elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第26部分

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afe　from　scorpions；　and　there　are　even　egg…cup…shaped　projections　along　the　rim　to　hold　water　jars　…　an　interesting　and　unusual　adaptation　to　local　conditions；　which　I　mention　for　the　edification　of　the　Reader。
　After　he　had　gone　a　few　feet；　Emerson　stopped。　〃Mohammed　can't　have　got　the　note　directly　from　Jamil。〃
　I　might　have　accused　him；　as　he　often　accuses　me；　of　jumping　to　conclusions；　but　in　this　case　I　had　to　agree。　〃I　hadn't　thought　of　that；〃　I　admitted　handsomely。　〃It　does　seem　unlikely　that　Jamil　would　show　his　face　openly　in　the　village　or　risk　betrayal　by　a　man　he　had　threatened。〃
　〃But　he　might　have　e　secretly；　by　night；　to　a　house　where　at　least　one　person　was　likely　to　wele　him；〃　Emerson　said。
　A　brief；　rather　awkward　silence　followed。　Jumana　had　stuck　close　by　me；　she　was　obviously　unfortable　in　the　village　of　her　birth。　How　could　she　be　otherwise；　dressed　as　she　was；　the　object　of　curious　and　hostile　glances；　especially　from　the　older　women？
　〃Is　it　my　father　you　mean？〃　she　asked。
　〃Yes；〃　Emerson　admitted。　〃How　does　he　feel　about　Jamil？〃
　〃I　have　not　spoken　to　my　father　since　he　told　me　to　leave　his　house　and　never　e　back。〃
　There　was　not　much　anyone　could　say　to　that。　Her　hard；　cold　voice　told　me　that　even　an　expression　of　regret　would　be　unwele。
　〃I　meant　to　call　on　Yusuf　before　this；〃　I　said。　〃Shall　we　go　round　to　see　him　now？〃
　Emerson　took　out　his　watch；　looked　at　it；　groaned；　and　said；　〃We　are　already　late。〃
　〃Supposing　you　go　on；　then；〃　I　said。　〃You　and　Jumana。　Nefret　and　I　will　inquire　after　his　health　and　offer　our　medical　skills。　Ramses　will　go　with　us。　No；　Emerson；　I　really　believe　that　is　the　best　course。　You　would　go　thundering　into　the　house　and　bully　the　old　man　until　he　confessed　to　anything　and　everything。　My　methods　of　interrogation　…〃
　〃I　know　what　they　are　like；〃　said　Emerson；　eyeing　my　parasol；　which　I　had　been　using　as　a　walking　stick。　〃Oh；　very　well。〃
　He　stalked　off。　Jumana　shot　me　a　grateful　look　and　trotted　after　Emerson。　The　rest　of　us　went　on　up　the　hillside　toward　Yusuf's　house；　which　was　one　of　the　finest　in　the　village；　and　as　we　wended　a　tortuous　path　round　granaries；　walls；　and　rubbish　heaps；　I　could　not　help　thinking　what　an　admirable　place　this　would　be　for　hide…and…go…seek　…　or　for　a　fugitive　who　knew　every　turn　of　the　path　and　every　concealed　tomb　entrance。
　Our　arrival　was　not　unheralded；　we　were　trailed　by　a　number　of　the　curious；　some　of　whom　ran　on　ahead　to　announce　we　were　ing；　so　that　when　we　reached　the　courtyard　in　front　of　the　house　the　entire　household　was　waiting　to　greet　us。　Most　of　them　were　women　and　children；　the　men；　skilled　workers　like　the　majority　of　Abdullah's　kinsmen；　had　been　employed　by　us　or　by　Cyrus。
　Courtesy　demanded　that　we　accept　refreshments；　and　it　was　necessary　to　go　through　the　formal　rituals　of　greeting　before　I　could　get　round　to　my　inquiries。　When　I　asked　after　Yusuf；　there　was　no　reply　at　first。　Then　Yusuf's　chief　wife；　Mahira　…　a　wrinkled　little　old　lady　who　looked　as　if　a　strong　wind　would　blow　her　over；　but　whom　I　had　seen　carrying　loads　that　would　have　strained　my　back　…　replied；　〃He　is　at　the　mosque；　Sitt　Hakim。　He　will　be　sorry　to　have　missed　you。〃
　〃It　is　not　the　hour　for　prayer；〃　said　Ramses。
　〃He　is　always　at　prayer〃　was　the　reply。　〃At　the　mosque；　here；　or　elsewhere。　Will　you　have　more　tea；　Sitt？〃
