cleopatra-第38章

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here　rested　for　a　while。　At　dawn　we　once　more　loosed　our　craft；　and

all　that　day　sailed　swiftly；　till；　at　last；　at　the　third　hour　from　the

sunset；　we　came　in　sight　of　the　lights　of　that　fortress　which　is

called　Babylon。　Here；　on　the　opposite　bank　of　the　river；　we　moored　our

ship　safely　in　a　bed　of　reeds。



Then；　on　foot　and　secretly；　we　set　out　for　the　pyramids；　which　were　at

a　distance　of　two　leagues；　Cleopatra；　I　and　one　trusted　eunuch；　for　we

left　the　other　servants　with　the　boat。　Only　I　caught　an　ass　for

Cleopatra　to　ride　that　was　wandering　in　a　tilled　field；　and　threw　a

cloak　upon　it。　She　sat　on　it　and　I　led　the　ass　by　paths　I　knew；　the

eunuch　following　us　on　foot。　And；　within　little　more　than　an　hour；

having　gained　the　great　causeway；　we　saw　the　mighty　pyramids　towering

up　through　the　moonlit　air　and　aweing　us　to　silence。　We　passed　on　in

utter　silence；　through　the　haunted　city　of　the　dead；　for　all　around　us

stood　the　solemn　tombs；　till　at　length　we　climbed　the　rocky　hill；　and

stood　in　the　deep　shadow　of　Khufu　Khut；　the　splendid　Throne　of　Khufu。



〃Of　a　truth；〃　whispered　Cleopatra；　as　she　gazed　up　the　dazzling　marble

slope　above　her；　everywhere　blazoned　over　with　a　million　mystic

characters〃of　a　truth；　there　were　Gods　ruling　in　Khem　in　those　days；

and　not　men。　This　place　is　sad　as　Deathay；　and　as　mighty　and　far

from　man。　Is　it　here　that　we　must　enter？〃



〃Nay；〃　I　answered；　〃it　is　not　here。　Pass　on。〃



I　led　the　way　through　a　thousand　ancient　tombs；　till　we　stood　in　the

shadow　of　Ur　the　Great；　and　gazed　at　his　red　heaven…piercing　mass。



〃Is　it　here　that　we　must　enter？〃　she　whispered　once　again。



〃Nay；〃　I　answered；　〃it　is　not　here。　Pass　on。〃



We　passed　on　through　many　more　tombs；　till　we　stood　in　the　shadow　of

/Her/；＇*＇　and　Cleopatra　gazed　astonished　at　its　polished　beauty；　which

for　thousands　of　years；　night　by　night；　had　mirrored　back　the　moon；

and　at　the　black　girdle　of　Ethiopian　stone　that　circled　its　base

about。　For　this　is　the　most　beautiful　of　all　pyramids。



＇*＇　The　〃Upper；〃　now　known　as　the　Third　Pyramid。Editor。



〃Is　it　that　we　must　enter？〃　she　said。



I　answered；　〃It　is　here。〃



We　passed　round　between　the　Temple　of　the　Worship　of　his　Divine

Majesty；　Menkau…ra；　the　Osirian；　and　in　the　base　of　the　pyramid　till

we　came　to　the　north　side。　Here　in　the　centre　is　graved　the　name　of

Pharaoh　Menkau…ra；　who　built　the　pyramid　to　be　his　tomb；　and　stored

his　treasure　in　it　against　the　need　of　Khem。



〃If　the　treasure　still　remains；〃　I　said　to　Cleopatra；　〃as　it　remained

in　the　days　of　my　great…great…grandfather；　who　was　Priest　of　this

Pyramid　before　me；　it　is　hid　deep　in　the　womb　of　the　mass　before　thee；

Cleopatra；　nor　can　it　be　come　by　without　toil；　danger；　and　terror　of

mind。　Art　thou　prepared　to　enterfor　thou　thyself　must　enter　and　must

judge？〃



〃Canst　thou　not　go　in　with　the　eunuch；　Harmachis；　and　bring　the

treasure　forth？〃　she　said；　for　a　little　her　courage　began　to　fail　her。



〃Nay；　Cleopatra；〃　I　answered；　〃not　even　for　thee　and　for　the　weal　of

Egypt　can　I　do　this　thing；　for　of　all　sins　it　would　be　the　greatest

sin。　But　it　is　lawful　for　me　to　do　this。　I；　as　hereditary　holder　of

the　secret；　may；　upon　demand；　show　to　the　ruling　monarch　of　Khem　the

place　where　the　treasure　lies；　and　show　also　the　warning　that　is

written。　And　if　on　seeing　and　reading；　the　Pharaoh　deems　that　the　need

of　Khem　is　so　sore　and　strait　that　it　is　lawful　for　him　to　brave　the

curse　of　the　Dead　and　draw　forth　the　treasure；　it　is　well；　for　on　his

head　must　rest　the　weight　of　this　dread　deed。　Three　monarchsso　say

the　records　that　I　have　readhave　thus　dared　to　enter　in　the　time　of

need。　They　were　the　Divine　Queen　Hatshepsu；　that　wonder　known　to　the

Gods　alone；　her　Divine　brother　Tahutimes　Men…Kheper…ra；　and　the　Divine

Rameses　Mi…amen。　But　of　these　three　Majesties；　not　one　when　they　saw

dared　to　touch；　for；　though　sharp　their　need；　it　was　not　great　enough

