The Jewel of Seven Stars by Bram Stoker (books to read in your 20s TXT) 📕

class="calibre1">drawings which he had had made from his own and Corbeck’s rough notes.

As he had told us, these contained the whole of the hieroglyphics on

walls and ceilings and floor of the tomb in the Valley of the Sorcerer.

Even had not the measurements, made to scale, recorded the position of

each piece of furniture, we could have eventually placed them by a study

of the cryptic writings and symbols.

 

Mr. Trelawny explained to us certain other things, not laid down on the

chart. Such as, for instance, that the hollowed part of the table was

exactly fitted to the bottom of the Magic Coffer, which was therefore

intended to be placed on it. The respective legs of this table were

indicated by differently shaped uraei outlined on the floor, the head of

each being extended in the direction of the similar uraeus twined round

the Also that the mummy, when laid on the raised portion in the bottom

of the sarcophagus, seemingly made to fit the form, would lie head to

the West and feet to the East, thus receiving the natural earth

currents. “If this be intended,” he said, “as I presume it is, I gather

that the force to be used has something to do with magnetism or

electricity, or both. It may be, of course, that some other force,

such, for instance, as that emanating from radium, is to be employed. I

have experimented with the latter, but only in such small quantity as I

could obtain; but so far as I can ascertain the stone of the Coffer is

absolutely impervious to its influence. There must be some such

unsusceptible substances in nature. Radium does not seemingly manifest

itself when distributed through pitchblende; and there are doubtless

other such substances in which it can be imprisoned. Possibly these may

belong to that class of “inert” elements discovered or isolated by Sir

William Ramsay. It is therefore possible that in this Coffer, made from

an aerolite and therefore perhaps containing some element unknown in our

world, may be imprisoned some mighty power which is to be released on

its opening.”

 

This appeared to be an end of this branch of the subject; but as he

still kept the fixed look of one who is engaged in a theme we all waited

in silence. After a pause he went on:

 

“There is one thing which has up to now, I confess, puzzled me. It may

not be of prime importance; but in a matter like this, where all is

unknown, we must take it that everything is important. I cannot think

that in a matter worked out with such extraordinary scrupulosity such a

thing should be overlooked. As you may see by the ground-plan of the

tomb the sarcophagus stands near the north wall, with the Magic Coffer

to the south of it. The space covered by the former is left quite bare

of symbol or ornamentation of any kind. At the first glance this would

seem to imply that the drawings had been made after the sarcophagus had

been put into its place. But a more minute examination will show that

the symbolisation on the floor is so arranged that a definite effect is

produced. See, here the writings run in correct order as though they

had jumped across the gap. It is only from certain effects that it

becomes clear that there is a meaning of some kind. What that meaning

may be is what we want to know. Look at the top and bottom of the

vacant space, which lies West and East corresponding to the head and

foot of the sarcophagus. In both are duplications of the same

symbolisation, but so arranged that the parts of each one of them are

integral portions of some other writing running crosswise. It is only

when we get a coup d’oeil from either the head or the foot that you

recognise that there are symbolisations. See! they are in triplicate at

the corners and the centre of both top and bottom. In every case there

is a sun cut in half by the line of the sarcophagus, as by the horizon.

Close behind each of these and faced away from it, as though in some way

dependent on it, is the vase which in hieroglyphic writing symbolises

the heart—‘Ab’ the Egyptians called it. Beyond each of these again is

the figure of a pair of widespread arms turned upwards from the elbow;

this is the determinative of the ‘Ka’ or ‘Double’. But its relative

position is different at top and bottom. At the head of the sarcophagus

the top of the ‘Ka’ is turned towards the mouth of the vase, but at the

foot the extended arms point away from it.

 

“The symbolisation seems to mean that during the passing of the Sun from

West to East—from sunset to sunrise, or through the Under World,

otherwise night—the Heart, which is material even in the tomb and cannot

leave it, simply revolves, so that it can always rest on ‘Ra’ the

Sun-God, the origin of all good; but that the Double, which represents

the active principle, goes whither it will, the same by night as by day.

If this be correct it is a warning—a caution—a reminder that the

consciousness of the mummy does not rest but is to be reckoned with.

