cleopatra-第39章

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slackened；　but　ere　noon　it　once　more　blew　in　terrible　fury；　and　at　the

fourth　hour　from　noon　we　came　in　sight　of　the　rocky　coast　of　that　cape

in　the　island　of　Cyprus　which　is　called　Dinaretum；　where　is　a　mountain

named　Olympus；　and　thither…wards　we　drifted　swiftly。　Then；　when　the

sailors　saw　the　terrible　rocks；　and　how　the　great　waves　that　smote　on

them　spouted　up　in　foam；　once　more　they　grew　much　afraid；　and　cried

out　in　their　fear。　For；　seeing　that　I　still　sat　unmoved；　they　swore

that　I　certainly　was　a　wizard；　and　came　to　cast　me　forth　as　a

sacrifice　to　the　Gods　of　the　sea。　And　this　time　the　captain　was　over…

ruled；　and　said　nothing。　Therefore；　when　they　came　to　me　I　rose　and

defied　them；　saying；　〃Cast　me　forth；　if　ye　will；　but　if　ye　cast　me

forth　ye　shall　perish。〃



For　in　my　heart　I　cared　little；　having　no　more　any　love　of　life；　but

rather　a　desire　to　die；　though　I　greatly　feared　to　pass　into　the

presence　of　my　Holy　Mother　Isis。　But　my　weariness　and　sorrow　at　the

bitterness　of　my　lot　overcame　even　this　heavy　fear；　so　that　when；

being　mad　as　brute　beasts；　they　seized　me　and；　lifting　me；　hurled　me

into　the　raging　waters；　I　did　but　utter　one　prayer　to　Isis　and　made

ready　for　death。　But　it　was　fated　that　I　should　not　die；　for；　when　I

rose　to　the　surface　of　the　water；　I　saw　a　spar　of　wood　floating　near

me；　to　which　I　swam　and　clung。　And　a　great　wave　came　and　swept　me；

riding；　as　it　were；　upon　the　spar；　as　when　a　boy　I　had　learned　to　do

in　the　waters　of　the　Nile；　past　the　bulwarks　of　the　galley　where　the

fierce…faced　sailors　clustered　to　see　me　drown。　And　when　they　saw　me

come　mounted　on　the　wave；　cursing　them　as　I　came；　and　saw；　too；　that

the　colour　of　my　face　had　changedfor　the　salt　water　had　washed　way

the　pigment；　they　shrieked　with　fear　and　threw　themselves　down　upon

the　deck。　And　within　a　very　little　while；　as　I　rode　toward　the　rocky

coast；　a　great　wave　poured　into　the　vessel；　that　rolled　broadside　on；

and　pressed　her　down　into　the　deep；　whence　she　rose　no　more。



So　she　sank　with　all　her　crew。　And　in　that　same　storm　also　sank　the

galley　which　Cleopatra　had　sent　to　search　for　the　Syrian　merchant。

Thus　all　traces　of　me　were　lost；　and　of　a　surety　she　believed　that　I

was　dead。



But　I　rode　on　toward　the　shore。　The　wind　shrieked　and　the　salt　waves

lashed　my　face　as；　alone　with　the　tempest；　I　rushed　upon　my　way；　while

the　sea…birds　screamed　about　my　head。　I　felt　no　fear；　but　rather　a

wild　uplifting　of　the　heart；　and　in　the　stress　of　my　imminent　peril

the　love　of　life　seemed　to　waken　again。　And　so　I　plunged　and　drifted；

now　tossed　high　toward　the　lowering　clouds；　now　cast　into　the　deep

valleys　of　the　sea；　till　at　length　the　rocky　headland　loomed　before

me；　and　I　saw　the　breakers　smite　upon　the　stubborn　rocks；　and　through

the　screaming　of　the　wind　heard　the　sullen　thunder　of　their　fall　and

the　groan　of　stones　sucked　seaward　from　the　beach。　On！　high…throned

upon　the　mane　of　a　mighty　billowfifty　cubits　beneath　me　the　level　of

the　hissing　waters；　above　me　the　inky　sky！　It　was　done！　The　spar　was

torn　from　me；　and；　dragged　downwards　by　the　weight　of　the　bag　of　gold

and　the　clinging　of　my　garments；　I　sank　struggling　furiously。



Now　I　was　underthe　green　light　for　a　moment　streamed　through　the

waters；　and　then　came　darkness；　and　on　the　darkness　pictures　of　the

past。　Picture　after　pictureall　the　long　scene　of　life　was　written

here。　Then　in　my　ears　I　only　heard　the　song　of　the　nightingale；　the

murmur　of　the　summer　sea；　and　the　music　of　Cleopatra's　laugh　of

victory；　following　me　softly　and　yet　more　soft　as　I　sank　away　to

