The Jewel of Seven Stars, Bram Stoker [books to read for self improvement txt] 📗

a wondrous

colour on a wondrous stone.

 

“All the walls of the chamber and the passage were carved with strange

writings in the uncanny form mentioned. The huge stone coffin or

sarcophagus in the deep pit was marvellously graven throughout with

signs. The Arab chief and two others who ventured into the tomb with

me, and who were evidently used to such grim explorations, managed to

take the cover from the sarcophagus without breaking it. At which they

wondered; for such good fortune, they said, did not usually attend such

efforst. Indeed they seemed not over careful; and did handle the

various furniture of the tomb with such little concern that, only for

its great strength and thickness, even the coffin itself might have been

injured. Which gave me much concern, for it was very beautifully

wrought of rare stone, such as I had no knowledge of. Much I grieved

that it were not possible to carry it away. But time and desert

journeyings forbade such; I could only take with me such small matters

as could be carried on the person.

 

“Within the sarcophagus was a body, manifestly of a woman, swathed with

many wrappings of linen, as is usual with all mummies. From certain

embroiderings thereon, I gathered that she was of high rank. Across the

breast was one hand, unwrapped. In the mummies which I had seen, the

arms and hands are within the wrappings, and certain adornments of wood,

shaped and painted to resemble arms and hands, lie outside the enwrapped

body.

 

“But this hand was strange to see, for it was the real hand of her who

lay enwrapped there; the arm projecting from the cerements being of

flesh, seemingly made as like marble in the process of embalming. Arm

and hand were of dusky white, being of the hue of ivory that hath lain

long in air. The skin and the nails were complete and whole, as though

the body had been placed for burial over night. I touched the hand and

moved it, the arm being something flexible as a live arm; though stiff

with long disuse, as are the arms of those faqueers which I have seen in

the Indees. There was, too, an added wonder that on this ancient hand

were no less than seven fingers, the same all being fine and long, and

of great beauty. Sooth to say, it made me shudder and my flesh creep to

touch that hand that had lain there undisturbed for so many thousands of

years, and yet was like unto living flesh. Underneath the hand, as

though guarded by it, lay a huge jewel of ruby; a great stone of

wondrous bigness, for the ruby is in the main a small jewel. This one

was of wondrous colour, being as of fine blood whereon the light

shineth. But its wonder lay not in its size or colour, though these

were, as I have said, of priceless rarity; but in that the light of it

shone from seven stars, each of seven points, as clearly as though the

stars were in reality there imprisoned. When that the hand was lifted,

the sight of that wondrous stone lying there struck me with a shock

almost to momentary paralysis. I stood gazing on it, as did those with

me, as though it were that faded head of the Gorgon Medusa with the

snakes in her hair, whose sight struck into stone those who beheld. So

strong was the feeling that I wanted to hurry away from the place. So,

too, those with me; therefore, taking this rare jewel, together with

certain amulets of strangeness and richness being wrought of

jewel-stones, I made haste to depart. I would have remained longer, and

made further research in the wrappings of the mummy, but that I feared

so to do. For it came to me all at once that I was in a desert place,

with strange men who were with me because they were not over-scrupulous.

That we were in a lone cavern of the dead, an hundred feet above the

ground, where none could find me were ill done to me, nor would any ever

seek. But in secret I determined that I would come again, though with

more secure following. Moreover, was I tempted to seek further, as in

examining the wrappings I saw many things of strange import in that

wondrous tomb; including a casket of eccentric shape made of some

strange stone, which methought might have contained other jewels,

inasmuch as it had secure lodgment in the great sarcophagus itself.

There was in the tomb also another coffer which, though of rare

proportion and adornment, was more simply shaped. It was of ironstone

of great thickness; but the cover was lightly cemented down with what

seemed gum and Paris plaster, as though to insure that no air could

penetrate. The Arabs with me so insisted in its opening, thinking that

from its thickness much treasure was stored therein, that I consented

thereto. But their hope was a false one, as it proved. Within, closely

packed, stood four jars finely wrought and carved with various

adornments. Of these one was the head of a man, another of a dog,

another of a jackal, and another of a hawk. I had before known that

such burial urns as these were used to contain the entrails and other

organs of the mummied dead; but on opening these, for the fastening of

wax, though complete, was thin, and yielded easily, we found that they

held but oil. The Bedouins, spilling most of the oil in the process,

groped with their hands in the jars lest treasure should have been there

concealed. But their searching was of no avail; no treasure was there.