to　consecrate　the　act。　So；　fearing　lest　the　curse　should　fall　upon

them；　they　went　hence　sorrowing。〃



She　thought　a　little；　till　at　last　her　spirit　overcame　her　fear。



〃At　the　least　I　will　see　with　mine　own　eyes；〃　she　said。



〃It　is　well；〃　I　answered。　Then；　stones　having　been　piled　up　by　me　and

the　eunuch　who　was　with　us　on　a　certain　spot　at　the　base　of　the

pyramid；　to　somewhat　more　than　the　height　of　a　man；　I　climbed　on　them

and　searched　for　the　secret　mark；　no　larger　than　a　leaf。　I　found　it

with　some　trouble；　for　the　weather　and　the　rubbing　of　the　wind…stirred

sand　had　worn　even　the　Ethiopian　stone。　Having　found　it；　I　pressed　on

it　with　all　my　strength　in　a　certain　fashion。　even　after　the　lapse　of

many　years　the　stone　swung　round；　showing　a　little　opening；　through

which　a　man　might　scarcely　creep。　As　it　swung；　a　mighty　bat；　white　in

colour　as　though　with　unreckoned　age；　and　such　as　I　had　never　seen

before　for　bigness；　for　his　measure　was　the　measure　of　a　hawk；　flew

forth　and　for　a　moment　hovered　over　Cleopatra；　then　sailed　slowly　up

and　up　in　circles；　till　at　last　he　was　lost　in　the　bright　light　of　the

moon。



But　Cleopatra　uttered　a　cry　of　terror；　and　the　eunuch；　who　was

watching；　fell　down　in　fear；　believing　it　to　be　the　guardian　Spirit　of

the　pyramid。　And　I；　too；　feared；　though　I　said　nothing。　For　even　now　I

believe　that　it　was　the　Spirit　of　Menkau…ra；　the　Osirian；　who；　taking

the　form　of　a　bat；　flew　forth　from　his　holy　House　in　warning。



I　waited　a　while；　till　the　foul　air　should　clear　from　the　passage。

Then　I　drew　out　the　lamps；　kindled　them；　and　passed　them；　to　the

number　of　three；　into　the　entrance　of　the　passage。　This　done；　I　went

to　the　eunuch；　and；　taking　him　aside；　I　swore　him　by　the　living　spirit

of　Him　who　sleeps　at　Abouthis　that　he　should　not　reveal　those　things

which　he　was　about　to　see。



This　he　swore；　trembling　sorely；　for　he　was　very　much　afraid。　Nor；

indeed；　did　he　reveal　them。



This　done；　I　clambered　through　the　opening；　taking　with　me　a　coil　of

rope；　which　I　wound　around　my　middle；　and　beckoned　to　Cleopatra　to

come。　Making　fast　the　skirt　of　her　robe；　she　came；　and　I　drew　her

through　the　opening；　so　that　at　length　she　stood　behind　me　in　the

passage　which　is　lined　with　slabs　of　granite。　After　her　came　the

eunuch；　and　he　also　stood　in　the　passage。　Then；　having　taken　counsel

of　the　plan　of　the　passage　that　I　had　brought　with　me；　and　which；　in

signs　that　none　but　the　initiated　can　read；　was　copied　from　those

ancient　writings　that　had　come　down　to　me　through　one…and…forty

generations　of　my　predecessors；　the　Priests　of　this　Pyramid　of　/Her/；

and　of　the　worship　of　the　Temple　of　the　Divine　Menkau…ra；　the　Osirian；

I　led　the　way　through　that　darksome　place　towards　the　utter　silence　of

the　tomb。　Guided　by　the　feeble　light　of　our　lamps；　we　passed　down　the

steep　incline；　gasping　in　the　heat　and　the　thick；　stagnated　air。

Presently　we　had　left　the　region　of　the　masonry　and　were　slipping　down

a　gallery　hewn　in　the　living　rock。　For　twenty　paces　or　more　it　ran

steeply。　Then　its　slope　lessened　and　shortly　we　found　ourselves　in　a

chamber　painted　white；　so　low　that　I；　being　tall；　had　scarcely　room　to

stand；　but　in　length　four　paces；　and　in　breadth　three；　and　cased

throughout　with　sculptured　panels。　Here　Cleopatra　sank　upon　the　floor

and　rested　awhile；　overcome　by　the　heat　and　the　utter　darkness。



〃Rise！〃　I　said。　〃We　must　not　linger　here；　or　we　faint。〃



So　she　rose；　and　passing　hand　in　hand　through　that　chamber；　we　found

ourselves　face　to　face　with　a　mighty　door　of　granite；　let　down　from

the　roof　in　grooves。　Once　more　I　took　counsel　of　the　plan；　pressed

with　my　foot　upon　a　certain　stone；　and　waited。　Then；　suddenly　and

softly；　I　know　not　by　what　means；　the　mass　heaved　itself　from　its　bed

of　living　rock。　We　passed　beneath；　and　found　ourselves　face　to　face

with　a　second　door　of　granite。　Again　I　pressed　on　a　certain　spot；　and

this　door　swung　wide　of　itself；　and　we　went　through；　to　find　ourselves

fa