Nemo rose to his feet. "I can answer those questions and others. If I can spare Enid-Miss Debenham-that shame, in recounting a history replete with-"
"Never mind the rhetoric," Emerson snapped. "I am a patient man, but there are limits to my patience. What the devil is your name?"
"My name is Donald Fraser."
I started up. "Ronald Fraser?"
"No, Donald Fraser."
"But Ronald Fraser-"
The vibration of the dimple in Emerson"s chin warned me that he was about to roar. I stopped, therefore, and Emerson said, with the most exquisite courtesy, "I would be grateful, Mrs. Emerson, if you would refrain from any comment whatever-refrain, if possible, even from breathing loudly-until this gentleman has finished. Begin at the beginning, Mr. Fraser- for of your surname at least I feel fairly confident-and do not stop until you have reached the end."
Thus directed, the young man began the following narrative.
"My name is Donald Fraser. Ronald is my younger brother. Our family is old and honorable; never, until recently, did a blot of shame darken the name of Fraser-"
"Humph," said Emerson skeptically. "I take leave to doubt that. The ancient Scot was a bloodthirsty fellow; wasn"t there some tale about an ancestor of yours serving up the severed head of an enemy to the widow of the deceased at a dinner party?""
I coughed gently. Emerson glanced at me. "Quite right, Amelia. I did not mean to interrupt. Continue, Mr. Donald Fraser."
"It will not take much time, Professor. The story is only too familiar, I fear." With an attempt at insouciance, the young man started to cross his arms, but winced and let the injured member fall back. For an instant the girl"s face mirrored the pain on his and she made as if to rise. Almost immediately she sank back onto the stool. Ha, I thought, but did not speak aloud.
Donald-as I shall call him, in order to prevent confusion with his brother-proceeded. "Being the elder, I was the heir to the estate upon the death of our parents a few years ago. Our family was not rich, but thanks to my father"s prudent management, we were left with enough to maintain us in modest comfort. I say we, because morally, if not legally, half of what I had inherited was Ronald"s. a few years ago. Our family was not rich, but thanks to my father"s prudent management, we were left with enough to maintain us in modest comfort. I say we, because morally, if not legally, half of what I had inherited was Ronald"s.
"My father had purchased a commission for me in- in a regiment of the line. ... There is no need, I believe, to mention which one. After his death my brother n.o.bly offered to take over the management of the estate so that I might pursue my military career. I had... I incurred debts. Allow me the favor of refusing to be specific about their nature; they were . .. They were not the sort one likes to mention, especially before ..."
He gazed at Enid. I was as intrigued by the silent interchange between them as by his halting speech. She never looked at him, he never took his eyes off her; and the air between them fairly crackled with emotion. When his voice faltered, she started to her feet. Her cheeks were flaming.
"You lie!" she cried. "Despicably, stupidly-"
Emerson put one big brown hand on her shoulder and gently but inexorably returned her to her seat. "Be silent, Miss Debenham. You will have your chance at reb.u.t.tal. Sir-finish your story."
"It is quickly told," Donald muttered. "The regiment was gazetted to Egypt. Being in need of funds, I had forged a signature on a bill. My crime was discovered. The person I had attempted to defraud, a fellow officer, was generous. I was given the choice of resigning my commission and-and disappearing. I did so. That is all."
He had come to the end, but so abruptly, that Emerson and I were both left staring. a.s.suming my husband"s prohibition ceased to have effect at that time, I exclaimed, "Upon my word, Mr. Fraser, that is a rather curt narrative. I think, though, that I can fill in some of the details you have omitted. Your brother is in Egypt-" "Upon my word, Mr. Fraser, that is a rather curt narrative. I think, though, that I can fill in some of the details you have omitted. Your brother is in Egypt-"
"I know. I saw him yesterday."
"I presume he came to find you and extend a brother"s hand in forgiveness and affection."
Nemo"s drooping head sank lower. From Enid, squirming under Emerson"s hand, came a scornful laugh. I turned to her. "And you, Miss Debenham, also came here on an errand of mercy and redemption, to save your old playfellow?"
"I came to tell him what I thought of him," the girl cried. She twisted away from Emerson"s grasp and jumped to her feet. "He is a stupid fool who deserves everything that has happened to him!"
"No doubt," said Emerson, studying her with interest. "But if you will forgive me, Miss Debenham, I am determined to push doggedly onward-against the opposition of everyone present-to some understanding of the facts themselves. Is that how you became involved with Kalenischeff? For I do you the credit to a.s.sume you would have better taste than to take up with such a villain for his own sake."
