anner.themummy-第40节

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　Henry　was　being　positively　agitated。　He　had　drunk　the　second　glass　of　Scotch　and　now　sat　plastered　to　the　back　of　his　chair；　merely　staring　at　Ramses'　hands　as　he　ate。
　
　〃Oh；　you　know；〃　　Alex　said　blithely。〃　The　fellow　was　a　great　braggart。　He　built　monuments　to　himself　all　over　the　place。　He　bragged　endlessly　about　his　victories；　his　wives　and　his　sons！　So　that's　the　mummy；　and　all　this　time　I　didn't　realize。〃
　
　〃What　in　the　world　are　you　talking　about！〃　　Julie　said　suddenly。
　
　〃Is　there　any　other　Egyptian　King　in　history　who　won　so　many　victories；〃　　Ramses　said　heatedly；〃　and　pleasured　so　many　wives；　and　lathered　so　many　sons？　And　surely　you　understand　that　in　erecting　so　many　statues；　the　Pharaoh　was　giving　to　his　people　exactly　what　they　wanted。〃
　
　〃Now；　that's　a　novel　view！〃　　Alex　said　sarcastically；　laying　down　his　knife　and　fork。〃　You　don't　mean　the　slaves　enjoyed　being　flogged　to　death　in　the　burning　sun　to　build　all　those　temples　and　colossal　statues？〃
　
　〃Slaves；　flogged　to　death　in　the　hot　sun？〃　　Ramses　asked。〃　What　are　you　saying！　This　did　not　happen！〃　　He　turned　to　Julie。
　
　〃Alex；　that's　merely　one　theory　of　how　the　monuments　were　pleted；〃　　she　said。〃　No　one　really　knows　。。。〃
　
　〃Well；　I　know；〃　　Ramses　said。
　
　〃Everyone　has　his　theory！〃　　Julie　said；　raising　her　voice　slightly　and　glaring　at　Ramses。
　
　〃Well；　for　heaven's　sake；〃　　Alex　said；〃　the　man　built　enormous　statues　of　himself　from　one　end　of　Egypt　to　another。　You　can't　tell　me　the　people　wouldn't　have　been　a　lot　happier　tending　their　flowerbeds。　。。。〃
　
　〃Young　man；　you　are　most　strange！〃　　said　Ramses。〃　What　do　you　know　about　the　people　of　Egypt？　Slaves；　you　speak　of　slaves　when　your　slums　are　filled　with　starving　children。　The　people　wanted　the　monuments。　They　took　pride　in　their　temples。　When　the　Nile　overflowed　its　banks　there　could　be　no　work　in　the　fields；　and　the　monuments　became　the　passion　of　the　nation。　Labour　wasn't　forced。　It　didn't　have　to　be。　The　Pharaoh　was　as　a　god；　and　he　had　to　do　what　his　people　expected　of　him。〃
　
　〃Surely　you're　sentimentalizing　it　a　bit；〃　　said　Elliott；　but　he　was　plainly　fascinated。
　
　Henry　had　turned　white。　He　was　no　longer　moving　at　all。　His　fresh　glass　of　Scotch　stood　untouched。
　
　〃Not　in　the　least；〃　　Ramses　argued。〃　The　people　of　Egypt　were　proud　of　Ramses　the　Great。　He　drove　back　the　enemies；　he　conquered　the　Hittites；　he　maintained　the　peace　in　Upper　and　Lower　Egypt　for　sixty…four　years　of　his　reign！　What　other　Pharaoh　ever　brought　such　tranquillity　to　the　land　of　the　great　river！　You　know　what　happened　afterwards；　don't　you？〃
　
　〃Reginald；〃　　Julie　said　under　her　breath；〃　does　this　really　matter　so　much！〃
　
　〃Well；　apparently　it　matters　to　your　father's　friend；〃　　said　Elliott。〃　I　suspect　the　ancient　Kings　were　perfect　tyrants。　I　suspect　they　beat　their　subjects　to　death　if　they　didn't　work　on　those　absurd　monuments。　The　pyramids；　how　for　example…〃
　