sleep。







Once　more　my　life　came　back；　and　with　it　a　sense　of　deadly　sickness

and　of　aching　pain。　I　opened　my　eyes　and　saw　a　kind　face　bending　over

me；　and　knew　that　I　was　in　the　room　of　a　builded　house。



〃How　came　I　hither？〃　I　asked　faintly。



〃Of　a　truth；　Poseidon　brought　thee；　Stranger；〃　answered　a　rough　voice

in　barbarous　Greek；　〃we　found　thee　cast　high　upon　the　beach　like　a

dead　dolphin　and　brought　thee　to　our　house；　for　we　are　fisher…folk。

And　here；　methinks；　thou　must　lie　a　while；　for　thy　left　leg　is　broken

by　the　force　of　the　waves。〃



I　strove　to　move　my　foot　and　could　not。　It　was　true；　the　bone　was

broken　above　the　knee。



〃Who　art　thou；　and　how　art　thou　named？〃　asked　the　rough…bearded

sailor。



〃I　am　an　Egyptian　traveller　whose　ship　has　sunk　in　the　fury　of　the

gale；　and　I　am　named　Olympus；〃　I　answered；　for　these　people　called　a

mountain　that　we　had　sighted　Olympus；　and　therefore　I　took　the　name　at

hazard。　And　as　Olympus　I　was　henceforth　known。



Here　with　these　rough　fisher…folk　I　abode　for　the　half　of　a　year；

paying　them　a　little　out　of　the　sum　of　gold　that　had　come　safely

ashore　upon　me。　For　it　was　long　before　my　bones　grew　together　again；

and　then　I　was　left　somewhat　of　a　cripple；　for　I；　who　had　been　so　tall

and　straight　and　strong；　now　limpedone　limb　being　shorter　than　the

other。　And　after　I　recovered　from　my　hurt；　I　still　lived　there；　and

toiled　with　them　at　the　trade　of　fishing；　for　I　knew　not　whither　I

should　go　or　what　I　should　do；　and；　for　a　while；　I　was　fain　to　become

a　peasant　fisherman；　and　so　wear　my　weary　life　away。　And　these　people

entreated　me　kindly；　though；　as　others；　they　feared　me　much；　holding

me　to　be　a　wizard　brought　hither　by　the　sea。　For　my　sorrows　had

stamped　so　strange　an　aspect　on　my　face　that　men　gazing　at　me　grew

fearful　of　what　lay　beneath　its　calm。



There；　then；　I　abode；　till　at　length；　one　night　as　I　lay　and　strove　to

sleep；　great　restlessness　came　upon　me；　and　a　mighty　desire　once　more

to　see　the　face　of　Sihor。　But　whether　this　desire　was　of　the　Gods　or

born　of　my　own　heart；　not　knowing；　I　cannot　tell。　So　strong　was　it；　at

the　least；　that　before　it　was　dawn　I　rose　from　my　bed　of　straw　and

clothed　myself　in　my　fisher　garb；　and；　because　I　had　no　wish　to　answer

questions；　thus　I　took　farewell　of　my　humble　hosts。　First　I　placed

some　pieces　of　gold　on　the　well…cleaned　table　of　wood；　and　then　taking

a　pot　of　flour　I　strewed　it　in　the　form　of　letters；　writing：



　〃This　gift　from　Olympus；　the　Egyptian；　who　returns　into　the　sea。〃



Then　I　went；　and　on　the　third　day　I　came　to　the　great　city　of　Salamis；

that　is　also　on　the　sea。　Here　I　abode　in　the　fishermen's　quarters　till

a　vessel　was　about　to　sail　for　Alexandria；　and　to　the　captain　of　this

vessel；　a　man　of　Paphos；　I　hired　myself　as　a　sailor。　We　sailed　with　a

favouring　wind；　and　on　the　fifth　day　I　came　to　Alexandria；　that

hateful　city；　and　saw　the　light　dancing　on　its　golden　domes。



Here　I　might　not　abide。　So　again　I　hired　myself　out　as　a　sailor；

giving　my　labour　in　return　for　passage；　and　we　passed　up　the　Nile。　And

I　learned　from　the　talk　of　men　that　Cleopatra　had　come　back　to

Alexandria；　drawing　Antony　with　her　and　that　they　lived　together　with

royal　state　in　the　palace　on　the　Lochias。　Indeed；　the　boatmen　already

had　a　song　thereon；　which　they　sang　as　they　laboured　at　the　oar。　Also

I　heard　how　the　galley　that　was　sent　to　search　for　the　vessel　which

carried　the　Syrian　merchant　had　foundered　with　all　her　crew；　and　the

tale　that　the　Queen's　astronomer；　Harmachis；　had　flown　to　Heaven　from

the　roof　of　the　house　at　Tarsus。　And　the　sailors　wondered　because　I

