“它去哪里了?”杰克說。
他和安妮從那個洞往里看。
他們看見一條長長的走廊。燃燒的火把照亮了墻壁。深色的影子若隱若現(xiàn)。
“我們進去吧。”安妮說。
“等等。”杰克說。
他拿出那本關于埃及的書,翻到有關金字塔的那一章。
大聲讀道:
金字塔又被稱為死人之屋。除了里面深處的墓室,它簡直就是一個實心的巨大石堆。
“哇,咱們去吧,到墓室去。”安妮說,“我敢打賭木乃伊就在那里。”
杰克深深地吸了口氣,然后便從熾熱、刺眼的日光底下跨入陰冷而黑暗的金字塔內部。
走廊里寂靜無聲。
地,天花板,墻壁—— 一切都是石頭砌成的。
地從他們站立的地方開始向上傾斜。
“我們再往里走一點。”安妮說。
“好。”杰克說,“不過你要緊緊跟在我后面。別說話,別……”
“走吧!走就是了!”安妮說著輕輕推了杰克一把。
杰克開始沿著傾斜的走廊往前走。
那只貓在哪里?走廊一直向前延伸著。
“等等。”杰克說,“我想看看那本書。”
他再次翻開那本關于埃及的書,把它舉到一個火把的下面。書上畫著一幅金字塔內部的圖畫。
“墓室在金字塔的中部??匆姏]有?”杰克說,它指了指那幅畫。“好像就在前面。”
杰克把書塞在胳膊下面。然后兩人繼續(xù)朝金字塔內部走去。
很快地就不再傾斜了??諝夥路鸲疾煌?,充滿了霉腐味兒。
杰克再次翻開書。“我想我們差不多已到墓室了??吹竭@幅畫沒有?走廊一路上坡,然后變得平坦,這樣你就進入墓室了???mdash;—”
“噫——!”一陣奇怪的叫聲突然在金字塔里響了起來。
杰克嚇得把書都掉到地上了。
一個白影突然從陰影里閃了出來。
它嗖的一聲竄到杰克和安妮面前。
是一個木乃伊!
“他是活的!”安妮驚叫道。
3 It’s Alive!
“Where did he go?” said Jack.
He and Annie peeked through the hole.
They saw a long hallway. Burning torches lit the walls. Dark shadows loomed.
“Let’s go in,” said Annie.
“Wait,” said Jack.
He pulled out the Egypt book and turned to the section on pyramids.
He read the caption aloud:
Pyramids were sometimes called Houses of the Dead.They were nearly all solid stone, except for the burial chambers deep inside.
“Wow. Let’s go there. To the burial chambers,” said Annie. “I bet a mummy’s there.”
Jack took a deep breath.
Then he stepped out of the hot, bright sunlight into the cool, dark pyramid.
The hallway was silent.
Floor, ceiling, walls—everything was stone.
The floor slanted up from where they stood.
“We have to go farther inside,” said Annie.
“Right,” said Jack. “But stay close behind me. Don’t talk. Don’t—”
“Go!Just go!” said Annie. She gave him a little push.
Jack started up the slanting floor of the hallway.
Where was the cat?
The hallway went on and on.
“Wait,” said Jack.“I want to look at the book.”
He opened the Egypt book again. He held it below a torch on the wall. The book showed a picture of the inside of the pyramid.
“The burial chamber is in the middle of the pyramid. See?” Jack said. He pointed to the picture. “It seems to be straight ahead.”
Jack tucked the book under his arm. Then they headed deeper into the pyramid.
Soon the floor became flat. The air felt different. Musty and stale.
Jack opened the book again. “I think we’re almost at the burial chamber.See the picture?The hallway slants up. Then it gets flat. Then you come to the chamber. See, look—”
“Eee-eee!” A strange cry shot through the pyramid.
Jack dropped the Egypt book.
Out of the shadows flew a white figure.
It swooshed toward them!
A mummy!
“It’s alive!” Annie shouted.