cleopatra-第36节

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bodies　forth　those　shadowy　forms　of　fear　it　dreads　to　see。　Nay；　I　must

look　upon　these　emeralds；　indeed；　if　I　die；　I　must　look！　Cometo　the

work！〃　and　stooping；　she　with　her　own　hands　lifted　from　the　tomb　one

of　the　four　alabaster　jars；　each　sealed　with　the　graven　likeness　of

the　heads　of　the　protecting　Gods；　that　held　the　holy　heart　and

entrails　of　the　Divine　Menkau…ra。　But　nothing　was　found　in　these　jars；

save　only　what　should　be　there。



Then　together　we　mounted　on　the　Sphinx；　and　with　toil　drew　forth　the

body　of　the　Divine　Pharaoh；　laying　it　on　the　ground。　Now　Cleopatra

took　my　dagger；　and　with　it　cut　loose　the　bandages　which　held　the

wrappings　in　their　place；　and　the　lotus…flowers　that　had　been　set　in

them　by　loving　hands；　three　thousand　years　before；　fell　down　upon　the

pavement。　Then　we　searched　and　found　the　end　of　the　outer　bandage；

which　was　fixed　in　at　the　hinder　part　of　the　neck。　This　we　cut　loose；

for　it　was　glued　fast。　This　done；　we　began　to　unroll　the　wrappings　of

the　holy　corpse。　Setting　my　shoulders　against　the　sarcophagus；　I　sat

upon　the　rocky　floor；　the　body　resting　on　my　knees；　and；　as　I　turned

it；　Cleopatra　unwound　the　cloths；　and　awesome　was　the　task。　Presently

something　fell　out；　it　was　the　sceptre　of　the　Pharaoh；　fashioned　of

gold；　and　at　its　end　was　a　pomegranate　cut　from　a　single　emerald。



Cleopatra　seized　the　sceptre　and　gazed　on　it　in　silence。　Then　once

more　we　went　on　with　our　dread　business。　And　ever　as　we　unwound；　other

ornaments　of　gold；　such　as　are　buried　with　Pharaohs；　fell　from　the

wrappingscollars　and　bracelets；　models　of　sistra；　an　inlaid　axe；　and

an　image　of　the　holy　Osiris　and　of　the　holy　Khem。　At　length　all　the

bandages　were　unwound；　and　beneath　we　found　a　covering　of　coarsest

linen；　for　in　those　very　ancient　days　the　craftsmen　were　not　so

skilled　in　matters　pertaining　to　the　embalming　of　the　body　as　they　are

now。　And　on　the　linen　was　written　in　an　oval；　〃Menkau…ra；　Royal　Son　of

the　Sun。〃　We　could　in　no　wise　loosen　this　linen；　it　held　so　firm　on　to

the　body。　Therefore；　faint　with　the　great　heat；　choked　with　mummy　dust

and　the　odour　of　spices；　and　trembling　with　fear　of　our　unholy　task；

wrought　in　that　most　lonesome　and　holy　place；　we　laid　the　body　down；

and　ripped　away　the　last　covering　with　the　knife。　First　we　cleared

Pharaoh's　head；　and　now　the　face　that　no　man　had　gazed　on　for　three

thousand　years　was　open　to　our　view。　It　was　a　great　face；　with　a　bold

brow；　yet　crowned　with　the　royal　ur？us；　beneath　which　the　white　locks；

stained　yellow　by　the　spices；　fell　in　long；　straight　wisps。　Not　the

cold　stamp　of　death；　and　not　the　slow　flight　of　three　thousand　years；

had　found　power　to　mar　the　dignity　of　those　shrunken　features。　We

gazed　on　them；　and　then；　made　bold　with　fear；　stripped　the　covering

from　the　body。　There　at　last　it　lay　before　us；　stiff；　yellow；　and

dread　to　see；　and　on　the　left　side；　above　the　thigh；　was　the　cut

