Проклятие мумии, или Камень Семи Звезд

           IdaresaythatyouhavenoticedthepeculiarEgyptiansscents,bitumen,nard,aromaticgumsandspices,andsoforth.Itisquitepossiblethatsomewhereinthisroom,amongstthecuriosandhiddenbystrongerscents,issomesubstanceorliquidwhichmayhavetheeffectwesee.Itispossiblethatthepatienthastakensomedrug,andthathemayinsomesleepingphasehaveinjuredhimself.Idonotthinkthisislikely;andcircumstances,otherthanthosewhichIhavemyselfbeeninvestigating,mayprovethatthissurmiseisnotcorrect.Butinthemeantimeitispossible;andmust,tillitbedisproved,bekeptwithinourpurview."HereSergeantDawinterrupted:

           "Thatmaybe,butifso,weshouldbeabletofindtheinstrumentwithwhichthewristwasinjured.Therewouldbemarksofbloodsomewhere."

           "Exactlyso!"saidtheDoctor,fixinghisglassesasthoughpreparingforanargument."Butifitbethatthepatienthasusedsomestrangedrug,itmaybeonethatdoesnottakeeffectatonce.Asweareasyetignorantofitspotentialities—if,indeed,thewholesurmiseiscorrectatall—wemustbepreparedatallpoints."

           HereMissTrelawnyjoinedintheconversation:

           "Thatwouldbequiteright,sofarastheactionofthedrugwasconcerned;butaccordingtothesecondpartofyoursurmisethewoundmayhavebeenself-inflicted,andthisafterthedrughadtakeneffect."

           "True!"saidtheDetectiveandtheDoctorsimultaneously.