Pregnant Art

THE WHISTLE

THE WHISTLE

M. R. JAMES
Retold by Stephen Colbourn



Burnstow is a small seaside town. It is a busy town in summer. But it is a quiet place for the rest of the year. In spring and autumn, only a few people go there. They go to Burnstow to play golf.

Professor Parkins went to Burnstow in the spring of 1902. He stayed at a small inn called The Globe. The Globe Inn was very near the sea.

There were only two rooms for guests at the inn. There was a guest in one of the rooms for guest at the inn. There was a guest in one of the rooms so the Professor had to stay in the other. The landlord took the Professor upstairs to the room.

The landlord unlocked the door and showed the Professor the room.

‘This is the room, sir,’ he said. ‘There are two beds. Both of them are comfortable. You can choose the bed you want. There's good view of the sea from the window.’

Professor Parkins looked out of the window. The beach was only a hundred yards away. The sea looked grey and cold. Then the Professor noticed that there were no curtains on the window.

‘Landlord,’ he said. ‘There are no curtains on the window.’

‘I’m very sorry, sir,’ said the landlord. ‘I’ll tell the servant to put them up.’

That afternoon, Professor Parkins met the other guest. His name was Colonel Wilson. They decided to play golf together.

The two men walked along the road to the golf-course. They talked about their lives and their work. Colonel Wilson had been an army officer in India. He had lived in India for many years

‘I am an archeologist up old buildings.’

“Are there any old buildings here in Burnstow?’ asked the Colonel.

‘I believe there was an eld church near the golf-course,’ said the Professor, ‘But it was pulled down in the fourteenth century.’

‘Why?’ asked the Colonel. ‘It’s unusual to pull down a church, isn’t it?’

‘Yes,’ said the Professor. ‘I don’t know why it was pulled down. That’s why I want to look for it. I want to find the place where the church stood.’

They placed golf for most of the afternoon.

‘Shall we go back to the inn for a drink before supper?’ The Colonel asked.

‘I will see you at the inn in half an hour,’ the Professor walked towards the beach. He looked at the ground carefully.

There were many large, grey stones near the beach. The stones were covered with grass. They were placed in the shape of a circle.

The Professor touched a stone with his foot. The stone moved. There was a hole underneath the stone.

Professor Parkins looked into the hole. It was dark in the hole and he could not see anything. So he lit a match. The wind blew the match out.

He put his hand into the hole. The hole was empty.

No – he was wrong. His fingers touched somethng made of metal. He pulled it out of the hole. It was a piece of metal about four inches long. It was old and dirty. He put it in his pocket.

The wind from the sea was cold and the sky was cloudy. It was getting dark. Professor Parkins deciced to walk back to the inn.

It was a short walk along the beach to the inn, but there were high breakwaters on the beach. The Professor climbed over each of the breakwaters slowly. It was hard work. He stopped to rest.

He looked back and saw someone about a hundred yards behind him. The other person stopped. It was getting dark, so the Professor could not see clearly. He could not see what the other person looked like. A black figure on the beach was watching him. Was it a man or a woman Or was it something else?

The Professor suddenly fell afraid. He did not want to meet this strange figure on the dark beach. He thought that the figure was following him. He started to run, but the sand was soft and deep and the breakwaters were high. He felt he was running in a dream.

At last he reached the inn. He looked round. There wes no one behind him on the dark beach. He was cold and tired and very glad to go into the warm inn.

The Colonel was waiting for him. They ate supper together and talked about golf. Then the Professor went upstairs to his room.

As he took off his jacket, he remembered the piece of metal in his pocket. He took it out and looked at it by candlelight. It was a very old whistle.

He tried to blow the whistle. No noise came out. The whistle was full of dirt.

The Professor took out a small pocket-knife. He went to the window to clean the dirt our of the whistle.

He saw that there were still no curtains on the window. He opened the window and looked out. The night was dark. There was no moon. But the Professor thought there was someone standing on the beach. He cleaned the whistle quickly then went back to the candle. Now he could see marks on the whistle. The marks were letters – QUIS EST ISTE QUI VENIT.

Latin! The Professor tried to blow the whistle.

No one will come, he thought. But he put the whistle to his lips and blew.

The sound of the whistle was clear and high. It was a sad sound. Suddenly the wind blew strongly through the open window. The candle went out. The Professor was surprised and frightened. He stood in the dark, listening to the wind.

He walked slowly across the room. He closed the window. Still the wind blew. It blew around the inn making a terrible noise.

The Professor relit the candle with a match. He felt tired and cold. He put the whistle on a table and undressed. Then he got into one of the beds and blew out the candle.

When he closed his eyes, he dreamt he was on the beach. He saw the high breakwaters. It was dark but he saw everything clearly.

He saw someone running. Every few seconds, the man looked behing him. Hte man was frightened and tired. He climbed over each breakwater more slowly. Finally, he fell on the sand and lay still. He had a look of terror on his face.

Behind the man, someone or something was moving very quickly. It came nearer and nearer. It was a strange black figure. It came closer and closer to the man who lay on the beach. It stopped. And then it jumped straight towards the man.

Professor Parkins opened his eyes. He was too afraid to see what happened next. Every time he closed his eyes, he had the same dream.

At last, he reached for his matches and lit the candle. Someting moved on the floor under his bed. He thought it was a mouse.

The Professor was not able to sleep again. When morning came, he went downstairs for breakfast.

‘You don’t look well,’ the Colonel said. ‘A game of golf will make you fell better.’

‘Yes,’ said the Professor. ‘I need some fresh air.’

After breakfast, the Professor went upstairs to get his hat. The servant was cleaning his room.

‘Good morning, sir,’ the girl said. ‘It was cold and windy last night. Would you like another blanket for your bed?’

‘Yes, please.’ Said the Professor.

‘Which bed shall I put it on, sir?’ asked the girl.

‘The one I slept in,’ said the Professor.

‘But you slept in both beds, sir,’ said the girl. ‘I put clean sheets on both beds.’

‘Did I?’ said the Professor. ‘Put a blanket on the bed in the corner.’

As soon as the girl had finished, the Professor left the room. He locked the door and put the key in his pocket.

He met the Colonel. ‘When there was a bad storm in India, we said that someone had whistled for the wind.’

‘Well,’ said the Professor slowly. ‘I blew a whistle last night and the wind came soon afterwards.’

‘How very strange,’ said the Colonel. ‘Tell me, what kind of whistle was it?’

The Professor told the Colonel about the whistle. He told him how he had found it. He told him that he had cleaned it and blown it. He did not tell him that he had stayed awake all night.

The Colonel listened to the story but said nothing. They played golf until late in the afternoon.

They walked back along the road to the inn. The Professor did not want to walk back along the beach.

They were very near the inn when a boy came running towards them. He ran straight into the Colonel and fell over.

‘What’s the matter?’ the Colonel asked angrily. ‘Look where you’re going!’

The boy was very frightened. The Conlonel spoke to him again, ‘Who are you running away from?’