through　which　the　embalmers　had　done　their　work；　but　it　was　sewn　up　so

deftly　that　we　could　scarcely　find　the　mark。



〃The　gems　are　within；〃　I　whispered；　for　I　felt　that　the　body　was　very

heavy。　〃Now；　if　thy　heart　fail　thee　not；　thou　must　make　an　entry　to

this　poor　house　of　clay　that　once　was　Pharaoh；〃　and　I　gave　her　the

daggerthe　same　dagger　which　had　drunk　the　life　of　Paulus。



〃It　is　too　late　to　doubt；〃　she　answered；　lifting　her　white　beauteous

face　and　fixing　her　blue　eyes　all　big　with　terror　upon　my　own。　She

took　the　dagger；　and　with　set　teeth　the　Queen　of　this　day　plunged　it

into　the　dead　breast　of　the　Pharaoh　of　three　thousand　years　ago。　And

even　as　she　did　so　there　came　a　groaning　sound　from　the　opening　to　the

shaft　where　we　had　left　the　eunuch！　We　leapt　to　our　feet；　but　heard　no

more；　and　the　lamp…light　still　streamed　down　through　the　opening。



〃It　is　nothing；〃　I　said。　〃Let　us　make　an　end。〃



Then　with　much　toil　we　hacked　and　rent　the　hard　flesh　open；　and　as　we

did　so　I　heard　the　knife　point　grate　upon　the　gems　within。



Cleopatra　plunged　her　hand　into　the　dead　breast　and　drew　forth

somewhat。　She　held　it　to　the　light；　and　gave　a　little　cry；　for　from

the　darkness　of　Pharaoh's　heart　there　flashed　into　light　and　life　the

most　beauteous　emerald　that　ever　man　beheld。　It　was　perfect　in　colour；

very　large；　without　a　flaw；　and　fashioned　to　a　scarab？us　form；　and　on

the　under　side　was　an　oval；　inscribed　with　the　divine　name　of

Menkau…ra；　Son　of　the　Sun。



Again；　again；　and　yet　again；　she　plunged　in　her　hand　and　drew　emeralds

from　Pharaoh's　breast　bedded　there　in　spices。　Some　were　fashioned　and

some　were　not；　but　all　were　perfect　in　colour　without　a　flaw；　and　in

value　priceless。　Again　and　again　she　plunged　her　white　hand　into　that

dread　breast；　till　at　length　all　were　found；　and　there　were　one

hundred　and　forty　and　eight　of　such　gems　as　are　not　known　in　the

world。　The　last　time　that　she　searched　she　brought　forth　not　emeralds；

indeed；　but　two　great　pearls；　wrapped　in　linen；　such　as　never　have

been　seen。　And　of　these　pearls　more　hereafter。



So　it　was　done；　and　all　the　mighty　treasure　lay　glittering　in　a　heap

before　us。　There　it　lay；　and　there；　too；　lay　the　regalia　of　gold；　the

spiced　and　sickly…scented　wrappings；　and　the　torn　body　of　white…haired

Pharaoh　Menkau…ra；　the　Osirian；　the　ever　living　in　Amenti。



We　rose；　and　a　great　awe　fell　upon　us；　now　that　the　deed　was　done　and

our　hearts　were　no　more　upborne　by　the　rage　of　searchso　great　an

awe；　indeed；　that　we　could　not　speak。　I　made　a　sign　to　Cleopatra。　She

grasped　the　head　of　Pharaoh　and　I　grasped　his　feet；　and　together　we

lifted　him；　climbed　the　Sphinx；　and　placed　him　once　more　within　his

coffin。　I　piled　the　torn　mummy　cloths　over　him　and　on　them　laid　the

lid　of　the　coffin。



And　now　we　gathered　up　the　great　gems；　and　such　of　the　ornaments　as

might　be　carried　with　ease；　and　I　hid　them　as　many　as　I　could；　in　the

folds　of　my　robe。　Those　that　were　left　Cleopatra　hid　upon　her　breast。