sat　and　laboured　and　would　not　sing　their　ribald　song　of　the　loves　of

Cleopatra。　For　they；　too；　began　to　fear　me；　and　mutter　concerning　me

among　themselves。　Then　I　knew　that　I　was　a　man　accursed　and　set　apart

a　man　whom　none　might　love。



On　the　sixth　day　we　drew　nigh　to　Abouthis；　where　I　left　the　craft；　and

the　sailors　were　right　glad　to　see　me　go。　And；　with　a　breaking　heart；

I　walked　through　the　fertile　fields；　seeing　faces　that　I　knew　well。

But　in　my　rough　disguise　and　limping　gait　none　knew　me。　At　length；　as

the　sun　sank；　I　came　near　to　the　great　outer　pylon　of　the　temple；　and

here　I　crouched　down　in　the　ruins　of　a　house；　not　knowing　why　I　had

come　or　what　I　was　about　to　do。　Like　a　lost　ox　I　had　strayed　from　far；

back　to　the　fields　of　my　birth；　and　for　what？　If　my　father；　Amenemhat；

still　lived；　surely　he　would　turn　his　face　from　me。　I　dared　not　go

into　the　presence　of　my　father。　I　sat　hidden　there　among　the　broken

rafters；　and　idly　watched　the　pylon　gates；　to　see　if；　perchance；　a

face　I　knew　should　issue　from　them。　But　none　came　forth　or　entered　in；

though　the　great　gates　stood　wide；　and　then　I　saw　that　herbs　were

growing　between　the　stones；　where　no　herbs　had　grown　for　ages。　What

could　this　be？　Was　the　temple　deserted？　Nay；　how　could　the　worship　of

the　eternal　Gods　have　ceased；　that　for　thousands　of　years　had；　day　by

day；　been　offered　in　the　holy　place？　Was；　then；　my　father　dead？　It

well　might　be。　And　yet；　why　this　silence？　Where　were　the　priests：

where　the　worshippers？



I　could　bear　the　doubt　no　more；　but　as　the　sun　sank　red　I　crept　like　a

hunted　jackal　through　the　open　gates；　and　on　till　I　reached　the　first

great　Hall　of　Pillars。　Here　I　paused　and　gazed　around　menot　a　sight；

not　a　sound；　in　the　dim　and　holy　place！　I　went　on　with　a　beating　heart

to　the　second　great　hall；　the　hall　of　six…and…thirty　pillars　where　I

had　been　crowned　Lord　of　all　the　Lands：　still　not　a　sight　or　a　sound！

Thence；　half　fearful　of　my　own　footfall；　so　terribly　did　it　echo　in

the　silence　of　the　deserted　Holies；　I　passed　down　the　passage　of　the

names　of　the　Pharaohs　towards　my　father's　chamber。　The　curtain　still

swung　over　the　doorway；　but　what　would　there　be　within？also

emptiness？　I　lifted　it；　and　noiselessly　passed　in；　and　there　in　his

carven　chair　at　the　table　on　which　his　long　white　beard　flowed；　sat　my

father；　Amenemhat；　clad　in　his　priestly　robes。　At　first　I　thought　that

he　was　dead；　he　sat　so　still；　but　at　length　he　turned　his　head；　and　I

saw　that　his　eyes　were　white　and　sightless。　He　was　blind；　and　his　face

was　thin　as　the　face　of　a　dead　man；　and　woeful　with　age　and　grief。



I　stood　still　and　felt　the　blind　eyes　wandering　over　me。　I　could　not

speak　to　himI　dared　not　speak　to　him；　I　would　go　and　hide　myself

afresh。



I　had　already　turned　and　grasped　the　curtain；　when　my　father　spoke　in

a　deep；　slow　voice：



〃Come　hither；　thou　who　wast　my　son　and　art　a　traitor。　Come　hither；

thou　Harmachis；　on　whom　Khem　builded　up　her　hope。　Not　in　vain；　then；

have　I　drawn　thee　from　far　away！　Not　in　vain　have　I　held　my　life　in　me

till　I　heard　thy　footfall　creeping　down　these　empty　Holies；　like　the

footfall　of　a　thief！〃



〃Oh！　my　father；〃　I　gasped；　astonished。　〃Thou　art　blind：　how　knowest

thou　me？〃



〃How　do　I　know　thee？and　askest　thou　that　who　hast　learned　of　our

lore？　Enough；　I　know　thee　and　I　brought　thee　hither。　Would；　Harmachis；

that　I　knew　thee　not！　Would　that　I　had　been　blasted　of　the　Invisible

ere　I　drew　thee　down　from　the　womb　of　Nout；　to　be　my　curse　and　shame；

and　the　last　woe　of　Khem！〃



〃Oh；　speak　not　thus！〃　I　moaned；　〃is　not　my　burden　already　more　than　I

can　bear？　Am　I　not　myself