Проклятие мумии, или Камень Семи Звезд

           Suchas,forinstance,thatthehollowedpartofthetablewasexactlyfittedtothebottomoftheMagicCoffer,whichwasthereforeintendedtobeplacedonit.Therespectivelegsofthistablewereindicatedbydifferentlyshapeduraeioutlinedonthefloor,theheadofeachbeingextendedinthedirectionofthesimilaruraeustwinedroundtheleg.Alsothatthemummy,whenlaidontheraisedportioninthebottomofthesarcophagus,seeminglymadetofittheform,wouldlieheadtotheWestandfeettotheEast,thusreceivingthenaturalearthcurrents."Ifthisbeintended,"hesaid,"asIpresumeitis,Igatherthattheforcetobeusedhassomethingtodowithmagnetismorelectricity,orboth.Itmaybe,ofcourse,thatsomeotherforce,such,forinstance,asthatemanatingfromradium,istobeemployed.Ihaveexperimentedwiththelatter,butonlyinsuchsmallquantityasIcouldobtain;butsofarasIcanascertainthestoneoftheCofferisabsolutelyimpervioustoitsinfluence.Theremustbesomesuchunsusceptiblesubstancesinnature.Radiumdoesnotseeminglymanifestitselfwhendistributedthroughpitchblende;andtherearedoubtlessothersuchsubstancesinwhichitcanbeimprisoned.Possiblythesemaybelongtothatclassof"inert"elementsdiscoveredorisolatedbySirWilliamRamsay.ItisthereforepossiblethatinthisCoffer,madefromanaeroliteandthereforeperhapscontainingsomeelementunknowninourworld,maybeimprisonedsomemightypowerwhichistobereleasedonitsopening.