elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第26部分

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he　latter　had　crumbled　and　fallen　and　the　remaining　chapels　were　in　very　poor　condition。　However；　the　underground　chambers　were　often　beautifully　decorated。　They　were　the　tombs　of　the　people　who　had　lived　in　the　village　below。　It　was　still　largely　unexcavated。　Studying　the　rough；　partially　exposed　walls；　Emerson　burst　out；　〃Confound　the　lazy；　inpetent　scoundrel！　Only　look　what　he　has　done　to　the　place！〃
　He　was　referring　to　Mr。　Kuentz；　our　predecessor；　who　had　been　arrested　（thanks　to　us）　the　previous　year。　〃He　hasn't　done　much；〃　I　said；　hoping　to　calm　my　grumbling　spouse。　〃I　expect　he　was　too　busy　with　his　other　activities　…　spying　and　tomb　robbing。　They　do　take　time。〃
　〃He　has　put　his　damned　rubbish　dump　smack　in　the　middle　of　the　site；〃　Emerson　exclaimed。　〃I　will　have　to　do　it　all　over　again。〃
　He　always　said　that。
　We　scrambled　down　the　hillside。　Selim　joined　us；　and　Emerson　began　rapping　out　orders。　The　men　scattered。　Emerson　stripped　off　his　coat　and　rolled　up　his　sleeves。　〃Where　is　Ramses？〃　he　demanded。
　〃They　will　be　ing　shortly；　I　am　sure。　If　you　want　to　start　the　surveying；　I　am　perfectly　capable　…〃
　〃Very　good　of　you；　Peabody；　but　I　believe　I　will　just　wait　for　Ramses。　Why　don't　you　arrange　one　of　your　…　er　…　your　little　rest　places？〃
　I　had　intended　to　do　it　anyhow。　In　my　opinion；　periods　of　rest　and　refreshment　increase　efficiency。　Shade　is　hard　to　e　by　when　the　sun　is　directly　overhead；　and　it　was　at　that　time　of　day　we　…　and　the　dear　devoted　horses　…　would　need　it　most。　I　prefer　tombs　to　all　other　forms　of　shelter；　naturally；　but　there　was　not　much　left　of　the　superstructures　of　the　small　tombs　on　the　hillside。　I　concluded　that　the　temple　at　the　far　end　of　the　village　would　serve　me　best。
　A　number　of　deities　had　shrines　there；　but　the　principal　dedicatee　was　Hathor；　one　of　the　great　goddesses　of　the　Egyptians。　Since　these　broad…minded　ancients　were　not　especially　concerned　with　consistency；　Hathor　played　a　number　of　different　roles　over　the　long　centuries　and　was　identified　at　various　times　with　other　goddesses；　but　her　primary　function　was　that　of　nurturer　and　protector；　of　the　living　and　the　dead。　The　lover　called　upon　her　for　help　in　winning　his　beloved；　the　barren　woman　prayed　to　her　for　a　child。　She　was　worshiped　with　music　and　dancing；　and　her　epithets　included　some　of　the　loveliest　phrases　in　the　liturgy　…　Mistress　of　All　That　Exists；　Lady　of　the　Sycamore；　Golden　One。
　I　wandered　about　for　a　time；　examining　some　of　the　reliefs。　One　of　our　fellow　Egyptologists　had　partially　restored　the　temple　a　few　years　earlier；　and　there　was　a　nice　little　corner　in　the　vestibule　which　suited　my　purposes　admirably。　With　the　efficiency　I　had　e　to　expect　of　him；　Selim　had　brought　all　the　equipment　I　would　need；　including　a　large　piece　of　canvas。　He　was　too　busy　chasing　after　Emerson　to　assist　me；　so　I　got　one　of　the　other　men　to　help　me　arrange　rugs　and　campstools　and　tables；　and　make　a　temporary　roof　of　the　canvas　next　to　the　enclosure　wall　to　provide　shade　for　the　horses。　I　was　just　finishing　this　essential　task　when　the　others　arrived。　Emerson；　whose　eye　is　everywhere；　immediately　bellowed　〃Ramses！〃　and　after　a　nod　at　me；　Ramses　trotted　off。
