Chapter X. The Valley of the Sorcerer

by Bram Stoker

　　I Placed the book on the little table on which the shaded lamprested, and moved the screen to one side. Thus I could have the lighton my book; and by looking up, see the bed, and the Nurse, and thedoor. I cannot say that the conditions were enjoyable, or calculated toallow of that absorption in the subject which is advisable foreffective study. However, I composed myself to the work as well as Icould. The book was one which, on the very face of it, required specialattention. It was a folio in Dutch, printed in Amsterdam in 1650.Someone had made a literal translation, writing generally the Englishword under the Dutch, so that the grammatical differences between thetwo tongues made even the reading of the translation a difficultmatter. One had to dodge backward and forward among the words. This wasin addition to the difficulty of deciphering a strange handwriting oftwo hundred years ago. I found, however, that after a short time I gotinto the habit of following in conventional English the Dutchconstruction; and, as I became more familiar with the writing, my taskbecame easier.At first the circumstances of the room, and the fear lest MissTrelawny should return unexpectedly and find me reading the book,disturbed me somewhat. For we had arranged amongst us, before DoctorWinchester had gone home, that she was not to be brought into the rangeof the coming investigation. We considered that there might be someshock to a woman's mind in matters of apparent mystery; and further,that she, being Mr. Trelawny's daughter, might be placed in a difficultposition with him afterwards if she took part in, or even had apersonal knowledge of, the disregarding of his expressed wishes. Butwhen I remembered that she did not come on nursing duty till twoo'clock, the fear of interruption passed away. I had still nearly threehours before me. Nurse Kennedy sat in her chair by the bedside, patientand alert. A clock ticked on the landing; other clocks in the houseticked; the life of the city without manifested itself in the distanthum, now and again swelling into a roar as a breeze floating westwardtook the concourse of sounds with it. But still the dominant idea wasof silence. The light on my book, and the soothing fringe of green silkround the shade intensified, whenever I looked up, the gloom of thesick-room. With every line I read, this seemed to grow deeper anddeeper; so that when my eyes came back to the page the light seemed todazzle me. I stuck to my work, however, and presently began to getsufficiently into the subject to become interested in it.The book was by one Nicholas van Huyn of Hoorn. In the preface hetold how, attracted by the work of John Greaves of Merton College, Pyramidographia, he himself visited Egypt, where he became sointerested in its wonders that he devoted some years of his life tovisiting strange places, and exploring the ruins of many temples andtombs. He had come across many variants of the story of the building ofthe Pyramids as told by the Arabian historian, Ibn Abd Alhokin, some ofwhich he set down. These I did not stop to read, but went on to themarked pages.As soon as I began to read these, however, there grew on me somesense of a disturbing influence. Once or twice I looked to see if theNurse had moved, for there was a feeling as though someone were nearme. Nurse Kennedy sat in her place, as steady and alert as ever; and Icame back to my book again.The narrative went on to tell how, after passing for several daysthrough the mountains to the east of Aswan, the explorer came to acertain place. Here I give his own words, simply putting thetranslation into modern English.'Toward evening we came to the entrance of a narrow, deep valley,running east to west. I wished to proceed through this; for the sun,now nearly down on the horizon, showed a wide opening beyond thenarrowing of the cliffs. But the fellaheen absolutely refused to enterthe valley at such a time, alleging that they might be caught by thenight before they could emerge from the other end. At first they wouldgive no reason for their fear. They had hitherto gone anywhere Iwished, and at any time, without demur. On being pressed, however, theysaid that the place was the Valley of the Sorcerer, where none mightcome in the night. On being asked to tell of the Sorcerer, theyrefused, saying that there was no name, and that they knew nothing. Onthe next morning, however, when the sun was up and shining down thevalley, their fears had somewhat passed away. Then they told me that agreat Sorcerer in ancient days--"millions of millions of years" was theterm they used--a King or a Queen, they could not say which, was