‘The thing is in the window,’ the boy answered. ‘He was crying.

‘What thing?’ the Colonel asked. ‘Come and show us.’

The boy took them to the front of The Globe Inn. He pointed up to a window.

‘It was up there, sir,’ he said. ‘It was waving at me. But it was a horrible thing, sir. I don’t think it was alive!’

‘Don’t be afraid,’ the Colonel said. ‘It was somene trying to frighten you. Go home and forget about it.’

The Colonel looked at the Professor.

‘That’s the window of your room isn’t it?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ said the Professor. ‘There’s something strange going on. Will you come upstairs with me?’

The two men went upstairs together. The Professor’s room was locked. He opened the door with his key.

Inside the room, one of the beds was untidy. A sheet lay on the floor by the window. The Professor called the servant.

‘Who has been in my room?’ asked the Professor.

‘No one, sir.’ The servant replied. ‘There are only two keys to this room. You have one and the landlord has the other.’

The Professor went to find the landlord.

‘I didn’t go into your room while you were out, sir,’ said the landlord.

The Professor and the Colonel ate supper together.

‘I can’t understand it,’ said the Professor. ‘How can someone have gone into a locked room?’

‘Show me the whistle you told me about,’ said the Colonel.

The Professor showed it to him.

‘What will you do with it?’ asked the Colonel.

‘I shall put it in a museum,’ said the Colonel. “I’m going to bed. Call me if you need me in the night.’

Professor Parkins went to his room. The night was clwar and the moon was full. Bright moonlight shone through the window. There were still no curtains. The Professor was angry.

The moonlight will shine through the window and keep me awake, he thought. He decided to hang a sheet over the window. He took a sheet from the empty bed and hung it on the curtain rail. Then the got into his own bed and went to sleep.

He did not sleep for long. Bright moonlight woke him up. The sheet was no longer over the window. A noise came from the empty bed. The Professor looked across the room.

Suddenly a figure sat up on the other bed. The Professor was so surprised that he jumped out of his own bed. He stood by the window. There was moonlight, but he could not see the figure on the other bed clearly. It was covered with a sheet.

The figure stood up. It stood between the Professor and the door. Its arms were spread out. It was searching for the Professor with its fingers!

The figure jumped on the Professor’s empty bed. It moved slowly over the pillow. The Professor shivered with fear.

Then the figure got off the bed and moved towards the window. In the bright moonlight, the Professor could see its face under the sheet. It was very old and very horrible.

Te Professor opened the window and shouted for help. The figure under the sheet jumped forward. Its hands went over the Professor’s mouth.

The Professor tried to get away. He was about to fal out of the window when a hand pulled him back.

It was the Colonel. There was no one else in the room. A sheet from the bed lay on the floor by the window.

Next morning, the Colonel and the Professor went down to the beach. The Colonel took the strange whistle and threw it into the sea.

‘Things like this sometimes happen in India,’ the Colonel said. ‘I don’t think the figure can hurt you. It can only frighten you.’

Professor Parkins is still afraid of curtains that move in the wind. He also sleeps without sheets on his bed.


The end.

Hearts And Hands

Hearts And Hands

At Denver there was an influx of passengers into the coaches on the eastbound B. & M. express. In one coach there sat a very pretty young woman dressed in elegant taste and surrounded by all the luxurious comforts of an experienced traveler. Among the newcomers were two young men, one of handsome presence with a bold, frank countenance and manner; the other a ruffled, glum-faced person, heavily built and roughly dressed. The two were handcuffed together.

As they passed down the aisle of the coach the only vacant seat offered was a reversed one facing the attractive young woman. Here the linked couple seated themselves. The young woman's glance fell upon them with a distant, swift disinterest; then with a lovely smile brightening her countenance and a tender pink tingeing her rounded cheeks, she held out a little gray-gloved hand. When she spoke her voice, full, sweet, and deliberate, proclaimed that its owner was accustomed to speak and be heard.

"Well, Mr. Easton, if you will make me speak first, I suppose I must. Don't vou ever recognize old friends when you meet them in the West?"

The younger man roused himself sharply at the sound of her voice, seemed to struggle with a slight embarrassment which he threw off instantly, and then clasped her fingers with his left hand.

"It's Miss Fairchild," he said, with a smile. "I'll ask you to excuse the other hand; "it's otherwise engaged just at present."

He slightly raised his right hand, bound at the wrist by the shining "bracelet" to the left one of his companion. The glad look in the girl's eyes slowly changed to a bewildered horror. The glow faded from her cheeks. Her lips parted in a vague, relaxing distress. Easton, with a little laugh, as if amused, was about to speak again when the other forestalled him. The glum-faced man had been watching the girl's countenance with veiled glances from his keen, shrewd eyes.

"You'll excuse me for speaking, miss, but, I see you're acquainted with the marshall here. If you'll ask him to speak a word for me when we get to the pen he'll do it, and it'll make things easier for me there. He's taking me to Leavenworth prison. It's seven years for counterfeiting."

"Oh!" said the girl, with a deep breath and returning color. "So that is what you are doing out here? A marshal!"

"My dear Miss Fairchild," said Easton, calmly, "I had to do something. Money has a way of taking wings unto itself, and you know it takes money to keep step with our crowd in Washington. I saw this opening in the West, and--well, a marshalship isn't quite as high a position as that of ambassador, but--"

"The ambassador," said the girl, warmly, "doesn't call any more. He needn't ever have done so. You ought to know that. And so now you are one of these dashing Western heroes, and you ride and shoot and go into all kinds of dangers. That's different from the Washington life. You have been missed from the old crowd."

The girl's eyes, fascinated, went back, widening a little, to rest upon the glittering handcuffs.

"Don't you worry about them, miss," said the other man. "All marshals handcuff themselves to their prisoners to keep them from getting away. Mr. Easton knows his business."

"Will we see you again soon in Washington?" asked the girl.

"Not soon, I think," said Easton. "My butterfly days are over, I fear."

"I love the West," said the girl irrelevantly. Her eyes were shining softly. She looked away out the car window. She began to speak truly and simply without the gloss of style and manner: "Mamma and I spent the summer in Denver. She went home a week ago because father was slightly ill. I could live and be happy in the West. I think the air here agrees with me. Money isn't everything. But people always misunderstand things and remain stupid--"

"Say, Mr. Marshal," growled the glum-faced man. "This isn't quite fair. I'm needing a drink, and haven't had a smoke all day. Haven't you talked long enough? Take me in the smoker now, won't you? I'm half dead for a pipe."

The bound travelers rose to their feet, Easton with the same slow smile on his face.

"I can't deny a petition for tobacco," he said, lightly. "It's the one friend of the unfortunate. Good-bye, Miss Fairchild. Duty calls, you know." He held out his hand for a farewell.

"It's too bad you are not going East," she said, reclothing herself with manner and style. "But you must go on to Leavenworth, I suppose?"

"Yes," said Easton, "I must go on to Leavenworth."