　I　ended　up；　as　I　usually　did；　with　the　rubbish　heap。
　I　do　not　mean　to　minimize　the　importance　of　this　task；　for　it　is　the　aim　of　a　good　excavator　to　find　every　scrap；　however　uninteresting　it　may　appear　to　be。　Our　men　were　very　well　trained；　but　when　one　is　scooping　up　sand　and　rubble　it　is　easy　to　overlook　something。　It　was　my　task；　therefore；　to　put　the　contents　of　the　baskets　brought　me　by　the　men　through　a　sifter。　It　turned　out　to　be　a　more　interesting　task　than　was　often　the　case；　since　the　previous　excavator　had　been　careless。　I　found　quite　a　few　interesting　ostraca；　scraps　of　limestone　all　scribbled　over　with　hieratic。　I　puzzled　over　a　few；　while　no　one　was　looking；　but　could　make　out　only　a　few　signs。　When　we　stopped　for　luncheon　I　handed　them　over　to　Ramses。
　The　ancient　language　was　his　specialty；　as　excavation　was　Emerson's；　and　he　reacted　with　as　much　enthusiasm　as　Emerson　had　done　over　his　wretched　huts。　We　got　not　a　word　out　of　him　during　luncheon。　Nefret　had　to　keep　jogging　his　elbow　to　remind　him　to　eat。
　〃What　does　it　say？〃　I　asked。
　〃Hmmm？〃　was　the　only　response。
　Nefret　brushed　a　lock　of　curling　hair　away　from　his　forehead；　and　he　gave　her　an　abstracted　smile　before　returning　his　attention　to　the　scrap　he　held。　I　understood　why　she　had　been　moved　to　that　tender　gesture。　Absorbed　in　a　task　that　challenged　and　delighted　him　like　no　other；　he　looked　as　happy　as　a　child　over　a　new　toy。　This　was　what　he　was　meant　to　do。　This　was　what　he　ought　to　be　doing　for　the　rest　of　his　life；　undisturbed　by　crime　and　war。
　Knowing　Ramses　as　I　did；　I　realized　there　was　not　much　chance　of　that；　and　I　consoled　myself　with　the　thought　that　it　was　not　my　fault　that　he　got　in　so　much　trouble　…　not　entirely。　According　to　the　latest　psychological　theories；　he　must　enjoy　a　certain　amount　of　danger；　or　he　wouldn't　go　out　of　his　way　to　invite　it。　It　made　a　change　from　hieratic；　at　any　rate。
　We　put　in　a　long　hard　day；　removing　Kuentz's　rubbish　dump；　and　Emerson　began　the　survey　of　the　site。　This　was　an　onerous　and　time…consuming　procedure；　which　some　archaeologists　neglected；　but　which　Emerson　considered　absolutely　necessary。　If　Kuentz　had　done　such　a　survey；　he　had　left　no　record　of　it。　（Emerson　would　have　done　it　again　anyhow。）
　Jumana　was　back　to　her　normal　self；　cheerful；　interested；　and　willing；　and　even　Ramses　admitted　she　was　of　considerable　help。　All　she　had　to　do；　really；　was　hold　a　stick　level　while　the　measurements　were　made；　but　it　was　a　rather　tedious　task　and　she　followed　orders　meticulously。
　Naturally　I　kept　a　close　eye　on　her。　There　were　two　possible　explanations　for　her　recovered　good　spirits：　either　she　was　not　as　attached　to　her　brother　as　I　had　believed；　and　had　dismissed　him　from　her　thoughts　…　or　she　was　more　devious　than　I　had　believed；　and　expected　to　hear　from　him　again。
　When　we　returned　home　I　had　several　more　nice　ostraca　for　Ramses。
　　