"You are quite right," Enid said. "I had not been in Cairo two days before Kalenischeff approached me. He offered his a.s.sistance-for a price, of course-in finding Donald, who, Kalenischeff a.s.sured me, had slunk off like a whipped cur and hidden himself in Cairo"s foul underworld."
Donald winced and covered his face with his hand. Enid went on remorselessly, "Alone I had no hope of entering that disgusting ambiance or approaching its denizens. Kalenischeff persuaded me that we should pretend to be-to be interested in one another in order to conceal my true purpose and lull Donald and his criminal a.s.sociates-" to conceal my true purpose and lull Donald and his criminal a.s.sociates-"
"That was rather credulous of you," Emerson said critically. "But never mind. I take it you did not, in fact, murder the rascal in a fit of pique or in defense of your virtue? No, no, don"t lose your temper; a simple shake of the head will suffice. I never believed a woman could strike such a blow, penetrating the muscles of the chest and entering the heart-"
"Emerson, how can you!" I cried indignantly. "You told me-"
"You misunderstood," said Emerson, with such sublime indifference to truth that I was struck dumb with indignation. He compounded the insult by continuing, "Well, well, we are in a confused situation here, but that is nothing new; and at least the story these two young idiots-excuse me, young people-have produced puts an end to your theory that Sethos was responsible for Kalenischeff"s death. There is no evidence-"
"But there soon will be," I a.s.sured him. "Abdullah and Ha.s.san are bringing it-the body of one of the Master Criminal"s henchmen, dead by his own hand after he had failed his dread master in the a.s.signment of abducting me. That is to say, he did not know it was me; I was disguised as Enid, and he-"
"You were disguised," Emerson repeated slowly, "as Miss Debenham?"
I explained. Emerson listened without interrupting once. Then he turned to Nemo-or Donald, as I must call him.
"You, sir, were present, when these remarkable events occurred?"
"Emerson, do you doubt my word?" I demanded.
"Not at all, Amelia. The only thing I doubt is that anyone could mistake you for Miss Debenham." anyone could mistake you for Miss Debenham."
"Donald did," I declared triumphantly. "Is that not true, Donald? You followed me, believing I was Enid. No doubt you were trying to work up courage enough to reveal yourself."
But the untenability of this a.s.sumption was apparent as soon as I voiced it, for Nemo had remained in concealment for an hour and a half without making his presence known. The deep flush of shame that dyed his manly cheeks betrayed his true motive. He loved her- deeply, hopelessly, desperately-and his only joy was to worship her dainty form (or what he believed to be hers) from afar.
Tactfully I turned the subject. "The evidence will soon be forthcoming, Emerson. I believe I hear Abdullah coming now."
It was indeed Abdullah, with Ha.s.san close on his heels.
"Where have you put the body?" I asked.
Abdullah shook his head. "There was no body, sitt. We found the spot you described; there were signs of a struggle, and bloodstains upon the ground. We searched far and wide, thinking the man might have recovered and crawled away-"
"Recovered from being dead?" I exclaimed. "Abdullah, do you think I don"t know a corpse when I see one?"
"No, sitt. But dead or alive, he was gone. No doubt he was dead, as you say, for we heard his ghost calling in a high, thin voice, as spirits do."
Ha.s.san nodded in emphatic confirmation. "We ran away then, sitt, for we did not want the dead man to mistake us for his murderers."
"Oh, good Gad," I said disgustedly. "That was not a ghost you heard, you foolish men. There are no such things. It must have been a bird, or a-or a-" things. It must have been a bird, or a-or a-"
"Never mind, Peabody, I will conduct my usual exorcism," said Emerson. The use of that name instead of "Amelia" indicated that he had forgot his annoyance with me in the pleasurable antic.i.p.ation of the theatrical performance to which he had referred. Emerson had often been called upon to perform exorcisms, Egypt being, in the opinion of its citizens, a particularly demon-ridden country.) He has quite a reputation as a magician and is deservedly proud of it.
"Emerson," I said, interrupting his description of how he meant to go about the ritual. "Emerson-where is Ramses?"
We looked in Ramses" room, purely as a matter of form; I knew, as did Emerson, that if he had been anywhere about, he would have come to see what the commotion was, talking and interrupting and asking questions and making comments... .