The two men sidled down the aisle into the smoker.

The two passengers in a seat near by had heard most of the conversation. Said one of them: "That marshal's a good sort of chap. Some of these Western fellows are all right."

"Pretty young to hold an office like that, isn't he?" asked the other.

"Young!" exclaimed the first speaker, "why--Oh! didn't you catch on? Say--did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand?"

To Beer or Not To Beer

Funny Beer

How to say I Love You in 100 Languages!!!

How to say I Love You in 100 Languages!!!

English - I love you
Afrikaans - Ek het jou lief
Albanian - Te dua
Arabic - Ana behibak (to male)
Arabic - Ana behibek (to female)
Armenian - Yes kez sirumen
Bambara - M'bi fe
Bangla - Aamee tuma ke bhalo aashi
Belarusian - Ya tabe kahayu
Bisaya - Nahigugma ako kanimo
Bulgarian - Obicham te
Cambodian - Soro lahn nhee ah
Cantonese Chinese - Ngo oiy ney a
Catalan - T'estimo
Cheyenne - Ne mohotatse
Chichewa - Ndimakukonda
Corsican - Ti tengu caru (to male)
Creol - Mi aime jou
Croatian - Volim te
Czech - Miluji te
Danish - Jeg Elsker Dig
Dutch - Ik hou van jou
Esperanto - Mi amas vin
Estonian - Ma armastan sind
Ethiopian - Afgreki'
Faroese - Eg elski teg
Farsi - Doset daram
Filipino - Mahal kita
Finnish - Mina rakastan sinua
French - Je t'aime, Je t'adore
Gaelic - Ta gra agam ort
Georgian - Mikvarhar
German - Ich liebe dich
Greek - S'agapo
Gujarati - Hoo thunay prem karoo choo
Hiligaynon - Palangga ko ikaw
Hawaiian - Aloha wau ia oi
Hebrew - Ani ohev otah (to female)
Hebrew - Ani ohev et otha (to male)
Hiligaynon - Guina higugma ko ikaw
Hindi - Hum Tumhe Pyar Karte hae
Hmong - Kuv hlub koj
Hopi - Nu' umi unangwa'ta
Hungarian - Szeretlek
Icelandic - Eg elska tig
Ilonggo - Palangga ko ikaw
Indonesian - Saya cinta padamu
Inuit - Negligevapse
Irish - Taim i' ngra leat
Italian - Ti amo
Japanese - Aishiteru
Kannada - Naanu ninna preetisuttene
Kapampangan - Kaluguran daka
Kiswahili - Nakupenda
Konkani - Tu magel moga cho
Korean - Sarang Heyo
Latin - Te amo
Latvian - Es tevi miilu
Lebanese - Bahibak
Lithuanian - Tave myliu
Malay - Saya cintakan mu / Aku cinta padamu
Malayalam - Njan Ninne Premikunnu
Mandarin Chinese - Wo ai ni
Marathi - Me tula prem karto
Mohawk - Kanbhik
Moroccan - Ana moajaba bik
Nahuatl - Ni mits neki
Navaho - Ayor anosh'ni
Norwegian - Jeg Elsker Deg
Pandacan - Syota na kita!!
Pangasinan - Inaru Taka
Papiamento - Mi ta stimabo
Persian - Doo-set daaram
Pig Latin - Iay ovlay ouyay
Polish - Kocham Ciebie
Portuguese - Eu te amo
Romanian - Te ubesk
Russian - Ya tebya liubliu
Scot Gaelic - Tha gra\dh agam ort
Serbian - Volim te
Setswana - Ke a go rata
Sign Language - ,\,,/ (represents position of fingers when signing'I Love You')
Sindhi - Maa tokhe pyar kendo ahyan
Sioux - Techihhila
Slovak - Lu`bim ta
Slovenian - Ljubim te
Spanish - Te quiero / Te amo
Swahili - Ninapenda wewe
Swedish - Jag alskar dig
Swiss-German - Ich lieb Di
Tagalog - Mahal kita
Taiwanese - Wa ga ei li
Tahitian - Ua Here Vau Ia Oe
Tamil - Nan unnai kathalikaraen
Telugu - Nenu ninnu premistunnanu
Thai - Chan rak khun (to male)
Thai - Phom rak khun (to female)
Turkish - Seni Seviyorum
Ukrainian - Ya tebe kahayu
Urdu - mai aap say pyaar karta hoo
Vietnamese - Anh yêu em (to female)
Vietnamese - Em yêu anh (to male)
Welsh - 'Rwy'n dy garu
Yiddish - Ikh hob dikh
Yoruba - Mo ni fe

The Maze (Mê Cung) - Song ngữ

THE MAZE

Author : M. R. JAMES
Retold by Stephen Colbourn

Mr. Wilson was a very rich man but he had no children. When he died, he left his house and his money to his nephew, Mr Humphreys. Mr Humphreys was surprised because he had never met his uncle, Mr Wilson.

Mr. Humphreys left his job in an office. He went to live in his new house in the country.

Mr. Humphreys was shown round the house by Mr Cooper. Mr Cooper was the estate manager. His job was to look after the house and gardens.

‘It’s a fine house, Mr Humphreys,’ said Cooper. ‘We all hope you’ll be very happy here.The gardens beautiful. I hope you’ll be very happy here. The gardens are beautiful. I hope you like gardens, Mr Humphreys?’

‘Yes, I do,’ said Humphreys, ‘very much.’

‘Mr Wilson’s grandfather started the gardens in 1780,’ Cooper said. “The old gentleman went to Italy and camr back with some strange ideas.’

Humphreys looked across the garden.

‘I see there is a Roman temple,’ he said.

‘Yes, sir, there is,’ said Cooper. ‘Shall we go and look at it?’

The two men walded through the beatiful, large gardens. There were many paths with trees and bushes on either side. The Roman temple was on top of a small hill. There ws a pile of stone blocks inside the temple.

‘What are these stone blocks for?’ Humphreys asked.

‘I don’t know, sir,’ said Cooper. ‘They came out of the maze.’

‘The maze?’ said Humphreys. ‘I didn’t know there was a maze in the gardens. Did Mr Wilson’s grandfather planted the trees for the maze. Mr Wilson never went in there. He didn’t let anyone else go in either. Twenty years ago, Mr Wilson gave orders for these stones to be taken out of the maze. Then the gate to the maze was locked. No one has been in there since.’

Mr Humphreys looked at the stone blocks. Each one had a letter cut into it.

‘How interestin,’ he said. ‘I want to look at this maze.’

‘It’s over there, sir,’ said Cooper, pointing to a small wood. ‘There’s a wall around it and the gate’s locked. I’ll go to the house and get the key.’

Cooper went back to the house. Humphreys walked to the small wood. He found a wall with a gate.

The gate was locked with an old padlock. Above the gate was some writing in Latin – SECRETUM MEUM MIHI ET FILIIS DOMUS MEAE.