Heavily　laden　with　the　priceless　treasure；　we　gave　one　last　look　at

the　solemn　place；　at　the　sarcophagus　and　the　Sphinx　on　which　it

rested；　whose　gleaming　face　of　calm　seemed　to　mock　us　with　its

everlasting　smile　of　wisdom。　Then　we　turned　and　went　from　the　tomb。



At　the　shaft　we　halted。　I　called　to　the　eunuch；　who　stayed　above；　and

methought　a　faint　mocking　laugh　answered　me。　Too　smitten　with　terror

to　call　again；　and　fearing　that；　should　we　delay；　Cleopatra　would

certainly　swoon；　I　seized　the　rope；　and　being　strong　and　quick　mounted

by　it　and　gained　the　passage。　There　burnt　the　lamp：　but　the　eunuch　I

saw　not。　Thinking；　surely；　that　he　was　a　little　way　down　the　passage；

and　sleptas；　in　truth；　he　didI　bade　Cleopatra　make　the　rope　fast

about　her　middle；　and　with　much　labour；　drew　her　up。　Then；　having

rested　awhile；　we　moved　with　the　lamps　to　seek　for　the　eunuch。



〃He　was　stricken　with　terror　and　has　fled；　leaving　the　lamp；〃　said

Cleopatra。　〃O　ye　Gods！　who　is　/that/　seated　there？〃



I　peered　into　the　darkness；　thrusting　out　the　lamps；　and　this　was　what

their　light　fell　onthis　at　the　very　dream　of　which　my　soul　sickens！

There；　facing　us；　his　back　resting　against　the　rock；　and　his　hands

splayed　on　either　side　upon　the　floor；　sat　the　eunuch/dead！/　His

eyes　and　mouth　were　open；　his　fat　cheeks　dropped　down；　his　thin　hair

yet　seemed　to　bristle；　and　on　his　countenance　was　frozen　such　a　stamp

of　hideous　terror　as　well　might　turn　the　beholder's　brain。　And　lo！

fixed　to　his　chin；　by　its　hinder　claws；　hung　that　grey　and　mighty　bat；

which；　flying　forth　when　we　entered　the　pyramid；　vanished　in　the　sky；

but；　returning；　had　followed　us　to　its　depths。　There　it　hung　upon　the

dead　man's　chin　slowly　rocking　itself　to　and　fro；　and　we　could　see　the

fiery　eyes　shining　in　its　head。



Aghast；　utterly　aghast；　we　stood　and　stared　at　the　hateful　sight；　till

presently　the　bat　spread　his　huge　wings　and；　losing　his　hold；　sailed

to　us。　Now　he　hovered　before　Cleopatra's　face；　fanning　her　with　his

white　wings。　Then　with　a　scream；　like　a　woman's　shriek　of　fury；　the

accursed　Thing　flittered　on；　seeking　his　violated　tomb；　and　vanished

down　the　well　into　the　sepulchre。　I　fell　against　the　wall。　But

Cleopatra　sank　in　a　heap　upon　the　floor；　and；　covering　her　head　with

her　arms；　she　shrieked　till　the　hollow　passages　rang　with　the　echoes

of　her　cries；　that　seemed　to　grow　and　double　and　rush　along　the　depths

in　volumes　of　shrill　sound。



〃Rise！〃　I　cried；　〃rise　and　let　us　hence　before　the　Spirit　shall　return

to　haunt　us！　If　thou　dost　suffer　thyself　to　be　overwhelmed　in　this

place　thou　art　lost　for　ever。〃



She　staggered　to　her　feet；　and　never　may　I　forget　the　look　upon　her

ashy　face　or　in　her　glowing　eyes。　Seizing　lamps　with　a　rush；　we　passed

the　dead　eunuch's　horrid　form；　I　holding　her　by　the　hand。　We　gained

the　great　chamber；　where　was　the　sarcophagus　of　the　Queen　of

Menkau…ra；　and　traversed　its　length。　We　fled　along　the　passage。　What

if　the　Thing　had　closed　the　three　migh