We set out en ma.s.se for the Bent Pyramid. Emerson soon outstripped the rest of us, but Donald was not far behind him. The young man"s look of haggard reproach was so poignant I had not the heart to reproach him for neglecting his duty. Love, as I reflected philosophically, has a corrosive effect on the brain and the organs of moral responsibility.
Since I had not mentioned to Emerson the collapse of the subsidiary pyramid, he had no idea where to start looking; when I arrived on the scene he was rushing around like a dog on a scent and making the evening hideous with his stentorian repet.i.tions of Ramses" name.
"Be silent a moment," I begged. "How can you hear him reply if you keep shouting?"
Emerson nodded. Then he turned like a tiger on poor Abdullah and clutched him by the throat of his robe. "From what direction did the cry you heard come?" Abdullah and clutched him by the throat of his robe. "From what direction did the cry you heard come?"
Abdullah gestured helplessly and rolled his eyes, finding speech impossible because of the constriction of the cloth around his throat.
"If you will forgive me, Emerson, that was a foolish question," I said. "You know how difficult it is to determine the origin of a faint, m.u.f.fled cry in this barren region. I have, I believe, more pertinent information which I will produce as soon as you are calm enough to hear it. Look there, Emerson. Look at the small pyramid."
One glance was all that trained eye required. His hand fell in nerveless horror from the throat of our devoted reis; his eyes moved with mingled dread and deliberation over the new-fallen debris at the base of the small structure. None knew better than he the dangers of a careless attack on the unstable ma.s.s.
It was young Selim who gave a heartbreaking cry and flung himself onto the debris, where he began digging frantically. Emerson dodged a perfect rain of broken stone and lifted Selim up by the scruff of his neck. "That won"t do, my lad," he said in a kindly voice. "You will bring the rest of the heap down on your head if you aren"t careful."
Contrary to popular opinion, Arabs are very softhearted people and feel no shame in displaying emotion. Selim"s face was wet with tears, which mingled horribly with the sand to form a muddy mask. I patted him on the shoulder and offered him my handkerchief. "I don"t think he is under there, Selim," I said. "Emerson, do you call again. Just once, my dear, and then wait for an answer."
No sooner had the echoes of Emerson"s poignant cry died into silence than there was an answer, high and faint and far away, quite easily mistaken by superst.i.tious persons for the wailing of a lost spirit. Abdullah started. "That was it, O Father of Curses. That was the voice we heard!" faint and far away, quite easily mistaken by superst.i.tious persons for the wailing of a lost spirit. Abdullah started. "That was it, O Father of Curses. That was the voice we heard!"
"Ramses," I said, sighing. "He has found the entrance, curse-I mean, bless him. Emerson, do you see that shadow ten feet above the debris and slightly to the right of center?"
A brief and, on my part, rational discussion of the situation resulted in the conclusion that the opening might indeed be the long-concealed entrance, and that it would be possible for us to reach it if we exhibited a reasonable amount of care. Emerson kept interrupting me with whoops of "Ramses!" and Ramses kept answering, in that uncanny wail. I finally put an end to the procedure by reminding Emerson that shouting used oxygen, a commodity of which Ramses might be in short supply if indeed, as one could only a.s.sume, he was shut into a place from which he could not extricate himself unaided. Emerson at once agreed, and I must say I found it much easier to cogitate without him bellowing.
Like the larger stone pyramids, this smaller version had been built of blocks that ascended like a giant, four-sided staircase. However, this structure was-as we had evidence-much less stable than its neighbor; it would be necessary to ascend with extreme caution, testing each block before putting one"s weight upon it. Emerson insisted upon leading the way. As he correctly (but, I thought, depressingly) pointed out, if the block would not hold his weight, I would know it was not safe to step on it.
At last we reached the level of the opening and discovered that it was indeed the entrance-or, at least, an entrance-to the interior. Nothing but blackness showed within. Emerson took a deep breath. I stopped him with a soft reminder. "Even the vibrations of a loud shout..." within. Emerson took a deep breath. I stopped him with a soft reminder. "Even the vibrations of a loud shout..."
"Hmmm," said Emerson. "True, Peabody. Do you think he is in there?"
"I am certain of it."
"Then I am going in."
But he could not. The narrow opening would not admit the breadth of his shoulders, twist and turn them as he might. I waited until he had exhausted himself before I mentioned the obvious. "My turn, Emerson."