buriedthere. They could not give the name, persisting to the last that therewas no name; and that anyone who should name it would waste away inlife so that at death nothing of him would remain to be raised again inthe Other World. In passing through the valley they kept together in acluster, hurrying on in front of me. None dared to remain behind. Theygave, as their reason for so proceeding, that the arms of the Sorcererwere long, and that it was dangerous to be the last. The which was oflittle comfort to me who of this necessity took that honourable post.In the narrowest part of the valley, on the south side, was a greatcliff of rock, rising sheer, of smooth and even surface. Hereon weregraven certain cabalistic signs, and many figures of men and animals,fishes, reptiles, and birds; suns and stars; and many quaint symbols.Some of these latter were disjointed limbs and features, such as armsand legs, fingers, eyes, noses, ears, and lips. Mysterious symbolswhich will puzzle the Recording Angel to interpret at the Judgment Day.The cliff faced exactly north. There was something about it so strange,and so different from the other carved rocks which I had visited, thatI called a halt and spent the day in examining the rock front as wellas I could with my telescope. The Egyptians of my company were terriblyafraid, and used every kind of persuasion to induce me to pass on. Istayed till late in the afternoon, by which time I had failed to makeout aright the entry of any tomb, for I suspected that such was thepurpose of the sculpture of the rock By this time the men wererebellious; and I had to leave the valley if I did not wish my wholeretinue to desert. But I secretly made up my mind to discover the tomb,and explore it. To this end I went further into the mountains, where Imet with an Arab sheik who was willing to take service with me. TheArabs were not bound by the same superstitious fears as the Egyptians;Sheik Abu Soma and his following were willing to take a part in theexplorations.'When I returned to the valley with these Bedouins, I made effort toclimb the face of the rock, but failed, it being of one impenetrablesmoothness. The stone, generally flat and smooth by nature, had beenchiselled to completeness. That there had been projecting steps wasmanifest, for there remained, untouched by the wondrous climate of thatstrange land, the marks of saw and chisel and mallet where the stepshad been cut or broken away.'Being thus baffled of winning the tomb from below, and beingunprovided with ladders to scale, I found a way by much circuitousjourneying to the top of the cliff. Thence I caused myself to belowered by ropes, till I had investigated that portion of the rock facewherein I expected to find the opening. I found that there was anentrance, closed however by a great stone slab. This was cut in therock more than a hundred feet up, being two-thirds the height of thecliff. The hieroglyphic and cabalistic symbols cut in the rock were somanaged as to disguise it. The cutting was deep, and was continuedthrough the rock and the portals of the doorway, and through the greatslab which formed the door itself. This was fixed in place with suchincredible exactness that no stone chisel or cutting implement which Ihad with me could find a lodgement in the interstices. I used muchforce, however; and by many heavy strokes won a way into the tomb, forsuch I found it to be. The stone door having fallen into the entrance Ipassed over it into the tomb, noting as I went a long iron chain whichhung coiled on a bracket close to the doorway.'The tomb I found to be complete, after the manner of the finestEgyptian tombs, with chamber and shaft leading down to the corridor,ending in the Mummy Pit. It had the table of pictures, which seems somekind of record--whose meaning is now for ever lost--graven in awondrous colour on a wondrous stone.'All the walls of the chamber and the passage were carved withstrange writings in the uncanny, form mentioned. The huge stone coffinor sarcophagus in the deep pit was marvellously graven throughout withsigns. The Arab chief and two others who ventured into the tomb withme, and who were evidently used to such grim explorations, managed totake the cover from the sarcophagus without breaking it. At which theywondered; for such good fortune, they said, did not usually attend suchefforts. Indeed they seemed not over careful; and did handle thevarious furniture of the tomb with such little concern that, only forits great strength and thickness, even the coffin itself might havebeen injured. Which gave me much concern, for it was very beautifullywrought of rare stone, such as I had no knowledge of. Much I grievedthat it were not possible to