‘Let me see,’ Humphreys said. ‘That means something like – “My secret is for me and for the sons of my house.” Well, I’m a son of the house. The secret is mine too!’

He kicked the ild padlock. It broke and fell to the ground. He opened the gate and went into the maze.

A dark path led into the maze. Inside, paths ran between thick hedges of tall yew trees.

It was difficult to walk along the paths. The branches of the trees had grown across the paths. They almost blocked the way. Humphreys was the first person to walk in the maze for twenty years.

He walked to the centre of the maze without getting lost.

This is too easy, he said to himself. A maze is a puzzle. People always get lost in a maze.

A stone column stood in the centre of the maze. It was about four feet high. On top of he column, there was a matal globe. There were drawings and writing on the globe.

It was dark and hot in the maze. There was no wind. There was a strange silence. Humphreys noticed that the birds had stopped singing.

He turned to go. Then he heard something moving in the maze behind him. He looked round. He was suddenly afraid. He thought that someone was watching him.

‘Ah, there you are,’ said Cooper, coming round a corner. ‘I followed your footprints in the dead leaves. I see you didn’t need the key.’

Humphreys was pleased to see Cooper. He thought he was going to see someone or something else.

The two men walked back to the house.

‘Can you ask the gardeners to clear the paths,’ said Humphreys. ‘Tell me, why did mr Wilson close the maze?’

‘I’m not sure, sir,’ Cooper replied. ‘Mr Wilson didn’t like his grandfather – old Mr Wilson – the one who planted the maze. He burnt all his grandfather’s books. Perhaps that is why he closed the maze.’

‘What do you know about old Mr Wilson?’ Humphreys asked.

‘Nor much, sir,’ said Cooper. ‘He’s been dead for fifty years. No one knows where he’s buried. He had an Italian servant. The Italian servant buried his master at night. He was buried somewhere here in the gardens. But the grave has never been found.’

‘How very strange!’ said Humphreys.

Mr Humphreys went back to the house. A letter was waiting for him.

Bentley Manor
14th August 1880

Dear Mr. Humphreys,
You don’t know me but I am your neighbour. I am writing a book on English gardens. May I visit your garden? I am interested in the maze. I asked your uncle many times to let me see the maze. But he never let me see it. I hope you will let me see it. Also, I’d like to have a plan of the maze. I hope this is possible.

Your neighbour,
Lady Wardrop

Mr Humphreys immediately replied to Lady Wardrop’s letter. He invited her to visit the gardens the next day. He promised to give her a paln of the maze.

I shall draw a plan tomorrow morning, he said to himself.

He spent the evening in the library. There were thousands of books. He saw aa very thin book on a high shelf. It was called “The Secret of the Maze”. He took the book to his bedroom. He wanted to read it before he fell asleep.

He looked out of the bedroom window. There was a bright moon in the sky. The gardens were beautiful in the moonlight. White moonlight shone on the Roman temple. There was a red light in the maze. Something was burning.

Of course, Humphreys said to himself. The gardeners clear leaves from the paths of the maze this afternoon. They lit a fire to burn all the dead wood and leaves. The fire is still burning.

There was one strange thing Mr Humphreys did not like about the gardens. There was one yew tree growing alone. It stood haft-way between the maze and house.

‘I haven’t seen that tree before,’ Humphreys said. ‘It’s in a strange place. I will tell the gardeners to cut it down.’ Then he started to read the small book called “The Secret of the Maze”.

There was a story in the book about a maze. The story happened many, many years ago. The maze was in a strange land. At the centre of the maze, there was a red jewel. The jewel was very valuable.

Many men tried to find the fewel. Many men went into the maze, but no one ever came out again.

One day, a traveller went into the maze. He saw the pathways clearly. The sun was shining. The traveller found the centre of the maze by the end of the day. The red jewel was at the centre ot the maze. The jewel was the color of fire.

A voice spoke to the traveller, ‘You have learnt the secret of the maze.’

A doorway opened to a beatiful garden. The voice said, ‘This is the Garden of Peace. You may go in, but you may never leave the Garden again. Choose between the Garden and the jewel. You cannot have both.’

The traveller wanted to be a rich man. So he took the jewel and the garden disappeared. The traveller tried to find the path out of the maze. But he got lost. Night fell. The creatures of the night came out of the ground. They had no eyes, but they could smell the traveller. They had sharp teeth and claws. They were hungry for flesh and blood!

The traveller ran along the dark pathways. The night creatures followed him. All night, the traveller ran through the maze. All night, the creatures followed him.

In the morning, the night creatures disappeared back into the ground. Daylight came, but no sn. A thick, white mist covered the maze.

The tired traveller walked round the maze. At last he came to the gate. The gate was locked. Above the gate, there was a sign – ‘No man may go out of this gate unless another man comes in.’

The traveller called through the gate to the people outside, ‘Come in and let me out! I know the secret of the maze. I have the jewel. Come in here and I will make you rich!’ But no one came.

Humphreys put the book down and fell asleep. He started to dream. He was afraid. He was not in his bed. He was standing inside a gate. He was holding something in his hand. It was hot and red. It shone with a red light. There was a white mist all around him. He was calling out loudly, ‘Help me! Help me! Open the gate!’

A face appeared at the gate. He thought he knew the person’s face. The person smiled. He was opening the gare. Humphreys felt happy.

Fee! He thought, free at last!

Then he looked at the man who was opening the gate. He knew the man’s face. It was himself!

‘No! No!’ Humphreys cried out and woke up. He was on the floor beside his bed. The book he had been reading was gone. It was never found again.

After breakfast, Humphreys took some paper and a pen. He went out into the garden.

I will draw a plan of the maze, he said to himself.

Once again, he walked straight to the centre of the maze. He did not get lost.

The gardeners had done their job well. The pathways were clear. The gardeners had also cleaned the metal globe.

Humphreys looked at the global carefully. A strange creature was draw round the centre of the globe. The words – UMBRA MORTIS – ‘the shadow of death’ were written below the creature. The creature was eating its own rail. Above the creature was a man with wings. The man’s head was hidden by a ring at the top of the glove. Around the ring was written – PRINCEPS TENEBRARUM – ‘the Prince of Darkness’.

The global was very strange. Perhaps old Mr Wilson had brought it back from Italy.

Humphreys knocked on the metal globe with his hand. The metal did not seem very thick. The globe sounded hollow.

Humphreys was surprised. The globe was hot! It burnt his hand. Was something burning inside the metal globe?

He walked away from the globe. He started to draw a plan of the maze. It was difficult and he made mistakes. Then it started to rain. Humphreys stopped drawing and went back to the house.

In the afternoon, the rain stopped. Soon after lunch, Lady Wardrop arrived.

‘It is very kind of you to let me see your gardens,’ Lady Wardrop said. ‘Tell me, do you have a plan of your maze?’

‘I started to draw one this morning,’ Humphreys said.

‘Oh good,’ Lady Wardrop said. ‘Could you let me have a copy for my book?’

