elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第89部分

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　I　had　picked　to　be　the　murderer　was　obdurately　refusing　to　kill　anybody。
　　
　Are　any　of　the　characters　in　the　Amelia　Peabody　mysteries　based　on　real　people？
　The　main　characters　inspired　by　real　people　are　Amelia　Peabody　（based　on　Victorian　amateur　Egyptologist　Amelia　B。　Edwards）　and　Emerson　（whose　methodology　has　been　attributed　to　William　Flinders　Petrie）。
　　
　Do　you　have　a　schedule？
　No。　I　am　not　an　organized　person。　However；　when　a　deadline　looms　I　can　work　like　a　demon；　eight　hours　a　day；　seven　days　a　week。　Set　schedules　work　for　some　people；　not　for　others；　but　any　writer　who　waits　for　〃inspiration〃　to　strike　will　never　finish　a　book。　Inspiration　is　all　very　well；　but　it　will　never　replace　sheer　dogged　determination。　
　
　　
　
　
　Egyptian　Diary：　The　Amelia　Peabody　Expedition
　　
　Over　the　2000　Christmas　holiday；　Bill　and　Nancy　Petty；　of　Museum　Tours；　led　The　Amelia　Peabody　Expedition　in　Egypt。　I　had　dealt　with　them　in　the　past；　to　my　great　satisfaction。　Despite　the　unrest　in　the　Middle　East；　which　caused　a　few　cautious　souls　to　cancel；　fifty　people　joined　the　tour　…　most　of　them　Egypt　buffs　and　fans　of　Amelia's。　I　decided　to　go　out　a　few　weeks　early；　with　a　couple　of　friends；　Dennis　and　Joel；　before　I　joined　the　Expedition。　Here　are　a　few　semi…coherent　excerpts　from　the　diary　I　kept　as　I　went。
　　
　Dec。　11。　It's　wonderful　to　be　back　in　Cairo；　makes　the　grisly　ten…plus　hours　flight　and　the　hours　of　waiting　worthwhile。　We　arrived　late　afternoon　Cairo　time　and　were　met　by　Khaled；　one　of　Bill　Petty's　super…efficient　staff。　He　drove　us　straight　to　the　hotel　…　though　〃straight〃　isn't　an　accurate　description；　considering　Cairo　traffic。　An　early　dinner　and　straight　to　bed；　and　tomorrow　morning　I'll　be　back　on　schedule　with　no　jet　lag。　It　works。
　　
　Dec。　13。　Off　to　Dahshur　today；　one　of　my　favorite　sites。　I　had　hoped　to　get　into　the　Bent　Pyramid。　It's　the　only　one　of　the　major　pyramids　whose　interior　I　have　not　visited。　The　SCA　＇the　Egyptian　Supreme　Council　of　Antiquities＇　had　said　they　were　planning　to　open　it；　but　when　we　got　there　the　scaffolding　was　still　up　and　the　entrance　was　closed。　I　was　not　inspired　to　make　an　illegal　entry；　though　I'm　sure　Amelia　would　have。　In　her　day　it　wasn't　illegal　…　just　dangerous。
　　
　The　Red　Pyramid　is　open；　but　I've　been　there；　done　that。　Not　many　tourists　here；　though　it　is　a　lovely　day。　The　absence　of　tourist　amenities　…　a　rest　house　and　souvenir　stands　…　may　deter　some　people。　We　ambled　around　the　Red　…　circling　pyramids　is　a　tradition　with　us　now　…　and　then　headed　for　the　Black　Pyramid。　It　really　is　an　ominous…looking　structure；　having　slumped　into　a　sort　of　tower　after　the　stone　casing　blocks　were　removed；　exposing　the　dark　mud　brick　core。　
　　
　Can't　get　into　it；　either！　I　would　love　to　see　the　subterranean　burial　chamber；　where　Amelia　and　Emerson　were　tossed　by　the　Master　Criminal；　and　explore　the　maze…like　passages　within。　（Twelfth　Dynasty　pyramids；　unlike　the　earlier　ones；　have　very　plicated　substructures；　the　tricks　and　traps　didn't　stop　thieves；　though。）　It　would　probably　be　an　impossible　job　to　shore　up　the　collapsing　walls　and　roofs；　which　were　in　bad　shape　even　in　Amelia's　day。　
　　