 

“Or it may be intended to convey that after the particular night of the

resurrection, the ‘Ka’ would leave the heart altogether, thus typifying

that in her resurrection the Queen would be restored to a lower and

purely physical existence. In such case what would become of her memory

and the experiences of her wide-wandering soul? The chiefest value of

her resurrection would be lost to the world! This, however, does not

alarm me. It is only guess-work after all, and is contradictory to the

intellectual belief of the Egyptian theology, that the ‘Ka’ is an

essential portion of humanity.” He paused and we all waited. The

silence was broken by Doctor Winchester:

 

“But would not all this imply that the Queen feared intrusion of her

tomb?” Mr. Trelawny smiled as he answered:

 

“My dear sir, she was prepared for it. The grave robber is no modern

application of endeavour; he was probably known in the Queen’s own

dynasty. Not only was she prepared for intrusion, but, as shown in

several ways, she expected it. The hiding of the lamps in the serdab,

and the institution of the avenging ‘treasurer’ shows that there was

defence, positive as well as negative. Indeed, from the many

indications afforded in the clues laid out with the most consummated

thought, we may almost gather that she entertained it as a possibility

that others—like ourselves, for instance—might in all seriousness

undertake the work which she had made ready for her own hands when the

time should have come. This very matter that I have been speaking of is

an instance. The clue is intended for seeing eyes!”

 

Again we were silent. It was Margaret who spoke:

 

“Father, may I have that chart? I should like to study it during the

day!”

 

“Certainly, my dear!” answered Mr. Trelawny heartily, as he handed it to

her. He resumed his instructions in a different tone, a more matter-of-fact one suitable to a practical theme which had no mystery about it:

 

“I think you had better all understand the working of the electric light

in case any sudden contingency should arise. I dare say you have

noticed that we have a complete supply in every part of the house, so

that there need not be a dark corner anywhere. This I had specially

arranged. It is worked by a set of turbines moved by the flowing and

ebbing tide, after the manner of the turbines at Niagara. I hope by

this means to nullify accident and to have without fail a full supply

ready at any time. Come with me and I will explain the system of

circuits, and point out to you the taps and the fuses.” I could not but

notice, as we went with him all over the house, how absolutely complete

the system was, and how he had guarded himself against any disaster that

human thought could foresee.

 

But out of the very completeness came a fear! In such an enterprise as

ours the bounds of human thought were but narrow. Beyond it lay the

vast of Divine wisdom, and Divine power!

 

When we came back to the cave, Mr. Trelawny took up another theme:

 

“We have now to settle definitely the exact hour at which the Great

Experiment is to be made. So far as science and mechanism go, if the

preparations are complete, all hours are the same. But as we have to

deal with preparations made by a woman of extraordinarily subtle mind,

and who had full belief in magic and had a cryptic meaning in

everything, we should place ourselves in her position before deciding.

It is now manifest that the sunset has an important place in the

arrangements. As those suns, cut so mathematically by the edge of the

sarcophagus, were arranged of full design, we must take our cue from

this. Again, we find all along that the number seven has had an

important bearing on every phase of the Queen’s thought and reasoning

and action. The logical result is that the seventh hour after sunset

was the time fixed on. This is borne out by the fact that on each of

the occasions when action was taken in my house, this was the time

chosen. As the sun sets tonight in Cornwall at eight, our hour is to

be three in the morning!” He spoke in a matter-of-fact way, though

with great gravity; but there was nothing of mystery in his word or

manner. Still, we were all impressed to a remarkable degree. I could

see this in the other men by the pallor that came on some of their

faces, and by the stillness and unquestioning silence with which the

decision was received. The only one who remained in any way at ease was

Margaret, who had lapsed into one of her moods of abstraction, but who

seemed to wake up to a note of gladness. Her father, who was watching

her intently, smiled; her mood was to him a direct confirmation of his

theory.

 

For myself I was almost overcome. The definite fixing of the hour

seemed like the voice of Doom. When I think of it now, I can realise

how a condemned man feels at his sentence, or at the sounding of the

last hour he is to hear.

 

There could be no going back now! We were in the hands of God!

 

The hands of God … ! And yet … ! What other forces were

arrayed? … What would become of us all, poor atoms of earthly dust

whirled in the wind which comesth whence and goeth whither no man may

know. It was not for myself … Margaret … !

 

I was recalled by Mr. Trelawny’s firm voice:

 

“Now we shall see to the lamps and finish our preparations.”

Accordingly we set to work, and under his supervision made ready the

Egyptian lamps, seeing that they were well filled with the cedar oil,

and that the wicks were adjusted and in good order. We lighted and

tested them one by one, and left them ready so that they would light at

once and evenly. When this was done we had a general look round; and

fixed all in readiness for our work at night.

 

All this had taken time, and we were I think all surprised when as we

emerged from the cave we heard the great clock in the hall chime four.

 

We had a late lunch, a thing possible without trouble in