MYSTERIES, SOLVED AND UNSOLVED.
The adventures of that memorable night laid me low for many a day to
come, and Edwards himself suffered a good deal from the shock of having
been, as he supposed, the cause of Shustri's death. I argued with him
that no blame whatever could possibly attach to him, since the ruffian
was evidently up to no good.
"There I am convinced that you are right," said Edwards; "for the
Consul-General picked up, just outside his study door, the most
diabolical looking knife you ever saw."
"Did he?" said I. "Then I expect he meant business."
"I suppose," said Edwards, after a long silence, "that you are too
matter of fact to believe in presentiments."
"I do not know," I replied. "They have never bothered me much. But why
do you ask?"
"Well," said my friend, "I will confess to you, in strict confidence,
that when you were brought in here that day, by your weird old Sinbad,
and I took the Golden Girdle from your waist, I felt a most
extraordinary sensation all over me. I cannot explain what it was like,
except that it was very similar to the feeling that I have when a cat is
anywhere near, about which you always laugh at me."
"My dear George," said I, "I would not dream of laughing at you. But go
on."
"The curious thing about it," said he, "was that I felt all right
directly the Consul-General locked up the Girdle. But I positively
dreaded seeing the thing again. It haunted me day and night, but I did
not like to mention my fears to anyone."
"At any rate," said I, "you did not conceal them very well. I noticed
that you looked blue whenever I suggested having a peep at my Girdle.
Poor chap, I wish I had known that you had got it so badly. How do you
feel now?"
"Since last night," said he, "I have become a different being, but I
felt pretty ill when the Consul-General unlocked the safe."
"I saw you," said I; "and I thought you were going to faint. What was
the matter?"
"I cannot describe it," said Edwards. "Something seemed to drag me out
of my chair, haul me out of the room, and plump me on a bench in the
courtyard. My whole body felt as if it were full of pins and needles,
darting about in all directions; and this sort of thing continued until
the man fell over the wall, when suddenly a delightful feeling of calm
spread over me. Now I fear nothing from your Golden Girdle; you might
take it out of the safe, and flourish it in front of my face, and I
would not move a muscle."
I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, thinking that his mind was
unhinged, but he appeared to be quite rational, so I concluded that he
had suffered from some temporary delusion, and that he had recovered
from it. It struck me, however, as certainly most extraordinary that he
should have fought shy of the Girdle, and gone outside just in time to
frustrate the astrologer's evil designs. Afterwards, we discussed the
matter often, but the enigma remained unsolved; for it was difficult for
a plain, untutored brain like mine to follow my friend into the
intricate regions of telepathy, second sight, and psychology in general,
in which things he professed to be a believer. In the end, I formed my
own opinion, which I kept to myself: Edwards's fear of the Girdle was
superstitious dread, produced by the various stories which he had heard
of it; his experiences on the night of Shustri's death amounted to
nothing more than that, suffering from the same superstitious dread, he
had left the room at a certain moment, which moment happened to have
been selected by Shustri for his appearance on the scene. This I put
down as a mere coincidence, and whether my opinion was right or wrong,
no man will ever be able to decide. That there was reason enough for
superstitious dread I freely admit, and surely no one had more cause to
dread the sight of the Girdle than had I. As far as I was aware, death
had always followed swiftly after its appearance. Raspul the seer, Yusuf
Mersina, and Shustri the astrologer, had each and all been killed before
my very eyes, and when I reckoned up the deaths that had occurred within
my certain knowledge, they appeared to be legion. At times I found
myself speculating as to who would be the victim when next the safe was
unlocked; but each time such thoughts rose up I banished them from my
mind, as unworthy of a man of intelligence.
On such matters as these I had plenty of leisure to reflect, as I was on
my back for several weeks, and unable to do much more than think and
sometimes talk. During this time, however, I succeeded in getting into
communication with Sheik Daud; and, through the Indian pilgrim agent at
Kerbela, paid him his 5000 kerans. He sent a grateful message of thanks
to me, and expressed a hope that some day I would honour him by a visit
to his tents. But the most pleasant part of his message was the news
that he had sworn a perpetual truce with Faris and Sedjur. The two
latter, I learned, had gone away to join their people in the Hamad,
where they would remain until the coming of spring, or at any rate until
I should let them know that Shahzadi's shoe was waiting for them.
Slowly but surely the days and weeks passed. I had received a telegram
from Karachi, from my father, who told me that he and my uncle Ambrose
had got so far on their journey, and were just leaving for the Persian
Gulf. Ten days later, the river steamer panted past the Residency, and
Edwards and I were down at the wharf to greet the newcomers. It was a
great and glorious occasion, and I was astonished at the change that
seemed to have come over my uncle, with his tanned face and his
travelling suit taking the place of the colourless cheeks and dingy old
black coat to which I was accustomed. In my father I saw little
alteration. He was still the smart, soldierly-looking man that he had
always been; and looked no older than he did on the day when I had met
him at Southampton, on his return from South Africa.
"Well, Walter," said my uncle, after we had recovered from the
excitement of our first meeting, "is your golden treasure still safe and
sound?"