　Dec。　14。　Ramadan　is　in　its　last　couple　of　weeks；　which　makes　social　engagements　plicated。　People　have　to　wait　until　the　official　announcement　of　sundown；　around　five；　before　they　can　pitch　into　an　elaborate　meal；　their　first　since　before　dawn　…　it's　called　iftar；　and　one　〃takes　iftar。〃　So　you　don't　invite　people　to　dinner　at　seven。　
　　
　We　had　an　engagement　this　evening　with　Mohammed　Saleh；　the　charming　and　talented　former　director　of　the　Cairo　Museum；　who　took　us　to　a　cafe　off　in　the　city　somewhere　（I　have　no　sense　of　direction）　where　we　had　shisha　（water　pipe）　and　coffee　and　plates　of　sweeties　while　we　discussed　a　number　of　things。　He　offered　to　show　us　some　of　the　restorations　and　behind…the…scenes　stuff　at　the　museum　on　Saturday。　
　　
　In　my　usual　state　of　profound　confusion　I　called　Khaled　and　asked　him　to　postpone　our　trip　to　Luxor　by　one　day；　whereupon　he　patiently　informed　me　that　we　weren't　due　to　leave　until　Sunday；　anyhow。　These　senior　moments　are　getting　embarrassing。
　　
　Dec。　15。　Dinner　with　Jocelyn　this　evening　at　the　Oberoi　restaurant　in　the　Khan　el　Khalili。　She　had　fed　her　family　first；　says　that　Ramadan　is　like　cooking　Sunday　dinner　every　day；　she　starts　around　one　p。m。　（Apparently　nobody　has　started　a　takeout　for　iftar。　This　expedient　would　be　frowned　on；　no　doubt。　I　get　the　impression　that　the　meal　must　be　home…cooked；　elaborate；　and　of　course　prepared　by　the　female。）　So　we　had　a　good　gossip　and　cruised　the　Khan；　where　I　bought　a　few　little　things。
　　
　Dec。　17。　Off　to　Luxor　and　the　Old　Winter　Palace。　The　W。P。　is　no　longer　Luxor's　most　elegant　hotel　…　there　are　several　newer；　gaudier；　five…star　hotels。　Nor　is　it　the　oldest：　the　Luxor；　a　favorite　haunt　of　the　Emersons；　is　still　in　operation。　I　wouldn't　stay　anywhere　but　the　W。P。；　though。　The　corridors　are　twelve　feet　wide；　the　ceilings　are　eighteen　feet　high；　and　it　doesn't　take　much　imagination　to　see　the　halls　and　public　rooms　as　much　the　way　they　were　in　the　old　days。　The　exterior　is　exactly　the　same；　and　it　makes　me　feel　like　a　Victorian　lady　archaeologist　to　walk　up　the　curving　stairs　and　cross　the　terrace。　My　suite　has　a　balcony　facing　the　river　and　I　can　look　straight　across　toward　Deir　el　Bahri　and　the　Valley　of　the　Kings。　
　　
　Dec　23。　I　had　contacted　my　archaeologist　friends　Debbie　and　John　and　made　arrangements　to　go　into　the　Western　Desert　with　them。　Their　inspector　…　foreign　archaeologists　are　required　to　have　an　Egyptian　inspector　with　them　…　said　it　was　okay　for　me　to　go；　too。　So　on　Saturday　I　hauled　myself　out　of　bed　and　got　myself　over　to　the　West　Bank　by　8：30。
　　
　The　process　is　somewhat　plex。　Usually　we　hire　a　boat　and　a　car　and　driver　for　the　West　Bank　and　keep　them　for　the　entire　stay。　So　the　Mubarak　was　waiting　for　me　at　twenty　past　eight；　its　captain　up　above　on　the　embankment　to　make　sure　no　other　boatman　would　steal　me　away。　In　order　to　reach　the　boat　you　have　to　go　down　a　series　of　ramps　and　steps；　then　along　a　cluttered；　rusty　sort　of　pier；　stepping　over　coils　of　rope　and　various　debris。　
　　
　Then　the　captain　puts　out　the　gangplank　…　a　piece　of　wood　about　eight　inches　wide；　with　a　few　strips　of　wood　nailed　across　it　…　at　a　precarious　angle　and　anchored　equally　precariously。　I　do　not　scruple　to　grab　at　any　hand　offered　me。　（Every　time　I　e　back　from　Egypt　I　think；　〃Well；　I've　done　that　forty　or　fifty　times；　and　I　haven't　fallen　into　the　Nile　yet。〃）　Once　in　the　boat　you　are　standing　on　the　seat；　which　is　about　a　yard　from　the　floor。　I　do　not　descend　gracefully。
　　