carry it away. But time and desertjourneyings forbade such; I could only take with me such small mattersas could be carried on the person.'Within the sarcophagus was a body, manifestly of a woman, swathedwith many wrappings of linen, as is usual with all mummies. Fromcertain embroiderings thereon, I gathered that she was of high rank.Across the breast was one hand, unwrapped. In the mummies which I hadseen, the arms and hands are within the wrappings, and certainadornments of wood, shaped and painted to resemble arms and hands, lieoutside the enwrapped body.'But this hand was strange to see, for it was the real hand of herwho lay enwrapped there; the arm projecting from the cerements being offlesh, seemingly made as Eke marble in the process of embalming. Armand hand were of dusky white, being of the hue of ivory that hath lainlong in air. The skin and the nails were complete and whole, as thoughthe body had been placed for burial overnight. I touched the hand andmoved it, the arm being something flexible as a live arm; though stiffwith long disuse, as are the arms of those fakirs which I have seen inthe Indies. There was, too, an added wonder that on this ancient handwere no less than seven fingers, the same all being fine and long, andof great beauty. Sooth to say, it made me shudder and my flesh creep totouch that hand that had lain there undisturbed for so many thousandsof years, and yet was like unto living flesh. Underneath the hand, asthough guarded by it, lay a huge jewel of ruby; a great stone ofwondrous bigness, for the ruby is in the main a small jewel. This onewas of wondrous colour, being as of fine blood whereon the lightshineth. But its wonder lay not in its size or colour, though thesewere, as I have said, of priceless rarity; but in that the light of itshone from seven stars, each of seven points, as clearly as though thestars were in reality there imprisoned. When the hand was lifted, thesight of that wondrous stone lying there struck me with a shock almostto momentary paralysis. I stood gazing on it, as did those with me, asthough it were that fabled head of the Gorgon Medusa with the snakes inher hair, whose sight struck into stone those who beheld. So strong wasthe feeling that I wanted to hurry away from the place. So, too, thosewith me; therefore, taking this rare jewel, together with certainamulets of strangeness and richness being wrought of jewel-stones, Imade haste to depart. I would have remained longer, and made furtherresearch in the wrappings of the mummy, but that I feared so to do. Forit came to me all at once that I was in a desert place, with strangemen who were with me because they were not over-scrupulous. That wewere in a lone cavern of the dead, a 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 moresecure following. Moreover, was I tempted to seek further, as inexamining the wrappings I saw many things of strange import in thatwondrous tomb; including a casket of eccentric shape made of somestrange stone, which methought might have contained other jewels,inasmuch as it had secure lodgement in the great sarcophagus itself.There was in the tomb also another coffer which, though of rareproportion and adornment, was more simply shaped. It was of ironstoneof great thickness; but the cover was lightly cemented down with whatseemed gum and Paris plaster, as though to ensure that no air couldpenetrate. The Arabs with me so insisted in its opening, thinking thatfrom its thickness much treasure was stored therein, that I consentedthereto. But their hope was a false one, as it proved. Within, closelypacked, stood four jars finely wrought and carved with variousadornments. 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 thatsuch burial urns as these were used to contain the entrails and otherOrgans of the mummied dead; but on opening these, for the fastening ofwax, though complete, was thin, and yielded easily, we found that theyheld but oil. The Bedouins, spilling most of the oil in the process,groped with their hands in the jars lest treasure should have beenthere concealed. But their searching was of no avail; no treasure wasthere. I was warned of my danger by seeing in the eyes of the Arabscertain covetous glances. Whereon, in order to hasten their departure,I wrought upon those fears of superstition which even in these callousmen were apparent. The chief of the Bedouins ascended, from the Pit togive the signal to those above to raise us; and I, not caring to remainwith the men whom I mistrusted, followed him immediately. The othersdid nor come at once; from which I feared that they were rifling thetomb afresh on their own account. I refrained to speak of it, however,lest worse should