按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
I hope you're all in fine form for an arduous journey。 Of course if you don't want to continue 。。。〃
〃Abu Simbel；〃 Alex said。〃 Isn't that where the colossal statues are of Ramses the Second？〃
Ramses broke off half the fish with his fingers and ate it。 Then he ate the second half。 A curious smile had broken out on Elliott's face； but Ramses didn't see it。 He was staring at Henry again。 Julie was going to start screaming。
〃Statues of Ramses the Great are everywhere； actually；〃 Elliott said； watching Ramses mop up the sauce with the bread。〃 Ramses left more monuments to himself than any other Pharaoh。〃
〃Ah； that's the one。 I knew it；〃 said Alex。〃 The egomaniac of Egyptian history。 I remember now； from school。〃
〃Egomaniac！〃 Ramses said with a grimace。〃 More bread！〃 he said to the waiter。 Then to Alex：〃 What is an egomaniac？ If you please？〃
〃Aspirin； Marxism； egomania；〃 Elliott said。〃 These are all new ideas to you； Mr。 Ramsey？〃
Henry was being positively agitated。 He had drunk the second glass of Scotch and now sat plastered to the back of his chair； merely staring at Ramses' hands as he ate。
〃Oh； you know；〃 Alex said blithely。〃 The fellow was a great braggart。 He built monuments to himself all over the place。 He bragged endlessly about his victories； his wives and his sons！ So that's the mummy； and all this time I didn't realize。〃
〃What in the world are you talking about！〃 Julie said suddenly。
〃Is there any other Egyptian King in history who won so many victories；〃 Ramses said heatedly；〃 and pleasured so many wives； and lathered so many sons？ And surely you understand that in erecting so many statues； the Pharaoh was giving to his people exactly what they wanted。〃
〃Now； that's a novel view！〃 Alex said sarcastically； laying down his knife and fork。〃 You don't mean the slaves enjoyed being flogged to death in the burning sun to build all those temples and colossal statues？〃
〃Slaves； flogged to death in the hot sun？〃 Ramses asked。〃 What are you saying！ This did not happen！〃 He turned to Julie。
〃Alex； that's merely one theory of how the monuments were pleted；〃 she said。〃 No one really knows 。。。〃
〃Well； I know；〃 Ramses said。
〃Everyone has his theory！〃 Julie said； raising her voice slightly and glaring at Ramses。
〃Well； for heaven's sake；〃 Alex said；〃 the man built enormous statues of himself from one end of Egypt to another。 You can't tell me the people wouldn't have been a lot happier tending their flowerbeds。 。。。〃
〃Young man； you are most strange！〃 said Ramses。〃 What do you know about the people of Egypt？ Slaves； you speak of slaves when your slums are filled with starving children。 The people wanted the monuments。 They took pride in their temples。 When the Nile overflowed its banks there could be no work in the fields； and the monuments became the passion of the nation。 Labour wasn't forced。 It didn't have to be。 The Pharaoh was as a god； and he had to do what his people expected of him。〃
〃Surely you're sentimentalizing it a bit；〃 said Elliott； but he was plainly fascinated。
Henry had turned white。 He was no longer moving at all。 His fresh glass of Scotch stood untouched。
〃Not in the least；〃 Ramses argued。〃 The people of Egypt were proud of Ramses the Great。 He drove back the enemies； he conquered the Hittites； he maintained the peace in Upper and Lower Egypt for sixty…four years of his reign！ What other Pharaoh ever brought such tranquillity to the land of the great river！ You know what happened afterwards； don't you？〃
〃Reginald；〃 Julie said under her breath；〃 does this really matter so much！〃
〃Well； apparently it matters to your father's friend；〃 said Elliott。〃 I suspect the ancient Kings were perfect tyrants。 I suspect they beat their subjects to death if they didn't work on those absurd monuments。 The pyramids； how for example…〃
〃You are not so stupid； Lord Rutherford；〃 said Ramses。〃 You are 。。。 how do you say 。。。 baiting me。 Were Englishmen whipped in the streets when they built your St。 Paul's or Westminster Abbey？ The Tower of London； this is the work of slaves？〃
〃No one knows these answers；〃 Samir said meekly。〃 Perhaps we should attempt to…〃
〃There's a great deal of truth in what you say；〃 Elliott said； ignoring Samir。〃 But with regard to the great Ramses； you must admit； he was an exceptionally immodest ruler。 The stele which brag of his acplishments are laughable。〃
〃Sir； really；〃 Samir said。
〃They are nothing of the sort；〃 said Ramses。〃 This was the style of the times； the way the people wanted their ruler to represent himself。 Don't you understand？ The ruler was the people。 For the people to be great； the ruler had to be great！ The ruler was the slave of the people when it came to their wishes； then…needs； their welfare。〃
〃Oh； surely you don't mean the old fellow was a martyr！〃 Alex scoffed。 Never had Julie seen him so aggressive。
〃Perhaps it's not possible for a modern mind to prehend an ancient mind so easily；〃 Elliott conceded。〃 I wonder if the opposite is true。 Whether a man of ancient times； brought to life again； in this era； could understand our values。〃
〃You're not so difficult to understand；〃 Ramses said。〃 You've learned to express yourselves too well for anything to remain veiled or mysterious。 Your newspapers and books tell everything。 Yet you are not so different from your ancient ancestors。 You want love； you want fort； you want justice。 That is what the Egyptian farmer wanted when he went out to till his fields。 That is what the labourers of London want。 And as always the rich are jealous of what they possess。 And greed leads to high crimes as it always has。〃
He turned his eyes mercilessly on Henry； who was now staring back at him directly。 Julie looked in desperation to Samir。
〃Why； you speak of this era as if you have nothing to do with it！〃 Alex said。
〃So what you're saying；〃 Elliott said；〃 is that we're no better and no worse than the ancient Egyptian。〃
Henry reached for his drink and suddenly knocked it over。 Then he reached for the wine and drank it down。 His white face was now moist all over。 His lower lip was trembling。 He looked for all the world like a man about to be seriously ill。
〃No； that is not what I'm saying；〃 Ramses said thoughtfully。〃 You are better。 Better in a thousand ways。 And yet you're still human。 You haven't found all the answers yet。 Electricity； telephones； these are lovely magic。 But the poor go unfed。 Men kill for what they cannot gain by their own labour。 How to share the magic； the riches； the secrets； that is still the problem。〃
〃Ah； there you have it。 Marxism； 1 told you；〃 Alex said。〃 Well； at Oxford they told us Ramses the Second was a bloody tyrant。〃
〃Be quiet； Alex；〃 said Elliott dismissively。 He turned to Ramses。〃 Why does this concern you so； these questions of greed and power？〃
〃Oxford？ What is Oxford？〃 Ramses asked； glancing at Alex。 Then he stared again at Henry； and Henry moved his chair abruptly backwards。 He appeared to be hanging on to the table as if to steady himself。