Прокляття мумії, або Камінь Семи Зірок
Chapter 18
"
Thisappearedtobeanendofthisbranchofthesubject;butashestillkeptthefixedlookofonewhoisengagedinathemeweallwaitedinsilence.Afterapausehewenton:
"Thereisonethingwhichhasuptonow,Iconfess,puzzledme.Itmaynotbeofprimeimportance;butinamatterlikethis,whereallisunknown,wemusttakeitthateverythingisimportant.Icannotthinkthatinamatterworkedoutwithsuchextraordinaryscrupulositysuchathingshouldbeoverlooked.Asyoumayseebytheground-planofthetombthesarcophagusstandsnearthenorthwall,withtheMagicCoffertothesouthofit.Thespacecoveredbytheformerisleftquitebareofsymbolorornamentationofanykind.Atthefirstglancethiswouldseemtoimplythatthedrawingshadbeenmadeafterthesarcophagushadbeenputintoitsplace.Butamoreminuteexaminationwillshowthatthesymbolisationonthefloorissoarrangedthatadefiniteeffectisproduced.See,herethewritingsrunincorrectorderasthoughtheyhadjumpedacrossthegap.Itisonlyfromcertaineffectsthatitbecomesclearthatthereisameaningofsomekind.Whatthatmeaningmaybeiswhatwewanttoknow.Lookatthetopandbottomofthevacantspace,whichliesWestandEastcorrespondingtotheheadandfootofthesarcophagus.Inbothareduplicationsofthesamesymbolisation,butsoarrangedthatthepartsofeachoneofthemareintegralportionsofsomeotherwritingrunningcrosswise.