befall. At last they came. One of them, who ascendedfirst, in landing at the top of the cliff lost his foothold and fellbelow. He was instantly killed. The other followed, but in safety. Thechief came next, and I came last. Before coming away I pulled into itsplace again, as well as I could, the slab of stone that covered theentrance to the tomb. I wished, if possible, to preserve it for my ownexamination should I come again.'When we all stood on the hill above the cliff, the burning sun thatwas bright and full of glory was good to see after the darkness andstrange mystery of the tomb. Even was I glad that the poor Arab whofell down the cliff and lay dead below, lay in the sunlight and not inthat gloomy cavern. I would fain have gone with my companions to seekhim and give him sepulture of some kind; but the Sheik made light ofit, 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 thata lion of the desert had killed his companion after they had buried thedead man in a deep sand without the valley, and had covered the spotwhere he lay with many great rocks, so that jackals or other preyingbeasts might not dig him up again as is their wont.'Later, in the light of the fire round which the men sat or lay, Isaw him exhibit to his fellows something white which they seemed toregard with special awe and reverence. So I drew near silently, and sawthat it was none other than the white hand of the mummy which had lainprotecting the Jewel in the great sarcophagus. I heard the Bedouin tellhow 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 hadnoted before. This man must have wrenched it off the dead body whilsthis chief and I were otherwise engaged: and from the awe of the othersI 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 fromthe dead; since his death followed hard upon his theft. Already hisAmulet had had an awesome baptism; for the wrist of the dead hand wasstained with red as though it had been dipped in recent blood.'That night I was in certain fear lest there should be some violencedone to me; for if the poor dead hand was so valued as a charm, whatmust 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 downits course by boat to Alexandria: with other guides who knew not whatstrange matters I had with me.'At last there came over me a disposition of sleep, so potent that Ifelt it would be resistless. Fearing attack, or that being searched inmy sleep the Bedouin might find the Star Jewel which he had seen meplace with others in my dress, I took it out unobserved and held it inmy hand. It seemed to give back the light of the flickering fire andthe light of the stars--for there was no moon--with equal fidelity; andI could note that on its reverse it was graven deeply with certainsigns such as I had seen in the tomb. As I sank into theunconsciousness of sleep, the graven Star Jewel was hidden in thehollow 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 wasdesolate; save for one figure which lay prone close to me. It was thatof the Arab chief, who lay on his back, dead. His face was almostblack; and his eyes were open, and staring horribly up at the sky, asthough he saw there some dreadful vision. He had evidently beenstrangled; for on looking, I found on his throat the red marks wherefingers had pressed. There seemed so many of these marks that I countedthem. There were seven; and all parallel, except the thumb mark, asthough made with one hand. This thrilled me as I thought of the mummyhand with the seven fingers. Seven there, in the open desert, it seemedas if there could be enchantments!'In my surprise, as I bent over him, I opened my right hand, whichup 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 heldthere fell out and struck the dead man on the mouth. Mirabile dictuthere came forth at once from the dead mouth a great gush of blood, inwhich the red jewel was for the moment lost. I turned the dead man overto look for it, and found that he lay with his right hand bent underhim as though he had fallen on it; and in it he held a great knife,keen of point and edge, such as Arabs carry at the belt. It may havebeen that he was about to murder me when vengeance came on him, whetherfrom man or God, or the Gods of Old, I know not. Suffice it, that whenI found my Ruby Jewel, which shone up as a living star from the mess ofblood wherein it lay, I paused not, but fled from the place. Ijourneyed on alone through the hot desert; till, by God's grace, I cameupon an Arab tribe camping by a well, who gave me salt. With them Irested till they had set me on my way.'I know not what became of the mummy hand, or of those who had it.What strife, or suspicion, or disaster, or greed went with it I knownot; but some such cause there