Погребённый с фараонами
Chapter 2
ThinkingthesemattersoverasIlaybentandboundontherockfloor,Inearlyforgotthehorrorsofabysmaldescentandcavernousswingingwhichhadsolatelyreducedmetoacoma. MypresentthoughtwasonlytooutwittheArabs, andIaccordinglydeterminedtoworkmyselffreeasquicklyaspossible,avoidinganytugonthedescendinglinewhichmightbetrayaneffectiveorevenproblematicalattemptatfreedom.
This,however,wasmoreeasilydeterminedthaneffected. Afewpreliminarytrialsmadeitclearthatlittlecouldbeaccomplishedwithoutconsiderablemotion;anditdidnotsurprisemewhen,afteroneespeciallyenergeticstruggle,Ibegantofeelthecoilsoffallingropeastheypiledupaboutmeanduponme. Obviously,Ithought, theBedouinshadfeltmymovementsandreleasedtheirendoftherope; hasteningnodoubttothetemple’strueentrancetoliemurderouslyinwaitforme.
Theprospectwasnotpleasing—butIhadfacedworseinmytimewithoutflinching,andwouldnotflinchnow. AtpresentImustfirstofallfreemyselfofbonds,thentrusttoingenuitytoescapefromthetempleunharmed. ItiscurioushowimplicitlyIhadcometobelievemyselfintheoldtempleofKhephrenbesidetheSphinx,onlyashortdistancebelowtheground.
Thatbeliefwasshattered,andeverypristineapprehensionofpreternaturaldepthanddemoniacmysteryrevived, byacircumstancewhichgrewinhorrorandsignificanceevenasIformulatedmyphilosophicalplan. Ihavesaidthatthefallingropewaspilingupaboutanduponme.