Lad Wardrop talked about gardens. She had visited all the famous gardens in England. Humphreys listened politely and led her to the entrance of the maze.

‘Do you know the way to the centre of the maze?’ asked Lady Wardrop.

‘Certainly,’ said Humphreys. ‘Please follow me.’

They walked around inside the maze for a quarter of an hour. They walked round and round in circles. Mr Humphreys could not find the centre of the maze.

‘I am very sorry, Lady Wardrop,’ he said. ‘I was sure I knew the way. I’ve walked to the centre twice before without making a mistake.’

Lady Wardrop was hot and red in the face. ‘I’ve senn many mazes,’ she said, ‘but not one like this. It makes me feel strange.’

‘Why?’ Humphreys asked.

‘Look,’ said Lady Wardrop, pointing to a tree. ‘Here’s my handkerchief. We came along here five minutes ago. I put my handkerchief on a tree on the right-hand side of the path. Now we’ve come this way again. But my handkerchief is on the left-hand side.’

‘That’s because we’ve come from the other direction,’ Humphreys said.

‘I’m not so sure,’ Lady Wardrop said. ‘Also, have you noticed those holes in the ground? There is one on the left-hand side of each corner.’

‘Those are probably where the stone blocks came from,’ said Humphreys. ‘We’re near ther gate. Shall we leave the maze and I’ll show you the stone blocks?’

He took Lady Wardrop the Roman temple. He showed her the stone blocks.

‘Mr Wilson took them out of the maze,’ he said. ‘Each block has a letter cut into it.’

‘That is probably the answer to the puzzle of the maze,’ said Lady Wardrop. ‘Put the letters together and they will spell words. When the stones were in their holes, you followed the words to find the centre of the maze. But, of course, you had to know the words – that was the secret.’

‘Ah, very simple!’ said Humphreys as they walked back to the house. ‘I will let you have a plan of the maze very soon.’

‘Thank you very much,’ said Lady Wardrop. ‘Use string.’

‘String? What do you mean?’ Humphreys asked.

‘Tie a ball of string to the gate,’ said Lady Wardrop. ‘Take the ball of string with you as you go through the maze. Then you can’t get lost.’

‘What a good idea,’ said Humphreys.

Humphreys went to bed early, but did not read. He did not want any more bad dreams.

He looked out of the window. He remembered the yew tree growing near the house. But he was mistaken. There was no yew tree . He looked all around. The only yew tree he could see was outside the library. He had not seen before.

The next morning, he took paper and pencils nd a bal of string into the gardens. He walked straight to the centre of the maze. How did I get lost yesterday? He asked himself.

He tied the ball of string to the metal globe. Then he walked back to the gate carrying the ball of string. The string went from the centre of the maze to the entrance.

Now it was easy to draw a plan. But it took him all day. He finished in the late afternoon and went back to the house for tea. There was a note from Lady Wardrop.

16th August

Dear Mr. Humphreys,
Thank you for showing me the maze. You won’t forget to give me a plan, will you? Have you looked underneath the stone blocks? Have they got numbers on them?

Yours sincerely,
Lady Wardrop

Humphreys decided to look at the stone blocks again the next day.

The evening was very hot. He opened all the windows.

That yew tree outside the library window will have to be cut down, he thought. It shuts out the light. And the branches are growing everywhere. Some of them are coming into the room.

He sat down and started to draw the plan of the maze. He worked until nearly midnight.

From time to time, he looked at the window. He thought that there was someone outside. He felt someone was waiting to come in. But there was no one there. It was only the yew tree.

He drew the last lines of his plan. As he finished, he saw a black mark on the paper in the centre of the plan.

He looked at the mark. But it was not a mark on the paper. It was a hole.

Humphreys saw the black hole becoming larger and larger. He looked down into the hole. There was something at the bottom of the hole. Something was coming up and up.

Humphreys could not move.

He looked at the thing that was coming nearer and nearer. It was grey and black. It was a ball with two holes for eyes. It came nearer and Humphreys saw a face. It was a horribly burnt face!


The thing reached out two black arms to pull Humphreys down into the hole.

Humphreys sceamed. He threw himself backwards. He tried to get away from the burnt face and arms. He cried out as he hit his head on the wall.

Then everything went black.

A doctor came to see mr Humphreys.

‘Mr Humphreys needs a long rest,’ the doctor told Mr Cooper. ‘He is speaking very strangely. He is talking about some stones in a Roman temple. He wants you to go and look at them. He wants to know if there are numbers on them. Mr Humphreys wants to know if the letters on the blocks spell words.

‘Also, he wants you to open the metal globe in the centre of the maze,’ the doctor went on. ‘After that, he wants you to cut down the maze and burn the trees.’

Lady Wardrop came to house when she heard of Mr Humphreys’ illness. The gardeners were busy cutting down the maze and burning the yew trees.

Cooper came up to her and said, ‘Excuse me, Lady Wardrop, but we’ve got two strange things here. Shall I show them to Mr Humphreys?’

‘Let me see them,’ said Lady Wardrop.

The first thing was a broken metal globe. Inside the globe, was the burnt body of a man.

‘We think it’s the body of old Mr Wilson,’ said Cooper. ‘We never found out where he ws buried.’

The second thing which Cooper showed Lady Wardrop was a row of stome blocks. They were lying outside the Roman temple.

‘There was a number on the bottom of each block,’ said Cooper. ‘I put them in order. I’m afraid I don’t know much Latin, Lady Wardrop. Can you tell us what it means?’

The words on the blocks said – PENETRANS AD INTERIORA MORTIS.

‘I think it means – “The path to the centre of death”, said Lady Wardrop.

The end.

MÊ CUNG

Author : M. R. JAMES
Translated by : Tigonphuongbac

Ông Wilson là một người rất giàu có nhưng không có con cái, nên sau khi chết ông để lại gia tài cho cháu trai mình là Humphreys. Humphreys rất ngạc nhiên về phần tài sản thừa kế này bởi anh chưa từng gặp mặt ông bác giàu có.

Humphreys xin nghỉ việc tới sống ở ngôi nhà mới. Anh được người quản lý nhà đất, ông Cooper, dẫn đi tham quan ngôi nhà.

‘Đây quả là một ngôi nhà tuyệt đẹp,’ Cooper nhận xét. ‘Chúng tôi hy vọng ông sẽ hài lòng khi ở đây. Khu vườn cũng rất đẹp. Tôi nghĩ anh sẽ thích chúng.’

‘A, vâng. Tôi rất thích!’ Humphreys nói.

‘Ông nội ngài Wilson đã xây dựng khu vườn này năm 1780. Quý ông giàu có này đã đến Italia và quay trở về với một vài ý tưởng kỳ lạ.’

Humphreys nhìn ngang qua khu vườn, hỏi:

‘Tôi thấy có một ngôi đền Roman.’

‘Đúng, nó đó. Anh có muốn đi xem không?’

