Проклятие мумии, или Камень Семи Звезд
Chapter 18
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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.