must have been, since those who had itfled with it. It doubtless is used as a charm of potence by some deserttribe.'At the earliest opportunity I made examination of the Star Ruby asI wished to try to understand what was graven on it. The symbols--whosemeaning, however, I could not understand--were as follows...'Twice, whilst I had been reading this engrossing narrative, I hadthought that I had seen across the page streaks of shade, which theweirdness of the subject had made to seem like the shadow of a hand. Onthe first of these occasions I found that the illusion came from thefringe of green silk around the lamp; but on the second I had lookedup, and my eyes had lit on the mummy hand across the room on which thestarlight was falling under the edge of the blind. It was of littlewonder that I had connected it with such a narrative; for if my eyestold me truly, here, in this room with me, was the very hand of whichthe traveller Van Huyn had written. I looked over at the bed; and itcomforted me to think that the Nurse still sat there, calm and wakeful.At such a time, with such surroundings, during such a narrative, it waswell to have assurance of the presence of some living person.I sat looking at the book on the table before me; and so manystrange thoughts crowded on me that my mind began to whirl. It wasalmost as if the light on the white fingers in front of me wasbeginning to have some hypnotic effect. All at once, all thoughtsseemed to stop; and for an instant the world and time stood still.There lay a real hand across the book! What was there to so overcomeme, as was the case? I knew the Band that I saw on the book--and lovedit. Margaret Trelawny's hand was a joy to me to see--to touch; and yetat that moment, coming after other marvelous things, it had a strangelymoving effect on me. It was but momentary, however, and had passed evenbefore her voice had reached me.'What disturbs you? What are you staring at the book for? I thoughtfor an instant that you must have been overcome again!' I jumped up.'I was reading,' I said, 'an old book from the library.' As I spokeI closed it and put it under my arm. 'I shall now put it back, as Iunderstand that your Father wishes all things, especially books, keptin their proper places.' My words were intentionally misleading; for Idid not wish her to know what I was reading, and thought it best not towake her curiosity by leaving the book about. I went away, but not tothe library; I left the book in my room where I could get it when I hadhad my sleep in the day. When I returned Nurse Kennedy was ready to goto bed; so Miss Trelawny watched with me in the room. I did not wantany book whilst she was present. We sat close together and talked in awhisper whilst the moments flew by. It was with surprise that I notedthe edge of the curtains changing from grey to yellow light. What wetalked of had nothing to do with the sick man, except in so far thatall which concerned his daughter must ultimately concern him. But ithad nothing to say to Egypt, or mummies, or the dead, or caves, orBedouin chiefs. I could well take note in the growing light thatMargaret's hand had not seven fingers, but five; for it lay in mine.When Doctor Winchester arrived in the morning and had made his visitto his patient, he came to see me as I sat in the dining-room having alittle meal--breakfast or supper, I hardly knew which it was--before Iwent to lie down. Mr.-Corbeck came in at the same time; and we resumedour conversation where we had left it the night before. I told Mr.Corbeck that I had read the chapter about the finding of the tomb, andthat I thought Doctor Winchester should read it, too. The latter saidthat, if he might, he would take it with him; he had that morning tomake a railway journey to Ipswich, and would read it on the train. Hesaid he would bring it back with him when he came again in the evening.I went up to. my room to bring it down; but I could not find itanywhere. I had a distinct recollection of having left it on the littletable beside my bed, when I had come up after Miss Trelawny's going onduty into the sick-room. It was very strange; for the book was not of akind that any of the servants would be likely to take. I had to comeback and explain to the others that I could not find it. When DoctorWinchester had gone, Mr. Corbeck, who seemed to know the Dutchman'swork by heart, talked the whole matter over with me. I told him that Iwas interrupted by a change- of nurses, just as I had come to thedescription of the ring. He smiled as he said:'So far as that is concerned, you need not be disappointed. Not inVan Huyn's time, nor for nearly two centuries later, could the meaningof that engraving have been understood. It was only when the work wastaken up and followed by Young and Champollion, by Birch and Lepsiusand Rosellini and Salvolini, by Mariette Bey and by Wallis Budge andFlinders Petrie and the former scholars of their times that greatresults ensued, and that the true meaning of hieroglyphic was known. 