　I　made　our　excuses　and　we　took　our　departure。
　〃I　thought　you　were　going　to　question　them　about　Jamil；〃　Nefret　said；　as　we　made　our　way　down　the　hill。
　〃It　is　unlikely　that　they　know　any　more　than　we　do；〃　I　replied。　〃Jamil's　mother　is　long　dead；　and　I　fancy　that　the　mothers　of　Yusuf's　other　sons　were　secretly　delighted　at　seeing　the　old　man's　favorite　fall　from　grace。　He　wouldn't　ask　any　of　them　for　help。〃
　〃I　wonder　what　Yusuf　is　praying　for；〃　Nefret　mused。
　〃One　could　hazard　a　guess；〃　Ramses　said　dryly。　〃We　may　be　on　the　wrong　track　here；　Mother。　Has　it　struck　you　that　neither　Jamil　nor　Yusuf　can　read　or　write？〃
　〃Are　you　sure？〃
　〃I'm　sure　about　Yusuf。　Jamil　gave　no　evidence　of　literacy　when　he　was　working　for　us。　But；〃　Ramses　admitted；　〃he　might　have　had　limited　skills；　which　he　was　embarrassed　to　display　because　they　were　limited；　or　acquired　them　since。〃
　He　cupped　his　hands　and　helped　me　into　my　saddle。
　〃Ah　well；〃　I　said；　〃we　have　done　all　we　can　for　the　moment；　and　speculation　can　get　us　no　further。　Perhaps　this　latest　incident　has　finally　convinced　Jamil　to　leave　Luxor。〃
　The　more　I　thought　about　it；　the　less　likely　it　seemed　that　Jamil　was　capable　of　cold…blooded　murder。　The　attack　on　Nefret　had　not　been　deliberate；　he　had　responded　in　sheer　panic；　like　a　cornered　animal。　As　for　the　body　in　the　tomb；　there　was　no　evidence　that　Jamil　had　been　responsible；　nor　did　we　know　precisely　how　the　man　had　died。　He　might　have　been　struck　on　the　head　or　pushed　over　a　precipice；　or　fallen　by　accident。　（Though　that　last　possibility　was；　in　my　opinion；　the　least　likely。）
　The　most　worrisome　part　of　the　business　was　Jamil's　claim　that　he　had　found　another　tomb　…　not　because　I　believed　he　had；　but　because　I　feared　Emerson　did　believe　it。　Jamil　was　a　braggart　and　a　liar；　and　I　could　think　of　several　reasons　why　he　might　have　wished　to　mislead　us　and　his　sister。　In　my　opinion　it　would　be　the　better　part　of　wisdom　to　ignore　his　capering　about　the　cliffs　of　the　western　wadis。　He　might　be　stupid　enough　to　suppose　he　could　frighten　us　off；　but　it　was　more　likely　that　he　was　trying　to　entice　us　to　follow　him。　But　if　he'd　got　in　the　habit　of　pushing　people　off　cliffs　。　。　。
　As　soon　as　we　reached　Deir　el　Medina　I　took　Emerson　aside　and　explained　my　conclusions。　He　listened　in　frowning　silence；　and　when　I　went　on　to　inform　him　of　our　failure　to　speak　with　Yusuf；　he　cut　me　off　with　a　wave　of　his　hand。　〃I　didn't　suppose　you　would　learn　anything　from　him　anyhow；　Peabody。　The　devil　with　him　and　Jamil。〃
　By　the　end　of　the　week　we　had　surveyed　the　site　and　laid　it　out　in　regular　grids。　Emerson　had　of　course　decided　to　re…excavate　the　area　our　predecessor　had　examined；　and　the　wisdom　of　his　decision　soon　became　evident。　We　found　a　number　of　interesting　objects；　including　a　basket　of　papyri。　They　were　in　wretched　condition；　but　Ramses's　eyes　lit　up　at　the　sight　of　them；　and　for　several　evenings　he　worked　late　in　the　little　laboratory　he　had　set　up　at　the　house；　carefully　repairing　and　restoring　them。
　Sennia　had　been　out　with　us　twice；　and　had　enjoyed　herself　a　great　deal　running　from　one　person　to　another　and　〃helping〃　them。　Gargery　took　to　his　bed　as　soon　as　we　returned　from　these　excursions。　I　pointed　out　to　him　that　there　was　no　need　for　him　to　follow　so　close　on　her　heels；　the　site　was　enclosed；　dozens　of　people　were　there；　and　I　had　strictly　forbidden　her　to　climb　the　hills　on　either　side。