　FROM　MANUSCRIPT　H
　　
　The　windows　of　their　bedroom　faced　the　stables；　but　that　building　was　some　distance　away　and　they　would　not　have　heard　the　soft　noises　if　they　had　not　been　awake。　They　had　been　late　getting　to　bed；　since　Ramses　had　to　be　pried　away　from　his　〃nice　ostraca。〃　Once　Nefret　had　got　his　attention　she　had　no　difficulty　holding　it；　but　it　was　he　who　heard　the　sounds；　not　she。　Responding　to　the　slow　movements　of　his　lips　and　hands；　she　was　jarred　out　of　her　state　of　drowsy　pleasure　when　he　suddenly　jumped　up　and　went　to　the　window。
　〃Hell　and　damnation；〃　she　began。
　〃Sssh。　It's　Jumana。　She's　leading　one　of　the　horses。〃
　He　started　to　climb　out　the　window。　〃Put　on　some　clothes；〃　Nefret　said；　rising　in　her　turn　and　fumbling　in　the　dark　for　various　discarded　garments。
　〃Well；　then；　damn　it；　find　…　I　don't　care　what　…　something。　I　can't　let　her　get　too　far　ahead。〃
　He　snatched　the　trousers　from　her　hand　and　put　them　on；　and　then　he　was　gone；　over　the　sill　and　into　the　darkness。　Nefret　pulled　a　caftan　over　her　head　and　found　a　pair　of　boots　that　turned　out　to　be　hers。　She　would　need　them；　her　feet　were　not　as　hardened　as　his。　She　caught　him　up　as　he　was　leading　Risha；　unsaddled　and　unbridled；　out　of　the　stable。
　〃Wait　for　me；〃　she　gasped。
　〃No　time。〃　He　vaulted　onto　Risha's　back；　and　in　spite　of　her　excitement　and　worry；　the　sheer　beauty　of　the　movement　stopped　her　breath。　She　could　do　it　sometimes；　but　never　like　that；　never　in　a　single　seemingly　effortless　flow　of　muscle　and　sinew。　He　turned　Risha　with　a　touch　of　his　knee　and　the　stallion　responded　instantly；　breaking　into　a　canter。　They　looked　like　figures　from　the　Parthenon　frieze；　the　slender　strength　of　the　rider　at　one　with　his　mount。
　〃Damn；〃　said　Nefret　under　her　breath。　She'd　lost　an　additional　few　seconds　gaping　after　him　like　a　lovestruck　girl。　It　was　his　fault　for　being　so　bloody　beautiful　on　horseback。
　And　if　she　couldn't　catch　him　up　she　wouldn't　be　there　to　help　if；　as　seemed　likely；　Jumana　was　on　her　way　to　meet　Jamil。　What　other　reason　could　she　have　for　stealing　out　at　this　hour　of　the　night？
　Moonlight　stretched　an　inquiring　head　over　the　door　of　her　stall；　she　was　accustomed　to　go　where　Risha　went；　and　wondered　what　was　happening　at　this　strange　hour。　Nefret　led　her　out　of　the　stall。
　No　acrobatics　for　her　tonight；　not　in　a　long　robe　with　nothing　under　it。　She　used　the　mounting　block；　grimacing　as　her　bare　thighs　gripped　Moonlight's　hide；　and　tucking　part　of　the　robe　under　her。
　Moonlight　was　too　adult　and　well…behaved　to　prance　with　anticipation；　but　as　soon　as　Nefret　gave　her　the　word　she　was　off。　Hands　twisted　in　the　mare's　mane；　Nefret　let　her　have　her　head；　knowing　she　would　follow　her　sire。
　The　road　was　in　fair　enough　condition　the　first　part　of　the　way；　rising　and　falling　and　curving　round　the　hills　that　rose　out　of　the　plain。　She　was　nearing　the　edge　of　the　cultivation；　and　the　ruined　temples　that　fringed　it；　before　she　saw　Risha。　Ramses　had　dismounted　and　was　waiting　for　her。　He　greeted　her　with　a　grin。
　〃I　hate　to　think　what　Mother　would　say　about　that　ensemble；　but　I　rather