儿童英语读物《神奇树屋》 第三册 Mummies in the Morning 07
杰克把权杖和他的笔记本、铅笔一起放进了背包。
他和安妮跟着幽灵王后向金字塔的深处走去，来到了一段阶梯跟前。
“阶梯!”杰克和安妮喊道。
幽灵王后飘忽地上了阶梯。
杰克和安妮跟在后面。
幽灵王后又飘着穿过一扇木门。
杰克和安妮使劲推门，门缓缓地开了。
他们跟着走进了一个阴冷而通风的房间。
可是突然幽灵王后不见了。
昏暗的火把光照着这个巨大的房间。房间的天花板很高。一边放着一堆桌椅和乐器。
在房间的另一边有一条小木船。
“船!”杰克喊道。
“在哈特比王后的金字塔里的船有什么用呢?”安妮问。
“也许是用来把她度到来世去的吧。”杰克说。
杰克和安妮说着向木船走去，他们一起往里看着。
木船里装了很多东西。金盘子、彩杯、镶满珠宝的酒杯、编织篮、镶着蓝宝石的宝器，还有小木雕。
“看!”杰克说。
他把手伸进船里，拿出了一个黏土做的罐子。
“罐子!”安妮说。
杰克往罐子里看了看。
“里面有东西。”他说。
“是什么?”安妮问。
杰克的手在罐子里摸索着。
“感觉好像是一块大餐巾。”杰克说。
“一块折起的布。”安妮嚷着。
杰克把手伸进罐子拿出了这块折起的布，这块布卷在一根看上去很古老的卷轴上。
杰克慢慢地展开卷轴。
上面写满了各种奇妙的象形文字。
“是死亡之书!”安妮小声说，“我们找到了，找到她要的书了。”
“哦，天啊。”杰克的手指在纸面上滑过，感觉那纸张已经是相当陈旧了。
“哈特比王后!”安妮喊道，“我们找到了，找到你的死亡之书了。”
可是四周只有一片沉寂。
“哈特比王后!”
这时，房间另一侧的一扇门吱吱呀呀地开了。
“在那里。”安妮说，“可能她在那里。”
杰克的心怦怦地跳着。一股冷风从开着的门里吹了过来。
“来啊。”安妮说。
“等等——”
“别等了。”安妮说，“她为这本书已经等了一千年了，别让她再等了。”
杰克把古老的卷轴放进了背包，然后和安妮一起慢慢地穿过透着凉风的房间。
他们来到那扇开着的门跟前，安妮率先走了进去。
“快点，杰克!”她说。
杰克跟着进去了。
除了一个长条形的金色箱子外，这间房几乎是空的。箱子打开着，盖子就放在地板上。
“哈特比王后?”安妮叫道。
还是一片寂静。
“我们找到了。”安妮说，“你要的死亡之书。”
可是还是没有幽灵王后的踪影。
金色的箱子闪闪发光。
杰克几乎无法呼吸了。“咱们把卷轴放在地板上就走吧。”他说。
“不。我觉得我们应该把它放在那里面。”安妮说着指了指那个金色箱子。
“不。”杰克说。
“别怕。”安妮说，“来吧。”
安妮抓着杰克的胳膊。他们一起往房间里面走，一直走到金色箱子旁。
他们在箱子面前停了下来，并往箱子里看去。
7 The Scroll
Jack put the scepter and his notebook and pencil into his pack.
He and Annie followed the ghost-queen. Deeper into the pyramid. Until they came to some stairs.
“The STAIRS!” said Jack and Annie.
The ghost-queen floated up the stairs.
Jack and Annie followed.
The ghost-queen floated right through a wooden door.
Jack and Annie pushed on the door. It opened slowly.
They stepped into a cold， drafty room.
The ghost-queen was nowhere in sight.
Dim torchlight lit the huge room. It had a very high ceiling. On one side was a pile of tables， chairs， and musical instruments.
On the other side of the room was a small wooden boat.
“The BOAT!” said Jack.
“What’s it doing inside Queen Hutepi’s pyramid?” asked Annie.
“Maybe it’s supposed to carry her to the Next Life，” said Jack.
He and Annie went over to the boat. They looked inside it.
The boat was filled with many things.Gold plates. Painted cups. Jeweled goblets. Woven baskets. Jewelry with blue stones. Small wooden statues.
“Look!” said Jack.
He reached into the boat and lifted out a clay jug.
“The JUG!” said Annie.
Jack looked inside the jug.
“Something’s in here，” he said.
“What is it?” asked Annie.
Jack felt down inside the jug.
“It feels like a big napkin，” he said.
“The FOLDED CLOTH!” said Annie.
Jack reached into the jug and pulled out the folded cloth. It was wrapped around an ancient-looking scroll.
Jack slowly unrolled the scroll.
It was covered with wonderful hieroglyphs.
“The Book of the Dead!” whispered Annie.“We found it. We found her book.”
“Oh， man.” Jack traced his finger over the scroll. It felt like very old paper.
“Queen Hutepi!” called Annie. “We have it!We found your Book of the Dead!”
Silence.
“Queen Hutepi!”
Then another door on the other side of the chamber creaked open.
“In there，” said Annie.“Maybe she’s in there.”
Jack’s heart was pounding. Cold air was coming through the open doorway.
“Come on，” said Annie.
“Wait—”
“No，” said Annie. “She’s waited a thousand years for her book. Don’t make her wait anymore.”
Jack put the ancient scroll into his backpack.Then he and Annie slowly started to cross the drafty room.
They came to the open door. Annie went through first.
“Hurry， Jack!” she said.
Jack stepped into the other room.
It was nearly bare. Except for a long gold box. The box was open. The cover was on the floor.
“Queen Hutepi?” called Annie.
Silence.
“We found it，” said Annie. “Your Book of the Dead.”
There was still no sign of the ghost-queen.
The gold box glowed.
Jack could barely breathe.“Let’s leave the scroll on the floor.And go，” he said.
“No.I think we should leave it in there，” said Annie. She pointed to the gold box.
“No，” said Jack.
“Don’t be afraid，” said Annie.“Come on.”
Annie took Jack by the arm.They walked together. Across the room. To the glowing gold box.
They stopped in front of the box.And they peered inside.
