　the　entire　contents　of　a　crowded　storeroom　some　hours　after　you　had　seen　it。　Do　you　remember　what　was　in　Jamil's　hideout？〃
　〃Rugs；　several　jars　。　。　。　I　guess　I　wasn't　paying　attention。　Sorry；　Mother。〃
　〃Quite　understandable；　my　dear；〃　I　said。　His　impulsive　embrace　had　touched　me　deeply；　even　if　it　had　hurt　my　back。　To　see　my　imperturbable　son　forget　all　else　in　the　joy　of　finding　his　parents　alive　and　well　assured　me　that　his　affection　was　sincere　and　profound。
　〃Fortunately　I　had　ample　time　to　inspect　the　place；〃　I　went　on。　〃It　was　well　stocked；　but　the　most　interesting　items　were　the　tins　of　food。　European　food　…　peas　and　beans　and　cabbage；　beef；　even　a　tin　of　foie　gras。　Someone　supplied　him　with　those　delicacies；　or　with　the　money　to　purchase　them。　No；　Jumana；　I　know　it　wasn't　you。〃
　I　knew　because　I　had　been　careful　to　keep　all　the　cash　in　the　house　under　lock　and　key。　Trust　is　a　beautiful　thing；　but　when　someone　has　done　you　an　injury；　you　are　a　fool　if　you　give　him　the　chance　to　do　you　another。
　〃It　is　beginning　to　look　as　if　he　has　found　another　tomb；〃　Ramses　said　thoughtfully。　〃It's　the　only　way　he　could　lay　his　hands　on　that　much　money；　by　selling　some　of　the　artifacts。　Mother；　what　did　you　do　with　that　cosmetic　jar　you　bought　in　Cairo？　I'd　like　to　have　a　closer　look　at　it。〃
　〃Wait　until　after　dinner；〃　I　said；　rising　with　a　suppressed　groan。　Those　long　hours　on　hands　and　knees　in　the　passage；　pulling　the　rubble　out；　had　taken　their　toll　on　my　back；　and　ruined　a　good　pair　of　leather　gloves。
　The　Vandergelts　stayed；　of　course。　Wild　horses　could　not　have　dragged　Cyrus　away；　and　nothing　made　Fatima　happier　than　having　more　people　to　feed。　Some　of　us　were　rather　inclined　to　gobble；　I　am　afraid；　but　I　noticed　that　Bertie　was　not　eating　with　his　usual　healthy　appetite。　Under　cover　of　the　animated　speculations　about　another　tomb；　I　said　softly；　〃Are　you　feeling　well；　Bertie？　How　is　your　ankle？〃
　〃It's　fine。　I　could　walk　or　climb　with　no　trouble；　if　everyone　would　stop　fussing　over　me。〃　Repenting　his　surly　tone　almost　at　once；　he　gave　me　an　apologetic　smile。　〃You　told　me　last　year　you'd　let　me　take　a　hand　in　your　next　adventure；　remember？　I　haven't　done　a　bl　…　…　blasted　thing　to　help！　It's　nobody's　fault　but　mine；　I　know　that；　I'm　so　confounded　clumsy　and　stupid　…〃
　〃Now　don't　say　that；　Bertie。　Anyone　could　suffer　an　accident　like　yours；　and　we　are　still　a　long　way　from　a　solution　to　this　matter。　Who　knows；　your　opportunity　may　e　at　any　moment。〃
　The　corners　of　his　mouth　drooped。　〃Yes；　ma'am；　I　hope　so。　I've　been　sitting　in　that　chair　staring　at　the　same　scenery　for　so　long；　it's　driving　me　crazy。　I　swear；　I　know　every　crack　in　that　cliff　face　and　every　brick　in　those　house　walls。〃
　〃We　will　have　another　look　at　your　foot；　Nefret　and　I；〃　I　promised。　〃Perhaps　with　a　little　strapping　you　can　begin　to　move　about　more。〃
　As　soon　as　we　had　finished　dinner　we　retired　to　the　drawing　room；　and　I　went　to　fetch　the　cosmetic　jar　and　lid　and　the　other　odds　and　ends　I　had　purchased　from　Aslimi。　Emerson　arranged　the　lamps　to　give　the　maximum　amount　of　light　and　Ramses　took　the　jar　in　his　long　fingers。