"Bah," said Emerson; but he said no more. An exclamation of distress came from quite another quarter. Donald had followed us; I had observed the skill with which he moved on the uneven surface, and deduced that he must have done some climbing. Now he said softly, "Professor, surely you don"t intend to let her-"
"Let her?" Emerson repeated. "I never let let Mrs. Emerson do anything, young man. I occasionally attempt to prevent her from carrying out her more harebrained suggestions, but I have never yet succeeded in doing so." Mrs. Emerson do anything, young man. I occasionally attempt to prevent her from carrying out her more harebrained suggestions, but I have never yet succeeded in doing so."
"I am narrower through the shoulders than you," Donald persisted. "Surely I am the one-"
"Balderdash," Emerson said brusquely. "You have had no experience. Mrs. Emerson has an affinity for pyramids."
While they were discussing the matter, I removed my coat and lighted a candle. After discovering that Ramses was not in his room (and before leaving the house) I had dashed to the roof to retrieve my belt and my parasol. The latter I had of necessity left below, but the belt and its accouterments had again proved their utility.
"A bientot, bientot, Emerson," I said, and wriggled head-first into the hole. Emerson," I said, and wriggled head-first into the hole.
There was no reply, but a surrept.i.tious caress upon the portion of my body yet exposed was sufficient evidence of his emotions.
I found myself in a narrow pa.s.sageway lined with stone. It was high enough for me to stand erect, but in view of the steep angle at which it descended I considered it better to proceed in a crawling position. I had not gone far before I saw something unusual. The darkness ahead was broken by an irregular patch of brightness. The light strengthened as I moved slowly forward, and I found that it streamed through a narrow gap in a huge fall of stone and brick which had blocked the pa.s.sage. Cautiously I a.s.sumed an upright position and applied my eye to the gap.
Seated on a large block of stone, his back against the wall of the pa.s.sage, was Ramses. He had stuck a candle onto the stone with its own grease, and he was scribbling busily on a notepad. Though I knew he must have heard my involuntary gasp of relief at finding him unharmed, he did not stop writing until he had finished the sentence and ended it with an emphatic jab of his pen. Then he looked up.
"Good evening, Mama. Is Papa with you, or have you come alone?"
No, dear Reader, the break in the narrative at this point is not intended to keep from your ears (or eyes) the words I spoke to my son. I did not dare shout at him for fear of disturbing the delicate balance of the stones around me. In fact, it was Ramses who spoke, describing in wearisome detail the method by which we ought to remove the fallen rubble in order to free him. He was still talking when I left. My head had scarcely emerged from the entrance hole when it was seized by Emerson. In between raining kisses on my face, more or less at random, he asked questions I could not hear owing to the fact that his hands were covering my ears. hole when it was seized by Emerson. In between raining kisses on my face, more or less at random, he asked questions I could not hear owing to the fact that his hands were covering my ears.
I was pleased but surprised; Emerson"s demonstrations of affection, though extravagant in private, are not often displayed before an audience. And indeed, if he had seen Donald Fraser"s grin, he would have desisted at once.
Having solved the auditory problem, I explained the situation. "I cannot shift the stones, Emerson; they are too heavy for me. I think we will have to take advantage of Mr. Fraser"s offer after all."
"Is Ramses all right? Is the dear boy injured?" Emerson inquired anxiously.
"He is working on a ma.n.u.script which I presume to be his Egyptian grammar," I replied curtly. "Mr. Fraser, if you will?"
Donald followed me into the pa.s.sageway. At the sight of the obstruction he let out a soft whistle. In the dim flame of the candle I held, he resembled one of the ancient workmen crouching on hands and knees before the burial chamber in which he had left his royal master hidden (as he vainly hoped) for all eternity.
I said softly, "Study the situation, Mr. Fraser, I pray, before you touch any of the stones. A careless move-"
"I understand," Donald said.
Then we heard a thin, high voice. "I suggest, Mr. Nemo-or Mr. Fraser, as the case may be-that you endeavor to locate the pivotal point on which the relative ma.s.s of the rockfall is balanced; for according to my calculations the total weight of the portion of the pyramid over our heads is approximately eighteen and one-third tons, give or take a hundred weight...."
