Проклятие мумии, или Камень Семи Звезд

           Thesehadnotbeenusedtopreservetheintestinesasusual,sotheymusthavebeenplacedthereforsomeotherpurpose.IrememberedthatinVanHuyn’snarrativehehadcommentedonthewaythejarsweresealed.Thiswaslightly,thougheffectually;theycouldbeopenedwithoutforce.Thejarswerethemselvespreservedinasarcophaguswhich,thoughofimmensestrengthandhermeticallysealed,couldbeopenedeasily.Accordingly,Iwentatoncetoexaminethejars.Alittle—averylittleoftheoilstillremained,butithadgrownthickinthetwoandahalfcenturiesinwhichthejarshadbeenopen.Still,itwasnotrancid;andonexaminingitIfounditwascedaroil,andthatitstillexhaledsomethingofitsoriginalaroma.Thisgavemetheideathatitwastobeusedtofillthelamps.Whoeverhadplacedtheoilinthejars,andthejarsinthesarcophagus,knewthattheremightbeshrinkageinprocessoftime,eveninvasesofalabaster,andfullyallowedforit;foreachofthejarswouldhavefilledthelampshalfadozentimes.WithpartoftheoilremainingImadesomeexperiments,therefore,whichmaygiveusefulresults.Youknow,Doctor,thatcedaroil,whichwasmuchusedinthepreparationandceremonialsoftheEgyptiandead,hasacertainrefractivepowerwhichwedonotfindinotheroils.Forinstance,weuseitonthelensesofourmicroscopestogiveadditionalclearnessofvision.LastnightIputsomeinoneofthelamps,andplaceditnearatranslucentpartoftheMagicCoffer