　〃You　are　not　so　stupid；　Lord　Rutherford；〃　　said　Ramses。〃　You　are　。。。　how　do　you　say　。。。　baiting　me。　Were　Englishmen　whipped　in　the　streets　when　they　built　your　St。　Paul's　or　Westminster　Abbey？　The　Tower　of　London；　this　is　the　work　of　slaves？〃
　
　〃No　one　knows　these　answers；〃　　Samir　said　meekly。〃　Perhaps　we　should　attempt　to…〃
　
　〃There's　a　great　deal　of　truth　in　what　you　say；〃　　Elliott　said；　ignoring　Samir。〃　But　with　regard　to　the　great　Ramses；　you　must　admit；　he　was　an　exceptionally　immodest　ruler。　The　stele　which　brag　of　his　acplishments　are　laughable。〃
　
　〃Sir；　really；〃　　Samir　said。
　
　〃They　are　nothing　of　the　sort；〃　　said　Ramses。〃　This　was　the　style　of　the　times；　the　way　the　people　wanted　their　ruler　to　represent　himself。　Don't　you　understand？　The　ruler　was　the　people。　For　the　people　to　be　great；　the　ruler　had　to　be　great！　The　ruler　was　the　slave　of　the　people　when　it　came　to　their　wishes；　then…needs；　their　welfare。〃
　
　〃Oh；　surely　you　don't　mean　the　old　fellow　was　a　martyr！〃　　Alex　scoffed。　Never　had　Julie　seen　him　so　aggressive。
　
　〃Perhaps　it's　not　possible　for　a　modern　mind　to　prehend　an　ancient　mind　so　easily；〃　　Elliott　conceded。〃　I　wonder　if　the　opposite　is　true。　Whether　a　man　of　ancient　times；　brought　to　life　again；　in　this　era；　could　understand　our　values。〃
　
　〃You're　not　so　difficult　to　understand；〃　　Ramses　said。〃　You've　learned　to　express　yourselves　too　well　for　anything　to　remain　veiled　or　mysterious。　Your　newspapers　and　books　tell　everything。　Yet　you　are　not　so　different　from　your　ancient　ancestors。　You　want　love；　you　want　fort；　you　want　justice。　That　is　what　the　Egyptian　farmer　wanted　when　he　went　out　to　till　his　fields。　That　is　what　the　labourers　of　London　want。　And　as　always　the　rich　are　jealous　of　what　they　possess。　And　greed　leads　to　high　crimes　as　it　always　has。〃
　
　He　turned　his　eyes　mercilessly　on　Henry；　who　was　now　staring　back　at　him　directly。　Julie　looked　in　desperation　to　Samir。
　
　〃Why；　you　speak　of　this　era　as　if　you　have　nothing　to　do　with　it！〃　　Alex　said。
　
　〃So　what　you're　saying；〃　　Elliott　said；〃　is　that　we're　no　better　and　no　worse　than　the　ancient　Egyptian。〃
　
　Henry　reached　for　his　drink　and　suddenly　knocked　it　over。　Then　he　reached　for　the　wine　and　drank　it　down。　His　white　face　was　now　moist　all　over。　His　lower　lip　was　trembling。　He　looked　for　all　the　world　like　a　man　about　to　be　seriously　ill。
　
　〃No；　that　is　not　what　I'm　saying；〃　　Ramses　said　thoughtfully。〃　You　are　better。　Better　in　a　thousand　ways。　And　yet　you're　still　human。　You　haven't　found　all　the　answers　yet。　Electricity；　telephones；　these　are　lovely　magic。　But　the　poor　go　unfed。　Men　kill　for　what　they　cannot　gain　by　their　own　labour。　How　to　share　the　magic；　the　riches；　the　secrets；　that　is　still　the　problem。〃
　
　〃Ah；　there　you　have　it。　Marxism；　1　told　you；〃　　Alex　said。〃　Well；　at　Oxford　they　told　us　Ramses　the　Second　was　a　bloody　tyrant。〃
　
　〃Be　quiet；　Alex；〃　　said　Elliott　dismissively。　He　turned　to　Ramses。〃　Why　does　this　concern　you　so；　these　questions　of　greed　and　power？〃
　
