Погребённый с фараонами

           Afteramoment’sreflectionIdecidednottoretracemysteps. AwayfromthedraftIwouldhavenolandmarks,fortheroughlylevelrockfloorwasdevoidofdistinctiveconfigurations. If,however,Ifollowedupthestrangecurrent,Iwouldundoubtedlyarriveatanapertureofsomesort,fromwhosegateIcouldperhapsworkroundthewallstotheoppositesideofthisCyclopeanandotherwiseunnavigablehall. ThatImightfail,Iwellrealized.IsawthatthiswasnopartofKhephren’sgatewaytemplewhichtouristsknow, anditstruckmethatthisparticularhallmightbeunknowneventoarchaeologists,andmerelystumbleduponbytheinquisitiveandmalignantArabswhohadimprisonedme. Ifso,wasthereanypresentgateofescapetotheknownpartsortotheouterair? 

           Whatevidence,indeed,didInowpossessthatthiswasthegatewaytempleatall? ForamomentallmywildestspeculationsrushedbackuponmeandIthoughtofthatvividmelangeofimpressions—descent,suspensioninspace,therope,mywounds,andthedreamsthatwerefranklydreams. Wasthistheendoflifeforme? Orindeed,woulditbemercifulifthismomentweretheend? Icouldanswernoneofmyownquestions,butmerelykepton,tillFateforathirdtimereducedmetooblivion. 

           Thistimetherewerenodreams,forthesuddennessoftheincidentshockedmeoutofallthoughteitherconsciousorsubconscious.