I find myself quite incapable of recording the rest of Ramses" lecture. It was accompanied by a monotonous undercurrent of profanity from Donald Fraser, for which, I must say, I could hardly blame him. He performed well, particularly under those somewhat exasperating circ.u.mstances, and soon succeeded in enlarging the hole through which I had first seen the light of Ramses" candle. As soon as it was big enough, Ramses" face appeared in the opening, hideously shadowed by the candle he held. His thin face looked alarmingly like the mummy of his namesake, and he was still offering suggestions. "Mr. Nemo-if you will permit me to continue the use of that pseudonym until I am formally introduced to you under your proper name-I strongly request that you do not remove anything to the left- your right, it would be-of the present gap. My appraisal of the situation-" Ramses" lecture. It was accompanied by a monotonous undercurrent of profanity from Donald Fraser, for which, I must say, I could hardly blame him. He performed well, particularly under those somewhat exasperating circ.u.mstances, and soon succeeded in enlarging the hole through which I had first seen the light of Ramses" candle. As soon as it was big enough, Ramses" face appeared in the opening, hideously shadowed by the candle he held. His thin face looked alarmingly like the mummy of his namesake, and he was still offering suggestions. "Mr. Nemo-if you will permit me to continue the use of that pseudonym until I am formally introduced to you under your proper name-I strongly request that you do not remove anything to the left- your right, it would be-of the present gap. My appraisal of the situation-"
The speech ended in a squawk as Donald, driven beyond endurance, s.n.a.t.c.hed his charge by the throat and dragged him through the opening. It was a chancy thing to do, but it had no ill effect except on the nether portion of Ramses" anatomy, which, as I later discovered, was violently scored by the rough edges of the rocks as he pa.s.sed rapidly under them.
"Precede me, Ramses, if you please," I said coldly.
"Yes, Mama. I would rather do that in any case, since I have the distinct impression, from the strength of Mr. Nemo"s grip, that he is in a state of emotional excitation that makes me prefer to have some obstacle between myself and his-"
I gave Ramses a push. He said later that I had struck him, but that is not correct. I simply pushed him in order to hasten his progress. It certainly had that effect.
Our return to the house was effected in utter silence. When we arrived it was completely dark, and Hamid the cook informed us indignantly that dinner was burned to a crisp because we had not told him we would be late. to a crisp because we had not told him we would be late.
After the required repairs to our physical and sartorial deficiencies had been effected, and a distinctly inferior meal had been consumed, we gathered in the sitting room for a council of war.
Feeling that repairs to shattered nerves were also required, I offered whiskey all round, except to Ramses, of course. He and the cat had milk and Enid chose a cup of tea. The genial beverage (I refer in this instance to the whiskey) had the desired effect, though in Emerson"s case the improvement of his spirits was due in large part to the relief of recovering his son more or less unscarred, and to the fact that I was about to admit him to my confidence. As he put it, during a brief moment of privacy, while I was removing my (or Enid"s) disheveled costume, "Much as I deplore your insane escapades, Peabody, I resent even more being excluded from them."
Yet, as I explained once we had settled around the table in the sitting room, there was very little he did not know, now that the ident.i.ties of the two young persons had been disclosed. He could not blame me for failing to inform him of Enid"s real name, since he claimed to have recognized her from the start.
Ramses, of course, also maintained he had penetrated Enid"s disguise. "The bone structure is unmistakable. A student of physiognomy is never misled by superficial changes in appearance such as are wrought by clothing, ornaments, or cosmetics. Which reminds me, Miss Debenham, that at some future time I would like to discuss with you the devices ladies employ in order to change their natural appearance-for the better, as they no doubt a.s.sume, or they would not resort to such things. The coloring of the lips and cheeks reminds me of the Amazulu people, who often paint broad stripes-" doubt a.s.sume, or they would not resort to such things. The coloring of the lips and cheeks reminds me of the Amazulu people, who often paint broad stripes-"
We stifled Ramses, figuratively speaking-though Donald looked as if he would like to have done so literally. He had already informed me that he was beginning to understand my warnings concerning Ramses. "The boy doesn"t need a bodyguard, Mrs. Emerson, he needs a guardian angel-or possibly a squad of them."
The young man was wearing his new shirt and trousers, and for the first time resembled the English gentleman I knew him to be. He sat with eyes downcast and lips pressed tightly together. Enid was also silent. The concerted effort both made to avoid touching or looking at one another was in my opinion highly significant.
Emerson was the first to break the silence. " "It seems that whether I will or not, I have become involved in the little matter of Kalenischeff"s murder. Let me say at the outset that I cannot help but believe there is some connection between that event and the domestic matters Mr. Fraser has outlined. It is too much of a coincidence that a third party should have decided to do away with the villain-much as he deserved it-at the precise time when Miss Debenham had hired him to help find her missing kinsman."
"Coincidences do occur, Emerson," I said. "I know you would rather eliminate from consideration that individual whose name I refrain from mentioning-"