Hai người sải bước qua khu vườn rộng, cây cối và bụi rậm mọc hai bên lối mòn làm khu vườn có một vẻ đẹp hoang sơ tuyệt mỹ. Ngôi đền Roman nằm trên đỉnh ngọn đồi nhỏ, phía trong đền có một đống đá xếp chồng chất lên nhau.

‘Những khối đã này để làm gì?’ Humphreys hỏi.

‘Tôi không rõ lắm,’ Cooper đáp ‘Chúng được lấy từ trong mê cung ra.’

‘Mê cung à?’ Humphreys ngạc nhiên. ‘Tôi không biết có một mê cung trong vườn. Bác tôi đã thiết kế à?’

‘Không phải bác anh,’ Cooper lắc đầu. ‘Ông nội ngài Wilson mới là người trồng cây trong mê cung. Ông Wilson chưa bao giờ đặt chân vào đó, ông ấy cũng không cho ai vào cả. Cách đây hai mươi năm, ông Wilson đã yêu cầu mang những viên đá này ra khỏi mê cung và khoá cổng lại. Từ đó đến này không ai vào trong đó nữa.’

Humphreys xem xét các khối đá, mỗi khối đều khắc một chữ cái.

‘Thú vị thật,’ anh thốt lên ‘Tôi muốn đi xem mê cung.’

‘Nó ở kia,’ Cooper vừa nói vừa chỉ về cánh rừng nhỏ. ‘Mê cung được bào quanh bởi một bức tường kiên cố còn cổng lại đã khoá chặt. Tôi sẽ đi lấy chìa khoá.’

Cooper quay lại nhà. Humphreys đi một mình vào rừng gỗ và nhanh chóng tìm thấy bức tường với cánh cổng bị khoá bằng một ống khoá rỉ sét. Phía trên cánh cổng có dòng chữ Latin – SECRETUM MEUM MIHIET FILIIS DOMUS MEAE.

‘Xem nào,’ Humphreys lẩm bẩm, ‘Hình như nghĩa của nó là bí mật của ta chỉ chỉ giành cho ta và cho con cháu ta, những người được thừa kế ngôi nhà này.’

Humphreys đá vào ống khoá cũ kỹ đó, nó vỡ tung và rơi xuống đất. Anh mở cổng, bước vào mê cung.

Một lối mòn dẫn vào mê cung khá âm u. Bên trong, các lối mòn chạy giữa hai hàng thông đỏ.

Rất khó đi qua các lối mòn bởi các nhánh cây mọc đan xen dày đặc lối mòn. Humphreys có lẽ là người đầu tiên bước vào đây sau hai mươi năm. Anh đi đến giữa mê cung mà không bị lạc đường.

Quá dễ dàng, Humphreys mĩm cười, đáng lẽ lối đi trong mê cung phải giống một câu đố.

Giữa trung tâm mê cung có một cột đã cao khoảng 4 bộ. Trên đỉnh cột đá đặt một quả cầu kim loại với những hình vẽ và chữ viết.

Trong mê cung rất nóng và tối. Không có gió hay bất cứ tiếng động nào khác. Sự im ắng lạ lùng đó khiến cho Humphreys nhận ra cả chim cũng ngừng hót.

Humphreys quay trở ra, dường như có vật gì đó chuyển động sau lưng anh. Humphreys hoảng hốt nhìn quanh bởi nghĩ rằng có ai đang theo dõi anh.

‘A, anh đây rồi!’ Tiếng Cooper đột ngột vang lên từ một góc. ‘Tôi đã theo dấu chân anh in trên dải lá khô. Tôi nghĩ anh không cần chìa khoá nữa đâu nhỉ.’

Humphreys mừng rỡ khi thấy Cooper, anh đã lo lắng rằng mình sẽ gặp một bóng ma nào khác.

Hai người quay lại nhà.

Humphreys hỏi:

‘Ông có thể yêu cầu những người làm vườn phát quang trên các lối mòn được không?’

‘Tôi không chắc điều đó là tốt,’ Cooper đáp. ‘Ông Wilson không thích ông nội ông ấy, người đã thiết kế mê cung này. Vì thế nên ông ấy đã đốt sách các cuốn sách của ông nội mình, sau đó đóng cửa mê cung.’

‘Ông có vẻ biết nhiều về cụ nội tôi?’’ Humphreys tò mò.

‘Không nhiều lắm, ông ấy chết cách đây 50 năm. Chẳng ai biết nơi chôn cất ông ấy. Ông nội anh có một người hầu Ý. Người Ý này chôn cất ông chủ vào buổi tối. Chắc ông Wilson được chôn đâu đó trong vườn nhưng chẳng biết nấm mồ nằm ở đâu.’

‘Thật kỳ lạ!’ Humphreys nói.

Anh quay vào nhà. Có một bức thư giành cho anh.

Bentley Manor
14/8/1980.

Ông Humphreys thân mến,

Chắc ông không biết tôi nhưng chúng ta là láng giềng của nhau. Tôi đang viết một cuốn sách về những khu vườn của Anh. Tôi có thể sang thăm quan khu vườn của gia đình ông được không? Tôi rất quan tâm đến mê cung. Tôi hy vọng ông có thể chấp nhận.

Người láng giềng,
Lady Wardrop.

Humphreys trả lời thư của Lady Wardrop ngay lập tức. Anh mời cô sang tham quan khu vườn vào hôm sau và hứa sẽ vẽ cho cô một tấm bản đồ mê cung.

Sáng mai mình sẽ vẽ bản đồ, anh tự nhủ.

Cả buổi tối Humphreys ở trong phòng đọc. Có hàng nghìn cuốn sách. Humphreys nhìn thấy một cuốn sách rất mỏng nằm trên giá cao có tựa đề “Bí mật mê cung”. Anh đem cuốn sách về phòng ngủ để đọc trước khi ngủ.

Humphreys nhìn qua cánh cửa sổ phòng ngủ, ánh trăng dịu mát trên bầu trời làm khu vườn trở lên lung linh huyền ảo. Trăng sáng trắng rọi trên mái đền Roman. Mê cung rực đỏ, có đám lửa cháy lớn.

Chắc hẳn những người làm vườn đã dọn lá mục trên các lối mòn vào buổi chiều đã đốt hết những cành lá khô. Đám lởa còn cháy đến tận giờ này.

Có một thứ kỳ quặc mà Humphreys không thích khu vườn, đó là cây thông đỏ trồng tách biệt những cây khác. Nó được trồng chắn giữa ngôi nhà và mê cung.

‘Lúc trước mình đâu nhìn thấy cây thông này,’ Humphreys lẩm bẩm. ‘Nó mọc ở một vị trí thật kỳ cục, rồi mình phải bảo người làm vườn chặt nó đi.’

Sau đó Humphreys bắt đầu đọc cuốn sách “Bí mật mê cung”. Trong sách viết câu chuyện về mê cung. Câu chuyện bắt đầu cách đây rất lâu. Mê cung nằm trên miền đất lạ, ở trung tâm mê cung có một khối ngọc màu đỏ cực kỳ quý báu. Những người muốn tìm khối ngọc đều đi vào mê cung nhưng họ không bao giờ trở ra.

