Погребённый с фараонами
Chapter 1
Eventhesmallestofthemheldahintoftheghastly —forwasitnotinthisthattheyhadburiedQueenNitocrisaliveintheSixthDynasty; subtleQueenNitocris,whoonceinvitedallherenemiestoafeastinatemplebelowtheNile,anddrownedthembyopeningthewater-gates? IrecalledthattheArabswhisperthingsaboutNitocris,andshuntheThirdPyramidatcertainphasesofthemoon. ItmusthavebeenoverherthatThomasMoorewasbroodingwhenhewroteathingmutteredaboutbyMemphianboatmen: ‘Thesubterraneannymphthatdwells‘Midsunlessgemsandglorieshid—TheladyofthePyramid!’
Earlyaswewere,AliZizandhispartywereaheadofus; forwesawtheirdonkeysoutlinedagainstthedesertplateau atKafrel–Haram;towardwhichsqualidArabsettlement,closetotheSphinx,wehaddivergedinsteadoffollowingtheregularroadtotheMenaHouse, wheresomeofthesleepy,inefficientpolicemighthaveobservedandhaltedus. Here,wherefilthyBedouinsstabledcamelsanddonkeysintherocktombsofKhephren’scourtiers, wewereleduptherocksandoverthesandtotheGreatPyramid, upwhosetime-wornsidestheArabsswarmedeagerly, AbdulReisofferingmetheassistanceIdidnotneed.
Asmosttravelersknow,theactualapexofthisstructurehaslongbeenwornaway,leavingareasonablyflatplatformtwelveyardssquare.
