Прокляття мумії, або Камінь Семи Зірок
Chapter 11
Withsuchevidenceofthenarrator’struthbeforeus,wecouldnotdoubttheothermatterswhichhehadtold,suchasthebloodonthemummyhand,ormarksofthesevenfingersonthethroatofthestrangledSheik.
"Ishallnottroubleyouwithdetailsofallwesaw,orhowwelearnedallweknew.Partofitwasfromknowledgecommontoscholars;partwereadontheSteleinthetomb,andinthesculpturesandhieroglyphicpaintingsonthewalls.
"QueenTerawasoftheEleventh,orThebanDynastyofEgyptianKingswhichheldswaybetweenthetwenty-ninthandtwenty-fifthcenturiesbeforeChrist.Shesucceededastheonlychildofherfather,Antef.Shemusthavebeenagirlofextraordinarycharacteraswellasability,forshewasbutayounggirlwhenherfatherdied.Heryouthandsexencouragedtheambitiouspriesthood,whichhadthenachievedimmensepower.BytheirwealthandnumbersandlearningtheydominatedallEgypt,moreespeciallytheUpperportion.Theywerethensecretlyreadytomakeaneffortfortheachievementoftheirboldandlong-considereddesign,thatoftransferringthegoverningpowerfromaKingshiptoaHierarchy.ButKingAntefhadsuspectedsomesuchmovement,andhadtakentheprecautionofsecuringtohisdaughtertheallegianceofthearmy.Hehadalsohadhertaughtstatecraft,andhadevenmadeherlearnedintheloreoftheveryprieststhemselves.