　He　shook　his　head。　〃You　know　how　she　is；　madam；　she　can　disappear　in　a　twinkling　when　she　wants；　and　she　is　all　over　the　place；　here　one　minute　and　there　the　next。　What　if　that　young　villain　Jamil　lured　her　away；　or　she　fell　into　one　of　those　holes　the　men　are　digging？〃
　I　thought　it　much　more　likely　that　Gargery　would　fall　in；　but　he　could　not　be　dissuaded。　His　self…appointed　duties　were　plicated　even　more　by　his　suspicion　of　Jumana；　he　considered　us　hopelessly　naive　for　believing　in　her　reformation；　and　tried　to　keep　an　eye　on　her　as　well　as　on　Sennia。　The　days　Sennia　spent　with　us　were　extremely　lively；　what　with　one　thing　and　another。　Horus　was　one　of　the　things。　We　could　not　leave　him　at　the　house；　since　he　bullied　the　maids　and　went　raging　about；　breaking　bric…a…brac　and　furniture。　His　determination　to　follow　Sennia　wherever　she　went　led　to　several　unpleasant　scenes　between　him　and　Gargery。
　The　other　cat　was　far　less　trouble。　It　had　made　a　remarkable　recovery；　and　once　we　had　got　it　cleaned　up　it　turned　out　to　be　quite　a　pretty　creature；　with　an　interesting　pattern　of　black　spots　and　a　ringed　tail；　but　it　didn't　want　to　stay　at　the　house　either。　It　trotted　after　Ramses；　shrieking　pitifully　when　he　tried　to　leave　for　the　dig；　and　it　managed　to　escape　from　any　confinement　we　arranged。　Ramses　would　not　allow　it　to　be　caged；　and　closed　doors　and　shutters　proved　no　impediment。　I　could　not　imagine　how　it　got　out；　but　Sennia　felt　certain　she　knew。　〃It　is　the　Great　Cat　of　Re；〃　she　announced。　〃It　has　magical　powers。〃
　Ramses's　eyebrows　tilted　up　in　silent　skepticism　as　he　looked　at　the　miniature　creature　sitting　on　his　knee；　and　Sennia　elaborated。　〃I　know　it　is　not　very　large　just　now；　but　it　will　grow。〃
　Nefret　had　planned　to　name　the　creature　Osiris；　since　it　had　virtually　e　back　from　the　dead；　but　from　then　on　it　was　the　Great　Cat　of　Re；　and　soon　learned　to　answer　to　its　name。　Emerson；　who　is　fond　of　cats　and　whose　sense　of　humor　is　somewhat　childish；　found　it　very　amusing　to　bellow　out　those　sonorous　syllables　and　have　his　summons　promptly　answered　by　a　very　small；　very　fuzzy　kitten。　At　first　Horus　was　fascinated　by　the　creature。　Seized　by　what　appeared　to　be　a　misplaced　maternal　instinct；　he　would　wash　it　till　it　squealed　and　carry　it　around　in　his　mouth。　He　became　bored　with　this　eventually。　Such　is　often　the　case；　even　with　human　parents。
　Toward　the　end　of　the　week　Emerson　proposed　that　we　stop　work　early　and　go　to　Medinet　Habu　to　see　how　Cyrus　was　getting　on。　We　took　the　cat　with　us；　since　it　would　not　be　left　behind。　It　was　still　small　enough　to　fit　into　one　of　Ramses's　pockets；　and　I　must　say　it　looked　very　peculiar　with　its　paws　hooked　over　the　flap　and　its　small　head　peering　interestedly　out　at　the　world。　Our　cats　had　a　considerable　reputation　in　Egypt；　being　regarded　as　possessing　supernatural　powers。　I　suspected　this　one　would　prove　to　be　no　exception。
　During　the　Pyramid　Age；　the　temples　serving　the　dead　monarch's　funerary　cult　were　built　close　by　the　monuments。　When　the　pharaohs　of　the　Eighteenth　Dynasty　decided　to　hide　their　tombs　in　the　depths　of　the　western　mountains；　the　temples　had　to　be　located　elsewhere。　At　one　time　a　long　row　of　them　ran　along　the　edge　of　the　cultivation。　Most　were　now　in　a　sad　state　of　ruination；　but　Medinet　Habu；　the　temple　of　Ramses　III　（not　to　be　confused　with　Ramses　II）；　was　still　well　preserved；　and　full　of　interest。　The　fortified　towers　through　which　one　entered