"Under lock and key at the Residency," I replied, "and only waiting for
your arrival to be properly inspected. The Consul-General will be away
until this evening, but he sent all sorts of messages to you, and that
there are rooms ready for you in the Residency. Have you brought
Shahzadi's shoe?"
"Yes," replied my uncle, "but I only got your wire in the nick of time."
Later in the day I told the tale of my second and successful hunt; for
my people had received no details, but merely the bald telegram that I
was alive and had secured the Girdle. That they were astonished at what
I had to tell them, I need not say, and the fuss they made over me was
quite embarrassing. My uncle, I thought, was somewhat upset by my
descriptions of the evil doings of the Girdle, and I could not refrain
from amusing myself by watching his face, whilst I enlarged on them.
"So," said my father, when I had concluded, "you have not let the terror
out of the safe since that night."
"No," said I, "we decided that we would restrain our impatience, in
order to give you a chance of taking part in the next seance. We thought
it would add to your interest in the Girdle, if you could witness a real
tragedy."
"What a bloodthirsty young villain you are," said my father, with a
laugh.
"Personally," said I, thinking it time to reassure my uncle, "I am quite
certain that nothing dreadful will happen again, and Edwards is of the
same opinion. He says that he no longer has the tingly feeling and he
has no presentiment of evil, both of which I consider good signs.
Moreover, he has elaborated a marvellous theory, though I myself cannot
follow it. He has worked it out by what he calls the "Law of the Three
_plus_ Five, equals Eight," and he argues something like this:--Raspul
was killed with the Golden Girdle in his hand, after having blown up
Three Shammar. Remember the number 3. Then when Kellner fled with the
Girdle and was pursued, he shot Five Shammar. Remember the number 5, and
the total 8. Now we begin with 3 again, the two Birs Nimroud Jews and
Yusuf Mersina; then four Shammar of the original party which stole the
Girdle, _plus_ Kellner, equals 5. Hence, we have two groups of 3 _plus_
5 equals 8----"
"Heavens alive!" interrupted my father, "are you going on with this much
longer?"
"Only a little more," said I, laughing, "but it is really interesting.
Edwards has spent a deal of time over it. Listen to his deductions. He
places the dead Raspul at one end of the Golden Girdle, and the dead
Shustri at the other end; and he maintains that as Raspul had directly
and indirectly caused the deaths of 8 men; so when Shustri had directly
or indirectly caused the deaths of a similar number, then the chain had
to be completed by his own death."
"With all due deference to the brain power of your worthy friend," said
my father, "I have never heard such a lot of rubbish in my life. I
should say that he required looking after. Is he all right otherwise?"
"Perfectly," said I. "But you have not heard quite all. We now go back
to the famous mare Shahzadi--the heroine of the shoe. You remember the
eight nail-holes. Well, because Shahzadi cast that eight-nailed shoe,
the Golden Girdle came into Raspul's possession, and gave him the mystic
number 8."
"And what about the numbers 3 and 5?" asked my uncle, who was listening
with all seriousness. "The doctor seems to have forgotten his 3 _plus_
5."
"I know," said I. "I attacked him about that, but was told politely that
I was dull of comprehension. Edwards explained it away by saying that
originally Shahzadi's shoe, of course, had 3 nail-holes on either side,
and if they had drilled the two new holes on the same side, then his
theory would have been proved undeniably. We should have had the 3
_plus_ 5 equals 8. As things are, he considers that the mare's hoof
probably would not stand having 5 nails on one side, and so they had to
equalise the number."
"Most ingenious!" said my father, "though a trifle weak. But your friend
thinks that the evil spirit which was in the Girdle has now flown, does
he not?"
"Yes," said I, "he is almost certain on that point, but he suggests
that, as there may possibly be what he terms 'a metallic sympathy'
between the Golden Girdle and the iron horse-shoe, it would be advisable
to lay up the shoe in the safe with the Girdle."
"Pooh!" said my father. "Is not the safe itself made of iron? That
should have settled the Girdle long ago, but apparently it did not."
"Not at all," said my uncle, to my astonishment, "it is not the same
thing. In my opinion, the doctor has reason on his side. We all know
that the ancients had a firm belief in the magical powers of iron, and
we all know something of the luck of a horse-shoe. At any rate, whether
there is anything in it or not, I shall uphold the doctor in his
opinions, and shall ask the Consul-General to place the shoe in the
safe, as soon as I meet him."
Thus it came about that, within a couple of hours, Shahzadi's shoe
joined the Golden Girdle in its iron prison. Possibly they had never
been so close before; yet it was but sixty years since only the height
of Shahzadi's withers separated them. Could the one have related to the
other its experiences during those six decades, the story would have
been well worth writing down, and much more interesting than my own
insignificant adventures.
Edwards was overjoyed when I told him what my uncle had done, and at
dinner that night he was quite light-hearted and gay. After dinner came
the great seance, whereat the death-dealing belt of serpents was to be
let loose among us. It was held in the Consul-General's study, in the
middle of which had been placed, for the occasion, a bare table--the
dissecting table, as Edwards jocosely termed it; and when the
Consul-General unlocked the safe, I think that more than one of us
expected something desperate to happen. But nothing extraordinary
occurred, and everyone craned forward, as I unrolled the rope, and left
the Girdle lying at full length on the table.