Một ngày, một du khách bước vào mê cung. Con đường mòn dẫn vào mê cung quang đãng. Mặt trời chiếu sáng rực rỡ. Du khách tìm thấy trung tâm mê cung vào cuối ngày. Ở đây có khối ngọc màu đỏ trông như màu lửa.

Có tiếng nói vang lên: ‘Ngươi đã biết bí mật của mê cung’.

Một cánh cửa rộng mở dẫn tới khu vườn tuyệt đẹp. Và giọng nói lại vang lên:

‘Đây là khu vườn Hoà Bình. Ngươi có thể chọn bước vào khu vườn này, hoặc không bao giờ ra khỏi đây. Ngươi không thể có cả hai, hãy chọn khu vườn, hoặc kho báu.’

Du khách muốn trở lên giàu có nên đã chọn kho báu. Khu vườn biến mất. Du khách cố tìm lối mòn ra khỏi mê cung nhưng ông ta đã mất phương hướng. Mặt trời xuống bóng, đêm tối bao trùm không gian. Những sinh vật sống về đêm xuất hiện trên mặt đất, chúng không có mắt nhưng có thể đánh hơi thấy du khách. Những móng vuốt và hàm răng sắc nhọn của chúng phô ra trong đêm tối, chúng đang thèm máu tanh.

Du khách bỏ chạy dọc theo con đường mòn tối tăm, những sinh vật lòng đất đuổi theo ông ta. Cứ đêm này qua đêm khác, du khách chạy mãi trong mê cung, và những sinh vật kia cũng đuổi theo ông cho đến tận khi trời sáng, chúng mới biến mất. Ánh bình minh le lói làm mặt đất sáng lên, nhưng không thấy mặt trời bởi màn sương muối trắng xoá đã bao phủ mê cung.

Người du khách mệt mỏi lê bước quanh mê cung. Cuối cùng ông ta cũng tìm được cổng ra, nhưng cánh cổng bị khoá. Trên cổng có hàng chữ - “Không ai có thể ra khỏi mê cung trừ phi có người khác bước vào”.

Du khách cố gào vọng ra ngoài cổng: ‘Hãy vào đây thả tôi ra. Tôi biết bí mật của mê cung. Tôi có nhiều vàng bạc. Hãy vào đây, tôi sẽ làm cho các người trở lên giàu có.’ Nhưng không ai bước vào cả.

Humphreys đặt quyển sách xuống vì buồn ngủ. Anh rơi vào cơn mơ, hoảng loạn. Anh không phải đang nằm trên giường mà đang đứng trong cánh cổng. Một vật gì đó giữ chặt tay anh, nó nóng bỏng và chiếu sáng đỏ rực. Màn sương muối phủ quanh anh. Anh gào lớn:

‘Cứu tôi, cứu tôi với! Làm ơn mở cổng cho tôi!’

Một khuôn mặt ló ra sau cổng. Humphreys cảm thấy khuôn mặt đó rất quen. Người đứng ngoài mỉm cười và mở cổng. Humphreys cảm thấy vô cùng hạnh phúc.

Mình tự do rồi, anh nghĩ, cuối cùng mình cũng được tự do.

Sau đó anh nhìn lại người đàn ông đang mở cổng. Anh kinh hoảng nhận ra đó chính là khuông mặt mình.

‘Không, không!’ Humphreys thét lên, anh bừng tỉnh và thấy mình đang nằm dưới nền nhà, cạnh chân giường. Cuốn sách không biết đã biến đâu.

Sau bữa sáng, Humphreys đem giấy bút ra vườn.

‘Mình sẽ vẽ sơ đồ,’ Anh tự nhủ.

Lại một lần nữa, anh đi thẳng vào trung tâm mê cung.

Những người làm vườn thu dọn rất sạch sẽ, lối mòn được phát quang, quả cầu kim loại được lau sạch bóng.

Humphreys xăm soi quả cầu. Anh nhìn thấy một sinh vật lạ giữa tâm cầu.

Dòng chữ - UMBRA MORITS - “Bóng đen tử thần” được viết phía dưới sinh vật. Sinh vật đang ăn đuôi của nó. Bên trên sinh vật có một người đàn ông mang đôi cánh. Đầu ông ta đội một chiếc vương miện trên đỉnh quả cầu. Quanh vương miện viết – PRINCESS TENEBRARUM – “ông hoàng bóng tối”.

Quả cầu rất lạ, có lẽ ông cụ Wilson đã mang nó từ Ý về.

Humphreys ngạc nhiên bởi quả cầu khá nóng, nó là bỏng tay anh, Hẳn là có gì đang cháy trong quả cầu kim loại.

Anh dời khỏi quả cầu và bắt đầu vẽ bản đồ mê cung. Thật khó nên anh đã có một vài lỗi. Trời bắt đầu mưa. Humphreys ngững vữ quay lại nhà.

Cơn mưa kéo dài đến chiều. Ngay sau bữa trưa, Lady Wardrop đến.

‘Anh thật tốt bụng khi đồng ý cho tôi tham quan khu vườn,’ Lady Wardrop nói. ‘ A, anh có bản đồ mê cung chưa?’

‘Sáng nay tôi mới bắt đầu vẽ,’ Humphreys trả lời.

‘Tốt quá,’ Lady Wardrop vui mừng. ‘Tôi có thể in vào cuốn sách của mình chứ?’

Lady Wardrop kể về tất cả các khu vườn nổi tiếng của Anh cô đẫ từng tham quan. Humphreys lịch sự lắng nghe rồi dẫn cô thăm mê cung.

‘Anh biết cách vào trung tâm à?’ Lady Wardrop hỏi.

‘Tất nhiên rồi,’ Humphreys gật đầu. ‘Hãy đi theo tôi.’

Họ đi vào mê cung trong 15 phút, lòng vòng mãi vẫn không tìm thấy trung tâm mê cung.

‘Cô Wardrop, tôi xin lỗi,’ Humphreys bối rối. ‘ Chắc chắn là tôi biết đường vào trung tâm vì tôi đã tới đó hai lần, nhưng giờ thì...’

Khuôn mặt Lady Wardrop đỏ bừng, ‘Tôi đã thấy nhiều mê cung, nhưng không có cái nào giống cái này. Nó làm tôi có cảm giác kỳ lạ.’

‘Tại sao?’ Humphreys hỏi.

‘Nhìn kìa,’ Lady Wardrop chỉ vào một cây cổ thụ. ‘Tôi đã treo chiếc khăn tay ở đó. Chúng ta vừa mới qua chỗ này cách đây năm phút. Tôi đã treo khăn tay lên nhánh cây bên phải đường mòn. Bây giờ chúng ta lại ở trên con đường này, nhưng chiếc khăn tay lại nằm bên tay trái.’

‘Đó là bởi chúng ta đi hướng khác.’ Humphreys nói.

