jherbert.sepulchre-第46部分

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　in　authority　sanctions　it。　We　regard　anything　that　happens　within　the　walls　of　Magma　as　pany　business；　and　only　I　or　my　executive　officers　may　deem　otherwise。'
　　'Good　Lord；　man；　this　has　nothing　to　do　with　your　business。　It's　possible　that　medical　attention　might　have　saved　him。'　Sir　Victor　was　adamant。　'No；　I　can　assure　you　he　was　quite　dead。　Nothing　could　have　helped　him；　nothing　at　all。'
　　'Well　I　suggest　you　call　for　an　ambulance　now。'
　　'Yes；　of　course。　But　first　we　must　talk。　Please　allow　me　a　few　minutes。'
　　'Is　there　good　reason？'　The　chairman　looked　away　from　the　corpse。　'I　believe　so；'　he　said　quietly。
　　The　stairboards　groaned　under　his　weight。　He　thought　one　or　two　might　break　altogether　and　quickly　shifted　his　footing。　It　seemed　a　long　climb　to　the　bend　in　the　stairs；　as　if　time　itself　were　being　stretched；　and　at　any　second　he　expected　someone　to　appear　above　him；　so　strong　was　the　feeling　of　another's　presence　inside　the　lodge…house。
　　He　stopped　for　a　few　moments　when　his　head　came　level　with　the　landing；　and　listened　again；　depending　on　hearing　rather　than　seeing　in　such　poor　light。　There　were　three　doors　along　the　upstairs　hallway；　one　to　the　left　of　the　staircase；　one　directly　in　front；　the　last　further　down。　The　latter　would　have　a　view　overlooking　the　entrance　gates；　but　it　was　not　for　that　reason　alone　Halloran　chose　to　inspect　it　first：　he　knew；　as　surely　as　if　someone　were　calling　him；　that　he　would　find　what　he　was　searching　for　inside　there。
　　As　with　the　rest　of　the　house；　bare　boards　was　the　only　flooring　along　the　landing　and　he　saw　no　reason　to　avoid　making　noise　as　he　walked　its　length…it　was　too　late　for　that。　Nevertheless；　his　movement　was　stealthy　and　his　right　hand　was　kept　free；　ready　to　snatch　the　gun　from　its　holster　at　the　slightest　provocation；　even　though　he　was　there　in　his　role　as　Kline's　protector；　not　as　an　enemy。
　　The　smell　of　rotting　was　nauseating　as　he　drew　close　to　the　door　and　he　swallowed　the　wetness　rising　in　his　throat。
　　Halloran　went　on　by　the　door；　going　to　the　window　at　the　tar　end　of　the　hallway。　He　pushed　aside　half…drawn　curtains；　the　coarse　material　stiffened　with　dust；　and　rubbed　a　palm　against　the　dirt　on　the　glass；　clearing　a　section　to　see　out。　Moonlight　glimmered　from　the　roof　and　bonnet　of　the　Mercedes　below；　the　iron　bars　of　the　entrance　gates　looked　blackly　solid；　the　undergrowth　opposite　seemed　impenetrable。　Light　withered　as　a　cloud　rolled　over　the　moon。
　　Halloran　returned　to　the　door；　his　torch　haloing　the　handle。　fie　pressed　his　ear　close　to　the　wood；　but　heard　no　sounds　from　the　other　side。　Hitching　the　bag　so　that　it　was　secure　on　his　shoulder；　he　reached　for　the　doorhandle。
　　He　was　sure　the　door　would　be　locked。　It　wasn't。
　　He　expected　to　use　force　to　push　the　door　open。　It　opened　smoothly。
　　He　thought　he　would　confront　the　lodge…keeper；　the　guardian　of　the　gates。
　　Instead　he　met　his　past。
　　　
　　　
　　　34　INTO　THE　PIT
　　
　　Kline　moaned　as　Khayed　ministered　the　lotion　to　his　ruptured　skin。　The　burning　would　soon　pass；　the　Arab　assured　him；　and　Kline　knew　the　truth　of　what　he　said；　his　loyal　servants　had　soothed　him　with　their　oils　many　times　before。　But　that　was　when　the　sloughing　of　his　skin　had　been　expected；　had　bee　a　ritual；　a　ceremony　to　be　indulged　in；　to　be　celebrated；　for　it　was　the　outward　sign　of　spiritual　rejuvenation。　And　a　continuance　of　his　own　servitude。