I was warned of my danger by seeing in the eyes of the Arabs certain

covetous glances. Whereon, in order to hasten their departure, I

wrought upon those fears of superstition which even in these callous men

were apparent. The chief of the Bedouins ascended from the Pit to give

the signal to those above to raise us; and I, not caring to remain with

the men whom I mistrusted, followed him immediately. The others did not

come at once; from which I feared that they were rifling the tomb afresh

on their own account. I refrained to speak of it, however, lest worse

should befall. At last they came. One of them, who ascended first, in

landing at the top of the cliff lost his foothold and fell below. He

was instantly killed. The other followed, but in safety. The chief came

next, and I came last. Before coming away I pulled into its place

again, as well as I could, the slab of stone that covered the entrance

to the tomb. I wished, if possible, to preserve it for my own

examination should I come again.

 

“When we all stood on the hill above the cliff, the burning sun that was

bright and full of glory was good to see after the darkness and strange

mystery of the tomb. Even was I glad that the poor Arab who fell down

the cliff and lay dead below, lay in the sunlight and not in that gloomy

cavern. I would fain have gone with my companions to seek him and give

him sepulture of some kind; but the Sheik made light of it, and sent two

of his men to see to it whilst we went on our way.

 

“That night as we camped, one of the men only returned, saying that a

lion of the desert had killed his companion after that they had buried

the dead man in a deep sand without the valley, and had covered the spot

where he lay with many great rocks, so that jackals or other preying

beasts might not dig him up again as is their wont.

 

“Later, in the light of the fire round which the men sat or lay, I saw

him exhibit to his fellows something white which they seemed to regard

with special awe and reverence. So I drew near silently, and saw that

it was none other than the white hand of the mummy which had lain

protecting the Jewel in the great sarcophagus. I heard the Bedouin tell

how he had found it on the body of him who had fallen from the cliff.

There was no mistaking it, for there were the seven fingers which I had

noted before. This man must have wrenched it off the dead body whilst

his chief and I were otherwise engaged; and from the awe of the others I

doubted not that he had hoped to use it as an Amulet, or charm. Whereas

if powers it had, they were not for him who had taken it from the dead;

since his death followed hard upon his theft. Already his Amulet had

had an awesome baptism; for the wrist of the dead hand was stained with

red as though it had been dipped in recent blood.

 

“That night I was in certain fear lest there should be some violence

done to me; for if the poor dead hand was so valued as a charm, what

must be the worth in such wise of the rare Jewel which it had guarded.

Though only the chief knew of it, my doubt was perhaps even greater; for

he could so order matters as to have me at his mercy when he would. I

guarded myself, therefore, with wakefulness so well as I could,

determined that at my earliest opportunity I should leave this party,

and complete my journeying home, first to the Nile bank, and then down

its course to Alexandria; with other guides who knew not what strange

matters I had with me.

 

“At last there came over me a disposition of sleep, so potent that I

felt it would be resistless. Fearing attack, or that being searched in

my sleep the Bedouin might find the Star Jewel which he had seen me

place with others in my dress, I took it out unobserved and held it in

my hand. It seemed to give back the light of the flickering fire and

the light of the stars—for there was no moon—with equal fidelity; and I

could note that on its reverse it was graven deeply with certain signs

such as I had seen in the tomb. As I sank into the unconsciousness of

sleep, the graven Star Jewel was hidden in the hollow of my clenched

hand.

 

“I waked out of sleep with the light of the morning sun on my face. I

sat up and looked around me. The fire was out, and the camp was

desolate; save for one figure which lay prone close to me. It was that

of the Arab chief, who lay on his back, dead. His face was almost

black; and his eyes were open, and staring horribly up at the sky, as

though he saw there some dreadful vision. He had evidently been

strangled; for on looking, I found on his throat the red marks where

fingers had pressed. There seemed so many of these marks that I counted

them. There were seven; and all parallel, except the thumb mark, as

though made with one hand. This thrilled me as I thought of the mummy

hand with the seven fingers.

 

“Even there, in the open desert, it seemed as if there could be

enchantments!

 

“In my surprise, as I bent over him, I opened my right hand, which up to

now I had held shut with the feeling, instinctive even in sleep, of

keeping safe that which it held. As I did so, the Star Jewel held there

fell out and struck the dead man on the mouth. Mirabile dictu there

came forth at once from the dead mouth a great gush of blood, in which

the red jewel