Проклятие мумии, или Камень Семи Звезд

           ItwasquiteunlikeanythingIhadeverseen,anddidnotresembleanystoneorgemthatIknew.Itookittobesomeuniquemother-stone,ormatrixofsomegem.Itwaswroughtallover,exceptinafewspots,withfinehieroglyphics,exquisitelydoneandcolouredwiththesameblue-greencementorpigmentthatappearedonthesarcophagus.Inlengthitwasabouttwofeetandahalf;inbreadthabouthalfthis,andwasnearlyafoothigh.Thevacantspaceswereirregularlydistributedaboutthetoprunningtothepointedend.Theseplacesseemedlessopaquethantherestofthestone.ItriedtoliftupthelidsothatImightseeiftheyweretranslucent;butitwassecurelyfixed.Itfittedsoexactlythatthewholecofferseemedlikeasinglepieceofstonemysteriouslyhollowedfromwithin.Onthesidesandedgesweresomeodd-lookingprotuberanceswroughtjustasfinelyasanyotherportionofthecofferwhichhadbeensculpturedbymanifestdesigninthecuttingofthestone.Theyhadqueer-shapedholesorhollows,differentineach;and,liketherest,werecoveredwiththehieroglyphicfigures,cutfinelyandfilledinwiththesameblue-greencement.

           Ontheothersideofthegreatsarcophagusstoodanothersmalltableofalabaster,exquisitelychasedwithsymbolicfiguresofgodsandthesignsofthezodiac.