Скорбь сатаны / The sorrows of Satan. Уровень 4

”

“Very good of you!” I said, pleased at the friendly familiarity he displayed in thus calling me by my Christian name. “What have you got there?”

“A pet of mine,” he answered, smiling slightly. “Did you ever see anything like it before?”

6

I approached and examined the box he held. It was perforated with holes for the admission of air, and within it lay a brilliant coloured winged insect.

“Is it alive?” I asked.

“It is alive, and has some intelligence,” replied Rimanez.

“I feed it and it knows me. It is quite tame and friendly as you perceive.”

He opened the case gently. The beetle expanded its radiant wings, and it rose at once to its protector’s hand. He lifted it and held it aloft, then shaking it to and fro lightly, he exclaimed,

“Off, Sprite! Fly, and return to me!”

The creature was looking like a beautiful iridescent jewel. After a few graceful movements hither and thither, it returned to its owner’s hand, and again settled there.

“There is a well-worn saying which declares that �in the midst of life we are in death’,” said the prince. “But that maxim is wrong. It should be �in the midst of death we are in life.’ This creature is a rare and curious production of death. I found it myself. Listen. I was present at the uncasing of an Egyptian female mummy. She was a princess of a famous royal house. On her chest was a piece of a gold quarter. Underneath this gold plate, her body was swathed round and round.

When these were removed it was discovered that the mummified flesh between her breasts had decayed away, and in the hollow or nest, this insect was found alive!”

I could not repress a slight nervous shudder.

“Horrible!” I said. “If I were you, I should kill it, I think.”

He looked at me.

“Why?” he asked. “I’m afraid, my dear Geoffrey, you are not a scientist. To kill the poor creature who managed to find life in the very bosom of death, is a cruel suggestion, is it not? It has eyes, and the senses of taste, smell, touch and hearing.

I accept the idea of the transmigration of souls, and so sometimes I think that perhaps the princess of that Royal Egyptian house had a wicked, brilliant, vampire soul, – and that… here it is!”

A cold thrill ran through me from head to foot at these words, and as I looked at the speaker standing opposite me, with the �wicked, brilliant, vampire soul’ on his hand.