　　He　uttered　a　cry；　more　in　fear　than　in　pain。　Daoud　misunderstood　and　hurried　forward　with　the　syringe。　'Mouallem？'　Kline　saw　the　needle　and　raised　a　hand　to　deny　the　morphine；　for　the　drug　would　dim　his　thoughts；　euphoria　would　blunt　the　danger　that　was　so　close。　Yet　his　senses　were　already　hindered；　for　dread　gnawed　at　them　like　some　avaricious　parasite。　The　killing　that　day　of　the　enemy　within　had　not　calmed　his　unease；　as　he　thought　it　would；　instead　the　mental　effort　had　further　drained　his　psyche；　and　weakened　him　physically。　The　death　of　Quinn…Reece　had　not　resolved　his　own　anguish；　but　had　merely　contributed　to　his　present　condition。
　　He　beckoned　Daoud　forward　again；　speaking　to　the　Arab　in　his　native　tongue。　'A　moderate　amount；　Youssef。　Enough　only　to　soften　my　。　。　。'　he　almost　said　fear'。　。　。　my　pain。'　The　needle　was　like　a　blade　heated　by　fire；　but　Kline's　scream　swiftly　relaxed　to　a　sigh　as　his　senses　began　to　float。　Soon　he　dreamed；　but　in　truth；　it　was　a　memory　。　。　。　。　。　he　lowered　himself　into　the　pit；　terribly　afraid。　It　was　so　deep；　so　black。　But　for　that　reason；　it　would　yield　even　greater　treasures。　Why　else　should　it　be　so　skilfully　concealed　from　the　other　sepulchres？　The　reward　for　his　courage　would　indeed　be　great！　The　Jewish　merchant　in　Jerusalem　had　promised　him　that。　Journey　to　Ur；　find　employment　with　the　English　archaeologist。　He　needs　men　of　education；　people　who　can　direct　the　lazy　and　treacherous　labourers；　and　who　will　appreciate　and　understand　the　cultural　value　of　his　great　discovery。　The　Arabs　will　obey　because　the　Englishman　will　put　his　trust　in　you　and　they　will　have　little　choice。　You　are　clever；　you　are　cunning。　Bring　back　to　me　what　；small　treasures　you　can　easily　steal　and　I　will　make　you　a　rich　man；　for　I　have　collectors　who　will　pay　kings'　ransoms　for　the　most　meagre　of　items　from　the　fabulous　and　glorious　era！　These　Arabs　are　plunderers；　destroyers；　scum　of　the　earth；　and　care　nothing　for　their　heritage。　They　will　allow　their　own　history　to　be　taken　from　them　by　foreigners。　But　we　will　profit　by　their　stupidity；　my　young　friend。　And　we　will　bring　great　joy　to　those　who　honour　such　relics。
　　The　journey　to　the　Royal　Cemetery　of　Ur　had　been　long　and　wearisome　and　he　had　worried　that　the　dig　would　be　over　by　the　time　he　arrived　there；　but　no；　there　was　still　much　work　to　be　done；　many　more　tombs　that　lay　at　the　bottom　of　deep　shafts　beneath　thousands　of　surface　graves　to　be　revealed。　And　the　merchant　had　been　correct：　the　team　of　foreigners　needed　several　of　his　ilk　to　organise　the　transient　labour　force；　arrange　permits　and　payroll；　maintain　supplies　and　medicines；　as　well　as　sectoring　the　site　against　thieving　infiltrators。　He　had　worked　diligently；　never　being　too　greedy　with　his　own　finds；　taking　only　those　objects　small　enough　to　be　smuggled　safely　from　the　camp　to　the　single　roam　he　had　rented　inside　the　city；　a　place　where　he　could　hide　his　private　cache　and　where　every　so　often；　the　merchant　from　Jerusalem　would　arrive　to　relieve　him　of　the　treasures。　The　system　worked　well　and　when　all　was　plete；　the　merchant　assured　him；　the　profits　would　be　admirable。
