杰克一把拉過(guò)安妮。
那個(gè)白影很快地從他們身邊掠過(guò),然后就消失在陰影里了。
“一個(gè)木乃伊。”安妮說(shuō),“死而復(fù)生。”
“算了吧。”杰克結(jié)結(jié)巴巴地說(shuō),“木乃伊不可能是活的。”他重又拾起那本關(guān)于埃及的書(shū)。
“這是什么?”安妮問(wèn),她從地上拾起個(gè)什么東西。“看,木乃伊掉的。”
是一個(gè)金色的棒子,大約1英尺長(zhǎng)(注:1英尺=0.3048米),一端刻著一個(gè)狗頭。
“像是一根權(quán)杖。”杰克說(shuō)。
“權(quán)杖是什么?”安妮問(wèn)。
“那是國(guó)王和王后拿著的東西。”杰克說(shuō),“它意味著他們統(tǒng)治全民的至高權(quán)力。”
“回來(lái), 木乃伊!”安妮喊道,“我們撿到你的權(quán)杖了。回來(lái)!我們想幫你。”
“噓!”杰克說(shuō),“你傻了嗎?”
“但是木乃伊——”
“那不是木乃伊。”杰克說(shuō),“那是個(gè)人。一個(gè)真人。”
“什么人會(huì)在金字塔里呢?”安妮問(wèn)。
“我也不知道。”杰克說(shuō),“也許這本書(shū)能幫我們。”
他飛快地翻著書(shū)。終于找到一幅畫(huà)畫(huà)著金字塔里的人。他讀道:
盜墓賊經(jīng)常把木乃伊隨葬的寶物掠奪一空。金字塔內(nèi)有一些假的通道就是為阻止這些盜墓賊而建的。
杰克合上書(shū)。
“沒(méi)有什么活的木乃伊。”他說(shuō),“那就是一個(gè)盜墓賊。”
“啊,一個(gè)盜墓賊?”安妮說(shuō)。
“是的,從墳?zāi)估锿禆|西的賊。”
“可是要是那個(gè)賊回來(lái)怎么辦?”安妮問(wèn),“我們最好還是走吧。”
“好的。”杰克說(shuō),“但是我得先記記筆記。”
他把關(guān)于埃及的書(shū)放回了背包,拿出了筆記本和鉛筆。
他在筆記本上寫(xiě)下了這樣的詞:
盜墓賊
“杰克!”安妮喊著。
“等一會(huì)!”杰克說(shuō)。他又繼續(xù)寫(xiě)著:
盜墓賊想偷東西
“杰克!看!”安妮說(shuō)。
杰克感到了一股冷冷的空氣飛快地掠過(guò)身體。他抬頭一看,一陣恐懼沁入全身。
另一個(gè)身影朝他們緩緩地走來(lái)了。
這可不是盜墓賊。
不是,是一個(gè)女人,一個(gè)美麗的埃及女人。
她漆黑的頭發(fā)上戴著花,身穿一條打褶的白色長(zhǎng)裙,身上的金色飾物閃閃發(fā)光。
“這里,杰克。”安妮小聲說(shuō),“給她這個(gè)。”她說(shuō)著把那根金色的權(quán)杖遞給了杰克。
那位埃及女人在杰克和安妮面前停了下來(lái)。
杰克伸出手去,遞過(guò)權(quán)杖。他的手都在顫抖。
結(jié)果他大吃一驚。權(quán)杖居然穿過(guò)了那女人的手。
她似乎是空氣做成的。
4 Back from the Dead
Jack pulled Annie down.
The white figure moved swiftly past them.Then disappeared into the shadows.
“A mummy,” said Annie.“Back from the dead!”
“F-forget it,” stammered Jack.“Mummies aren’t alive.” He picked up the Egypt book.
“What’s this?” said Annie. She lifted something from the floor. “Look. The mummy dropped this thing.”
It was a gold stick. About a foot long. A do head was carved on one end.
“It looks like a scepter,” said Jack.
“What’s that?” asked Annie.
“It’s a thing kings and queens carry,” said Jack. “It means they have power over the people.”
“Come back, mummy!” Annie called. “We found your scepter. Come back!We want to help you!”
“Shush!” said Jack. “Are you nuts?”
“But the mummy—”
“That was no mummy,” said Jack. “It was a person. A real person.”
“What kind of person would be inside a pyramid?” asked Annie.
“I don’t know,” said Jack. “Maybe the book can help us.”
He flipped through the book. At last he found a picture of a person in a pyramid. He read:
Tomb robbers often carried off thetreasure buried with mummies.False passages were sometimes
built to stop the robbers.
Jack closed the book.
“No live mummy,” he said. “Just a tomb robber.”
“Yikes. A tomb robber?” said Annie.
“Yeah, a robber who steals stuff from tombs.”
“But what if the robber comes back,” said Annie. “We’d better leave.”
“Right,” said Jack. “But first I want to write something down.” He put the Egypt book into his pack. He pulled out his notebook and pencil.
He started writing in his notebook:tomb robber
“Jack—” said Annie.
“Just a second,” said jack. He kept writing:
tomb robber tried to steal
“Jack!Look!” said Annie.
Jack felt a whoosh of cold air. He looked up. A wave of terror went through him.
Another figure was moving slowly toward them.
It wasn’t a tomb robber.
No.It was a lady.A beautiful Egyptian lady.
She wore flowers in her black hair.Her long white dress had many tiny pleats.Her gold jewelry glittered.
“Here, Jack,” Annie whispered. “Give her this.” She handed him the gold scepter.
The lady stopped in front of them.
Jack held out the scepter. His hand was trembling.
He gasped. The scepter passed right through the lady’s hand.
She was made of air.