My uncle, as he took it in his hands and examined it, could not restrain
his delight, and, trembling visibly, he pronounced it to be the most
glorious and beautiful treasure that it had ever been his good fortune
to handle; even my father, who cared little for such things, was deeply
impressed; while I myself regretted none of the troubles that it had
cost me. I felt that I had not lived in vain. We were each allowed to
take it up and gaze on it for a while, and then it was handed back to my
uncle, for his more careful scrutiny.
"Egyptian," he said, "without a doubt, and of great age. Possibly a
present from an Egyptian king to Queen Sophana, or to one of her
ancestors. It is impossible, of course, to decide these matters until we
have it at the Museum, with other things to refer to. But, Walter, I
promise you that it will be found to be the most priceless work of art
that has ever been brought to light. I know of nothing that can approach
it in workmanship."
He then went on to discuss each detail of the Girdle, and as, on this
occasion and on several subsequent ones when he examined it again, I
acted in my old capacity of secretary and took shorthand notes of all
that he said, I am able to give a faithful description of the far-famed
belt of the Great Queen.
In length it was a trifle more than thirty inches; in depth it averaged
five inches, widening in the centre to almost seven inches. The twelve
snakes which composed it were twisted around one another in various
contortions; the heads of four of them formed the clasp, their bodies
intertwined with those of the snakes behind them; while the heads of the
eight other snakes projected, at regular intervals, a little distance
beyond either edge of the Girdle. In the centre, the bodies of two
snakes were coiled, so as to resemble a circular brooch, some seven
inches in diameter.
The delicacy of the workmanship can be understood when I say that the
body of each reptile was fashioned out of hundreds of tiny scales,
invisibly connected; and when one lifted the belt up at any point, the
remainder of it hung limp and quivering. So, also, when placed on the
table, the whole thing appeared to be alive, until each restless scale
had settled down. But this was not all; for the scales were so arranged
that when the Girdle lay flat and open, they closed tightly on each
other; yet, as soon as the Girdle was formed into a circle and clasped,
the scales on the inner side opened slightly. This peculiarity, we soon
discovered, was not unintentional. At my uncle's request, I, one day,
fastened the Girdle round my waist, and found that in removing it, it
caught in my clothes; then I fastened it next to my skin, when I
immediately felt an extraordinary sensation of pricking. We examined the
belt again most carefully, and at once became convinced that we had
fathomed the mystery of the evil results which we had heard followed the
wearing of the Girdle. It was quite evident to me that people, and
especially superstitious people, on clasping on the belt and feeling the
sharp prickles, would be capable of doing almost anything. This was a
most interesting discovery, and, at one fell swoop, it abolished half
the magic supposed to be contained in Sophana's Girdle.
To my uncle, however, perhaps the greatest interest was the head of each
snake. The eyes were precious stones, and the crown of the head was set
with a large stone, in all cases beautifully engraved. The four heads
which constituted the clasp were all similar, having small ruby eyes,
and on the crown a square of jade upon which was engraved the magic
figures, 1, 8, 1, 1 in hieroglyphics.
"Ah!" exclaimed my uncle, "the demon number. Our friend the doctor knows
something of it."
"It is as I thought," said Edwards excitedly. "So, Walter, you can no
longer scoff. I was right. The 3 and the 8 entered into all my
calculations, as you will remember, and there are the mystic numbers at
the beginning and at the end of the Golden Girdle. And was it a mere
coincidence that Shahzadi's shoe had at first 3 nail-holes on either
side, and then 8 nail-holes altogether?"
The heads of the two snakes coiled in the centre had amethysts for eyes,
and each was crowned with a square of lapis-lazuli, engraved with the
figure of Isis. The six other heads were set with different stones, the
eyes being of sapphire, topaz, emerald, garnet, crystal, and cornelian;
while the crown stones consisted of circular, oval, or heart-shaped
bloodstone, chalcedony, haematite, jasper, onyx, and agate. On each of
these large stones were engraved magical formulae, and a figure; the
figures representing Osiris, Serapis, Horus, a human-headed lion, a
human-headed hawk, and a lion-headed serpent.
Considering the age of the Girdle, and the vicissitudes through which it
had passed, it was in a marvellous state of preservation. One or two of
the stones had gone from the snakes' eyes, two of the larger stones were
cracked, and here and there the bodies of the snakes were a trifle
dented. With these exceptions there was little amiss with it; and when
my uncle and I had cleaned it, it looked really beautiful.
For days we could talk of little else, and each day we had it brought
out from the safe, to examine some particular part. It was photographed
from every point of view; careful drawings were made of it; and
impressions of each of the stones were taken; but all such things were
returned to the safe, each time, to remain with the original, until we
should remove the Girdle and everything connected with it, on leaving
for England. My uncle refused to allow any description of it to be sent
home, as it was his desire that the Girdle itself, in all its glory,
should be allowed to burst on the astonished gaze of his _confreres_,
without any previous warning.