　There　were　six　of　us　in　the　Land　Rover　…　John　and　Debbie　and　me；　their　inspector；　the　driver；　and　a　guard。　The　guard　is　de　rigueur　for　those　going　into　remote　areas。　It's　remote；　all　right　…　I　never　know　where　I　am；　anyhow；　but　this　terrain　would　baffle　most　people。　There　are　some　roads　of　sorts；　but　a　good　deal　of　the　time　one　bounces　over　rocks　the　size　of　toasters；　up　and　down　slopes　and　into　and　out　of　small　wadis。　John　and　Debbie　are　doing　some　extraordinary　work　out　here；　they've　added　whole　new　chapters　to　parts　of　Egyptian　history；　and　I'd　suffer　worse　than　a　sore　bum　to　see　some　of　their　sites。　However；　I　did　bring　along　a　pillow　from　the　hotel　to　sit　on！　Here's　an　entry　scribbled　at　the　time：
　　
　〃I　sit　high　on　the　gebel　at　the　Place　of　Horses　…　a　defile　at　the　top　of　a　steep　climb。　How　I　got　here；　I　don't　know；　with　great　difficulty　is　the　right　answer。　Remains　of　crude　workmen's　huts　at　the　base　of　one　cliff；　graffiti　over　a　stretch　of　the　rock　face。　（The　barking　dog　is　cute　…　Arabic　words　meaning　'woof　woof'　e　out　of　its　mouth。　But　its　implication　isn't　so　cute；　since　it　represents　a　watchdog　and　was　scratched　there　by　modern　locals　who　resent　archaeologists　messing　around　in　their　territory。）　There　are　many　spirited；　if　crude；　sketches　of　horses　and　a　prayer　to　Amon；　Lord　of　the　Silent；　who　saved　the　writer　from　drowning。　Some　so　faint；　hardly　visible　to　the　naked　eye　…　with　modern　Arabic　and　older　Coptic　scribbles　on　top。〃
　　
　Dec。　24。　Christmas　Eve。　Had　a　fancy　dinner　at　the　restaurant　in　the　Old　W。P。；　having　made　our　reservations　a　couple　of　days　before。　It　was　all　tarted　up　with　electric　candles　in　holly　rings　on　the　tables。　Lots　of　cutlery。　（I　had　a　knife　left　over。）　Music　by　a　blonde；　French　chanteuse　with　silver　sequins　down　her　front；　mostly　Beatles　and　Elton　John。　Then　Santa　Claus　in　a　tacky　red　suit；　very　dark　face　framed　（sort　of）　in　strips　of　dangling　cotton　wool。　From　his　red　bag　he　presented　each　guest　with　a　few　chocs　wrapped　in　red　cellophane。　He　was　adorable。　Stumbled　off　to　bed　at　eleven；　having　eaten　too　much　and　drunk　just　enough　wine。
　　
　Dec。　25。　Hard　to　believe　it　is　Christmas　Day；　with　the　shutters　wide　open　and　the　sun　shining　on　the　western　cliffs；　and　palm　trees　along　the　corniche。　The　gardens　are　bright　with　flowers　…　tall　poinsettias；　roses；　coral　vine；　jasmine；　bougainvillea；　and　other　tropical　blooms。　The　Winter　Palace　has　a　number　of　Christmas　trees；　in　front　and　in　the　lobbies；　nicely　decorated　ones；　too。　Everyone　wishes　us　Merry　Christmas。　Ramadan　is　almost　over；　nobody　seems　quite　sure　whether　it's　tomorrow　or　the　next　day。　Lesser　Eid；　a　three…day　celebration；　starts　the　following　day。　Happy　Ramadan　is　Ramadan　karim。　Xmas　dinner　at　Chicago　House。　
　　
　Dec。　26。　I　leave　for　Cairo　this　p。m。　on　the　third　of　eight　flights　I　will　be　taking　this　trip。　The　Expedition　arrives　tomorrow；　and　I　want　to　be　there　to　greet　them。　I'm　sitting　on　my　balcony；　eating　breakfast。　What　a　way　to　live。　The　western　cliffs　form　what　appears　to　be　a　single　massif　directly　across　from　Luxor。　Paler　paths　winding　up　and　across　the　face；　clefts　like　parallel　vertical　strokes　of　a　gray　pencil。　（Will　I　ever　be　able　to　describe　it　accurately？）
　　
　What　must　the　Winter　Palace　have　been　like　in　Amelia's　day？　No　taxis；　no　paved　road；　but　still　directly　below　the　terrace　paved　with　ornamental　tiles；　to　the　right；　the　balcony　of　the　Khedival　suite；　beyond　it；　the　pillars　of　Luxor　Temple　and　the　minaret　of　the　mosque。　The　British　flag　would　have　been　flying　instead　of