Прокляття мумії, або Камінь Семи Зірок

           Trelawnytookupanothertheme:

           "WehavenowtosettledefinitelytheexacthouratwhichtheGreatExperimentistobemade.Sofarasscienceandmechanismgo,ifthepreparationsarecomplete,allhoursarethesame.Butaswehavetodealwithpreparationsmadebyawomanofextraordinarilysubtlemind,andwhohadfullbeliefinmagicandhadacrypticmeaningineverything,weshouldplaceourselvesinherpositionbeforedeciding.Itisnowmanifestthatthesunsethasanimportantplaceinthearrangements.Asthosesuns,cutsomathematicallybytheedgeofthesarcophagus,werearrangedoffulldesign,wemusttakeourcuefromthis.Again,wefindallalongthatthenumbersevenhashadanimportantbearingoneveryphaseoftheQueen’sthoughtandreasoningandaction.Thelogicalresultisthattheseventhhouraftersunsetwasthetimefixedon.Thisisborneoutbythefactthatoneachoftheoccasionswhenactionwastakeninmyhouse,thiswasthetimechosen.AsthesunsetstonightinCornwallateight,ourhouristobethreeinthemorning!"Hespokeinamatter-of-factway,thoughwithgreatgravity;buttherewasnothingofmysteryinhiswordormanner.Still,wewereallimpressedtoaremarkabledegree.Icouldseethisintheothermenbythepallorthatcameonsomeoftheirfaces,andbythestillnessandunquestioningsilencewithwhichthedecisionwasreceived.TheonlyonewhoremainedinanywayateasewasMargaret,whohadlapsedintooneofhermoodsofabstraction,butwhoseemedtowakeuptoanoteofgladness.