　〃There　was　a　cartouche；〃　he　said；　after　a　moment。　〃I　think　I　can　make　out　a　few　lines。〃　He　turned　the　jar　from　side　to　side；　so　that　the　light　came　at　it　from　different　angles。　〃Paper　and　pencil；　Nefret；　please。〃
　The　sketch　he　produced　was；　I　confess；　something　of　a　letdown。　There　was　a　great　expanse　of　blank　paper　and　a　few　random　lines；　some　horizontal；　some　perpendicular；　some　curved。　Ramses　studied　it　for　a　few　moments　and　then　began　filling　in　the　missing　spaces；　connecting　one　section　to　another；　as　one　does　in　a　certain　kind　of　child's　puzzle。　Finally　he　put　the　pencil　down。　〃That's　all　I　can　be　certain　of。　It's　enough；　though。〃
　Not　to　me；　I　thought；　studying　the　hypothetical　hieroglyphs　in　puzzlement。　There　were　only　a　few：　a　long；　thin；　squared…off　sign；　the　jagged　line　of　the　water　hieroglyph；　and　a　pair　of　curving　horns。
　〃Not　to　me；〃　said　Emerson。
　〃There　is　only　one　royal　cartouche　that　contains　those　particular　signs；〃　Ramses　said。　〃To　the　best　of　my　knowledge；　that　is。　This　is　how　the　rest　of　it　looks。〃　He　pleted　the　name　and　Emerson　let　out　a　gasp。
　〃Shepenwepet。　By　the　Almighty；　the　boy　has　found　one　of　the　Divine　Wives　of　Amon！〃
　
　　
　
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　We　sat　up　late　that　night；　going　over　and　over　the　astonishing　revelation　…　for　none　of　us　doubted　Ramses's　reconstruction　of　the　cartouche。　In　the　end　we　were　forced　to　the　conclusion　that　there　was　absolutely　no　way　of　knowing　where　in　the　immense　Theban　necropolis　Jamil's　hypothetical　tomb　might　be。　The　cosmetic　pot　in　itself　told　us　nothing；　except　that　Jamil　was　not　as　stupid　as　we　had　believed。
　〃It　is　a　mon　error；〃　I　admitted；　in　chagrin；　〃to　assume　that　because　someone　is　uneducated　and　illiterate　he　is　necessarily　ignorant。　There　are　ways　of　acquiring　knowledge　other　than　by　reading。　Jamil　had　worked　for　a　number　of　Egyptologists　and　he　knew　a　great　deal　about　tomb　robbing　…　more　than　we　know；　I　expect。　He　had　sense　enough　to　realize　that　such　a　cartouche　would　arouse　speculation；　so　he　removed　it；　even　though　he　lost　money　thereby。　Are　you　certain　it　was　done　recently；　Ramses；　not　in　ancient　times；　by　someone　who　wanted　to　reuse　the　jar？〃
　Ramses　was　certain。　The　little　pot　was　not　an　essential　part　of　the　funerary　equipment；　like　a　canopic　jar　or　a　sarcophagus。　Besides；　the　marks　were　fresh。　The　patina　…　
　Emerson　had　cut　him　off　at　that　point；　remarking　that　we　would　take　his　word　for　it。
　The　other　bits　and　pieces　I　had　purchased　from　Aslimi　were　even　less　informative。　As　we　all　knew；　the　same　techniques　and　motifs　had　been　used　throughout　pharaonic　history。　They　might　not　have　e　from　the　same　place　as　the　jar；　there　was　no　way　of　dating　them。
　〃So　where　are　we　gonna　look　next？〃　Cyrus　asked　hopefully。　〃The　western　wadis　again？〃
　〃We　certainly　are　not　going　off　on　a　series　of　random　searches；〃　Emerson　replied；　extracting　his　pipe　and　tobacco　p