'Later, I shall explain to you, if Mr. Trelawny does not explain ithimself, or if he does not forbid me to, what it means in thatparticular place. I think it will be better for you to know whatfollowed Van Huyn's narrative; for with the description of the stone,and the account pf his bringing it to Holland at the termination of histravels, the episode ends. Ends so far as his book is concerned. Thechief tiling about the book is that it set others thinking--and acting.Amongst them were Mr. Trelawny and myself. Mr. Trelawny is a goodlinguist of the Orient, but he does not know Northern tongues. As forme I have a faculty for learning languages; and when I was pursuing mystudies in Leyden I learned Dutch so that I might more easily makereferences in the library there. Thus-it was, that at the very timewhen Mr. Trelawny, who, in making his great collection of works onEgypt, had, through a booksellers' catalogue, acquired this volume withthe manuscript translation, was studying it, I was reading anothercopy, in the original Dutch, in Leyden. We were both struck by thedescription of the lonely tomb in the rock; cut so high up as to beinaccessible to ordinary seekers: with all means of reaching itcarefully obliterated; and yet with such an elaborate ornamentation ofthe smoothed surface of the cliff as Van Huyn has described. It also struck us both as an odd thing--for in the years between VanHuyn's time and our own the general knowledge of Egyptian curios andrecords has increased marvellously--that in the case of such a tomb,made in such a place, and which must have cost an immense sum of money,there was no seeming record or effigy to point out who lay within.Moreover, the very name of the place, "the Valley of the Sorcerer",had, in a prosaic age, attractions of its own. When we met, which wedid through his seeking the assistance of other Egyptologists in hiswork, we talked over this as we did over many other things; and wedetermined to make search for the mysterious valley. Whilst we were waiting to start on the travel, for many things wererequired which Mr. Trelawny undertook to see to himself, I went toHolland to try if I could by any traces verify Van Huyn's narrative. Iwent straight to Hoorn, and set patiently to work to find the house ofthe traveller and his descendants, if any. I need not trouble you withdetails of my seeking--and finding. Hoorn is a place that has notchanged much since Van Huyn's time, except that it has lost the placewhich it held amongst commercial cities. Its externals are such as theyhad been then; in such a sleepy old place a century or two does notcount for much. I found the house, and discovered that none of thedescendants were alive. I searched records; but only to one end--deathand extinction. Then I set me to work to find what had become of histreasures; for that such a traveller must have had great treasures wasapparent. I traced a good many to museums in Leyden, Utrecht, andAmsterdam; and some few to the private houses of rich collectors. Atlast, in the shop of an old watchmaker and jeweller at Hoorn, I foundwhat he considered his chiefest treasure: a great ruby, carven like ascarab, with seven stars, and engraven with hieroglyphics. The old mandid not know hieroglyphic character, and in his old-world, sleepy life,the philological discoveries of recent years had not reached him. Hedid not know anything of Van Huyn, except that such a person had been,and that his name was, during two centuries, venerated in the town as agreat traveller. He valued the jewel as only a rare stone, spoiled inpart by the cutting; and though he was at first loth to part with sucha unique gem, he became amenable ultimately to commercial reason. I hada full purse, since I bought for Mr. Trelawny, who is, as I suppose youknow, immensely wealthy. I was shortly on my way back to London, withthe Star Ruby safe in my pocket-book; and in my heart a joy andexultation which knew no bounds.'For here we were with proof of Van Huyn's wonderful story. Thejewel was put in security in Mr. Trelawny's great safe; and we startedout on our journey of exploration in full hope.'Mr. Trelawny was, at the last, loth to leave his young wife whom hedearly loved; but she, who loved him equally, knew his longing toprosecute the search. So keeping to herself, as all good women do, allher anxieties--which in her case were special--she bade him follow outhis bent.'