　〃Oxford？　What　is　Oxford？〃　　Ramses　asked；　glancing　at　Alex。　Then　he　stared　again　at　Henry；　and　Henry　moved　his　chair　abruptly　backwards。　He　appeared　to　be　hanging　on　to　the　table　as　if　to　steady　himself。　The　waiters；　meantime；　had　taken　the　fish　away　and　were　setting　down　the　roast　chicken　and　potatoes。　Someone　poured　another　drink　for　Henry；　which　he　emptied　at　once。
　
　〃You're　going　to　be　ill；〃　　Elliott　said　to　him　under　his　breath。
　
　〃Wait　a　minute；〃　　Alex　said。〃　You've　never　heard　of　Oxford！〃
　
　〃No；　what　is　it？〃　　Ramses　asked。
　
　〃Oxford；　egomania；　aspirin；　Marxism；〃　　Elliott　said。〃　Your　head　is　in　the　clouds；　Mr。　Ramsey。〃
　
　〃Yes；　like　that　of　a　colossal　statue！〃　　Ramses　smiled。
　
　〃But　you're　still　a　Marxist；〃　　Alex　said。
　
　〃Alex；　Mr。　Ramsey　is　not　a　Marxist！〃　　Julie　said；　unable　any　longer　to　contain　her　rage。〃　And　as　I　recall；　your　favorite　subject　at　Oxford　was　sports；　wasn't　it？　Boat　races　and　football？　You've　never　studied　Egyptian　history　or　Marxism；　am　I　right？〃
　
　〃Yes；　darling。　I　don't　know　a　thing　about　ancient　Egypt；〃　　he　conceded；　a　bit　crestfallen。〃　But　there　is　that　poem；　Mr。　Ramsey；　that　poem　about　Ramses　the　Great　by　Shelley。　You　have　heard　it；　have　you　not？　Let's　see；　some　damnable　old　teacher　made　me　memorize　it。〃
　
　〃Perhaps　we　should　return　to　the　question　of　the　journey；〃
　
　Samir　said；〃　It　shall　be　very　hot　in　Luxor。　Perhaps　you　will　want　to　go　only　as　far　as…〃
　
　〃Yes；　and　the　reasons　for　the　journey；〃　　Elliott　said。〃　Are　you　investigating　the　claims　made　by　'the　mummy'？〃
　
　〃What　claims？〃　　Julie　asked　weakly。〃　I　don't　know　what　you　mean　specifically。　。。。〃
　
　〃You　know。　You　told　me　yourself；〃　　Elliott　answered。〃　And　then　there　was　your　father's　notebook；　which　I　read；　at　your　behest。　The　mummy's　claim　to　be　immortal；　to　have　lived　and　loved　Cleopatra。〃
　
　Ramses　looked　down　at　his　plate。　Deftly　he　broke　off　a　joint　of　the　chicken　and　ate　half　of　it　in　two　quick；　delicate　bites。
　
　〃The　museum　will　have　to　examine　those　texts；〃　　Samir　said。〃　It's　too　early　to　draw　conclusions。〃
　
　〃And　is　the　museum　content　that　you've　left　the　collection　locked　up　in　Mayfair？〃　　asked　Elliott。
　
　〃Frankly；〃　　Alex　said；〃　the　whole　thing　sounded　perfectly　absurd　to　me。　Romantic　twaddle。　An　immortal　being；　living　for　a　thousand　years　and　then　falling　tragically　in　love　with　Cleopatra。　Cleopatra！〃
　
　〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　　Ramses　said。　He　devoured　the　remaining　chicken　and　wiped　his　fingers　again。〃　At　your　famous　Oxford；　they　said　mean　things　about　Cleopatra　as　well。〃
　
　Alex　laughed　frankly　and　cheerfully。
　
　〃You　don't　have　to　go　to　Oxford　to　hear　mean　things　about　Cleopatra。　Why；　she　was　the　trollop　of　the　ancient　world；　a　spendthrift；　a　temptress　and　an　hysterical　woman。〃
　
　〃Alex；　I　don't　want　to　hear　any　more　of　this　schoolboy　history！〃　　Julie　said。
　
　〃You　have　many　opinions；　young　man；〃　　Ramses　said　with　a　chilling　smile。〃　What　is　your　passion　now？　What　interests　you？〃
　
　There　was　a　silence。　Julie　couldn't　help　but　notice　the　curious　expression　on　Elliott's　face。
　
　〃Well；〃　　Alex　said。〃　If　you　were　an　immortal…an　immortal　who'd　once　been　a　great　King；　would　you　have　f