Come along."
They ascended the steps, crushing the bones and skulls to powder beneath
their feet, and entered the huge, square doorway, which looked like a
rectangle of blackness against the grey-white of the wall. Even through
their asbestos-woven clothing they felt a sudden shock of icy cold. In
those few steps they had passed from a temperature of tenfold summer
heat into one below that of the coldest spots on earth. They turned on
the electric lamps which were fitted to the breastplates of their
dresses, but they could see nothing save the thin thread of light
straight in front of them. It did not even spread. It was like a
polished needle on a background of black velvet.
All about them was darkness impenetrable, and so they reluctantly turned
back to the doorway, leaving all the mysteries which that vast temple of
a long-vanished people might contain to remain mysteries to the end of
time.
They passed down the steps again and crossed the square, and for the
next half-hour Zaidie was busy taking photographs of the pyramid with
its ghastly surroundings, and a few general views of this strange City
of the Dead.
CHAPTER VIII
When they got back they found Murgatroyd pacing up and down the floor of
the deck-chamber, looking about him with serious eyes, but betraying no
other visible sign of anxiety.
Pages:
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98