‘Tôi không chắc như vậy đâu,’ Lady lắc đầu. ‘Anh có nhận ra những chiếc lỗ trên mặt đất không? Phía trái các góc đều có lỗ.’

‘Những khối đá có lẽ lấy từ đây. Chúng ta đã ra gần tới cổng. Khi nào ra khỏi mê cung, tôi sẽ chỉ cho cô xem những khối đá đó.’

Anh dẫn Lady Wardrop đến ngôi đền Roman và chỉ vào những khối đá.

Bác tôi đã mang chúng ra khỏi mê cung, mỗi khối đá đều được khắc một chữ cái.’

‘Có lẽ đó là phần giải đố của mê cung này,’ Lady Wardrop nói ‘Xế những khối đá lại với nhau rồi dánh vần. Khi những viên đã nằm đúng lỗ, anh đi theo thứ tự, từ đó sẽ dẫn tới trung tâm mê cung. Nhưng tất nhiên anh phải biết từ đó – đấy chính là bí mật.’

‘A, thật đơn giản!’ Humphreys thốt lên khi họ quay lại nhà. ‘Tôi sẽ sớm đưa bản đồ cho cô’.

‘Cảm ơn anh!’ Lady Wardrop mỉm cười. ‘Hãy sử dụng một cuộn dây.’

‘Dây ư? Ý cô là...’

‘Buộc sợi dây ở cổng,’ Lady Wardrop giải thích. ‘Mang cuộn dây theo khi anh đi vào mê cung. Anh sẽ không bị lạc.’

‘Hay đấy!’ Anh mĩm cười.

Humphreys đi ngủ sớm, không đọc gì cả, anh không muốn mình phải trải qua bất cứ giấc mơ tồi tệ nào.

Anh trằn trọc mãi không ngủ, anh nhớ là có một cây thông gỗ đỏ gần nhà. Nhưng chả có cây thông nào cả, Humphreys nhìn quanh, chắc anh nhớ nhầm. Cây thông duy nhất trong tầm mắt anh lại trồng ngoài phòng đọc, trước đây anh chưa từng thấy nó.

Sáng hôm sau, anh mang giấy bút và một cuộn dây vào vườn. Anh đi thẳng đến trung tâm khu vườn. ‘Sao hôm nay mình lại không lạc đường nhỉ?’ Anh tự hỏi.

Anh buộc một đầu dây vào quả cầu kim loại rồi mang cuộn dây trở lại cổng.

Giờ thì vẽ bản đồ dễ dàng rồi, nhưng cũng chiếm cả ngày trời. Đến tận chiều tối, Humphreys mới hoàn thành, và trở vào nhà pha một tách trà.

Lady Wardrop để lại một mẩu tin nhắn:

Ngày 16/8.

Humphreys thân mến,
Cảm ơn anh đã dẫn tôi đi xem mê cung. Anh khôgn quên bản vẽ chứ. Anh xem bên dưới các viên đá chưa? Chúng có khắc số thứ tự không?

Chào anh,
Lady Wardrop.

Humphreys quyết định hôm sau sẽ xem xét các khối đá.

Tối hôm đó, trời rất nóng nên Humphreys phải mở hết các cửa sổ, anh nghĩ minh sẽ chặt cây thông ngoài cửa sổ phòng đọc bởi nó che hết ánh trăng sáng. Các nhánh cây vươn ra khắp mọi nơi, một vài nhánh chọc cả vào phòng.

Humphreys ngồi xuống và bắt đầu vẽ bản đồ đến gần nửa đêm.

Thỉnh thoảng, anh ngẩng lên nhìn ra cửa sổ, cảm giác ai đó đang ở ngoài, đợi chờ để vào phòng. Nhưng thực tế chẳng có ai ngoài cây thông gỗ đỏ.

Khi anh hoàn thành nét vẽ cuối cùng, anh nhìn vào một chấm đen trên giấy nằm giữa trung tâm bản đồ.

Anh nhìn sâu vào trong chấm đen đó nhưng nó không còn là chấm đen trên giấy mà là một cái hố.

Humphreys thấy cái hố đen lớn dần, lớn dần. Anh cứ nhìn xuống hố. Có vật gì đó đang lớn dần lên.

Humphreys không nhúc nhích nổi một bước, anh trân trối nhìn vật đó đang càng lúc càng gần anh. Nó pha tạp giữa màu đen và màu xám. Đó là một quả bóng với hai hốc như hai con mắt. Nó tiến đến rất gần nên Humphreys có thể nhìn thấy một khuôn mặt, một khuôn mặt phỏng khủng khiếp.

Hai cánh tay đen ngòm với ra ngoài kéo Humphreys xuống hố. Anh gào thét kinh hoàng, vội vã nhảy lại phía sau. ANh cố gắng thoát khỏi cánh tay và khuôn mặt cháy đen kia. Anh kêu lên vì bị đập đầu vào tường.

Mọi thứ tối đen lại.

Bác sĩ tới khám cho Humphreys.

‘Humphreys cần tĩnh dưỡng một thời gian dài,’ Bác sĩ nói với Cooper. ‘Anh ta đang lảm nhảm những điều kỳ quặc về các khối đá trong ngôi đền Roman. Anh ta muốn ông tới và xem xét các khối đá đó. Humphreys muốn biết liệu có những con số trên bề mặt chúng không? Anh ta muốn biết liệu có những chữ cái trên khối đã khi ghép lại sẽ thành từ gì. Ngoài ra, anh ta còn muốn mở quả cầu ở trung tâm mê cung. Sau đó hãy đốn hết cây trong mê cung đi.’

Lady Wardrop sang nhà khi nghe tin Humphreys bị ốm. Những ngời làm vườn đang bận rộn với việc chặt cây trong mê cung và đốt hết những cây thông gỗ đỏ.

Cooper xuất hiện trước mặt Lady nói: ‘Xin lỗi đã làm phiền cô Lady Wardrop, nhưng có hai thứ kỳ lạ ở đây. Tôi có nên nói với Humphreys không?’

‘Hãy nói tôi nghe thử xem nào!’ Lady Wardrop đề nghị.

Thứ đầu tiên là quả cầu kim loại bị vỡ, trong đó có một xác người cháy đen.

‘Chúng tôi nghĩ đó là thi thể cụ nội Wilson,’ Cooper nói. ‘Vì chúng tôi chưa bao giờ tìm thấy mộ của ông ấy.’

Điều thứ hai Cooper chỉ cho Lady Wardrop là dãy đá nằm bên ngoài ngôi đền Roman.

‘Mỗi khối đã đều có một con số. Tôi đá xếp chúng lại nhưng rất tiếc là không biét tiếng Latin. Cô Wardrop, cô có thể nói cho chúng tôi hiểu nghĩa của chúng không?’

Các từ trên phiếu đá là – PENETRANS AD INTERIORA MORTIS.

‘Tôi nghĩ từ này có nghĩa là – Đường đến với tử thần.’ Lady trả lời.


Hết.