　　He　had　not　e　upon　the　secret　tunnel　leading　to　the　pit　by　accident；　for　he　had　always　had　the　gift；　the　seeing　in　the　mind；　the　ability　to　predict　a　death　before　it　was　claimed；　a　birth　before　conception；　to　judge　beforehand　good　fortune　for　some；　tragedy　for　others。　Even　when　he　was　a　child；　should　his　mother　lose　a　needle；　it　was　he　whom　she　urged　to　find　it；　。should　his　father　misplace　an　article；　it　was　the　boy　who　sought　out　its　hiding　place。　Later；　when　his　gift　became　known　to　others；　it　was　he　who　was　taken　into　arid　territories　to　locate　a　source　of　water　beneath　the　soil　so　that　new　settlements　could　be　built　around　it。　Rewards　for　that　rare　inner　knowledge　had　paid　for　his　welfare　and　education　after　his　entire　family　had　been　taken　by　disease　（strangely　a　tragedy　he　had　not　been　able　to　predict）。　So　it　was　that　the　merchant　realised　the　young　man's　potential　when　the　great　find　outside　the　distant　city　of　Ur　in　the　land　where　the　ancient　Sumerians　had　once　reigned　became　world　news。　Who　better　then　to　seek　out　those　exquisite　but　concealed　antiquities　that　would　end　up　as　mere　exhibits　in　some　stuffy　London　museum　unless　re…directed　elsewhere？
　　On　his　very　first　day　inside　that　vast　labyrinth　of　shafts　and　corridors；　hidden　rooms　and　sepulchres；　lie　had　bee　confused　and　almost　overwhelmed　by　mourning　voices　of　the　dead；　whose　spirits　were　locked　beneath　the　earth；　for　their　human　vessels　had　taken　their　own　lives　to　be　with　their　deceased　kings　and　queens；　and　their　high　priests。　Over　the　weeks　that　followed　he　had　learned　to　shut　out　those　incorporeal　murmurings　from　his　mind；　yet　one　sensing　persisted　throughout；　something　that　was　not　a　spiritual　utterance；　but　a　kind　of　pulse；　a　split…second　shifting　of　atmosphere；　as　if　time　itself　had　hiccuped。　He　would　feel　it　but　once　or　twice　a　day；　never　more　than　that。　At　first　he　had　believed　it　was　a　physical　phenomenon；　a　faraway　subsidence；　but　no　one　else　ever　noticed　the　brief　disturbance。　The　deeper　he　worked　his　way　into　the　plex　layers　of　tombs；　the　louder…　or　more　sensed　the　unheard　'sound'　became。　Then　one　evening；　when　the　day's　labour　was　done；　the　workmen　returned　to　their　tents　or　hovels　outside　the　city　walls；　and　the　foreigners　retired　to　their　lodgings；　he　had　wandered　alone　through　the　lowest　chambers；　drawn　by　he　knew　not　what；　but　pelled　towards　a　destiny　he　had　never　dreamed　of。
　　The　secret　tunnel　was　behind　an　empty　room　at　the　furthermost　extremity　of　the　Royal　Cemetery；　a　square　space　that　had　puzzled　the　learned　archaeologists；　for　it　seemed　to　have　no　purpose：　its　walls　were　bare　and　there　were　no　casks　or　ornaments　within。　It　was　merely　an　isolated　chamber；　one　that　was　reached　by　crouching　low　along　a　lengthy　corridor　which　had　many　turns　and　dips。
　　The　pulse　had　e　as　he　had　stood　in　that　soulless　room；　and　this　time　it　was　as　though　he　had　really　heard　the　sound。　The　walls　themselves　had　seemed　to　tremble。　Startled；　he　had　swung　his　lamp　around　and　the　light　had　caused　a　shadow　on　one　wall。　He　moved　closer　to　inspect　the　shadow　and　found　a　mud　brick　jutting　out　a　fraction　from　its　neighbours。　He　had　used　the　trowel　he　carried；　standard　equipment　along　with　brushes　for　the　diggers；　to　cut　round　the　brick　and　ease　it　from　the　wall。　The　stench　of　released　gases　sent　him　reeling　backwards。
　　He　approached　again　more　cautiously；　and　the　smell　was　still　strong　but　less　of　a　shock。　Other　mud　bricks　easily　came　loose　and　soon　a　passageway　was　exposed。　A　dreadful　fear　had　overe　him　then　and　he　had　almost　run　from　that　place。　But　a　curious　fascination　stayed　him。
　　He　crawled　into　the　narrow　passage；　holding　the　lamp　before　his　face。