Chapter 9 Chapter Eight Nightmare Dreams

It was a little hard to know exactly what to look out for the week after I arrived in Aremia. Looking at the situation then from what I know now, I can see many small signs, but I didn't see any of them at the time. Nevertheless, in order to tell the story properly, I thought I should go back to what I actually thought at the time—I was very confused, disturbed, and more and more aware that something was wrong. Because one thing is certain: that strange tension is not imagined, but real.Even the insensitive Bill Coleman criticized this. "This place really drives me crazy," I heard him say once. "Are they always moping?"

That's what he said to another assistant, David Emmott.I sensed that his reticence was definitely not unkind.Here no one is quite sure what other people are feeling or thinking.In a place full of unrest, he had an air that seemed firm and inspiring to others. "No," he replied to Mr. Coleman's question, "it wasn't like this last year." However, he didn't expand on the topic and didn't say anything more. "What I don't understand is: what's all this about?" said Mr. Coleman worriedly. Emmott shrugged, but made no answer. A point was made to me once in a conversation with Miss Johnson.She is very capable, practical and intelligent.It is obvious that she has a hero worship mentality towards Dr. Leidner.

This time, she told me about Dr. Leidner's life since he was a child.She knew every place he dug, and the results of his digs.I'm almost sure she can quote every speech he's ever given.She told me that he is the best archaeologist working today. "Also, he's very simple. Totally innocent. He doesn't know what 'pride' is. Only great men can be so simple." "You're quite right," I said. "Great men don't need to be bossy." "And he has a light-hearted air too. What a fun life we ​​had the first few years we were here— Me, Richard Jarley and him—it's indescribable, Richard Jarley worked with him in Palestine. They've known each other for ten years or so; well, I've known him for seven years."

"What a handsome Mr. Garrett!" I said. "Yes—I think so." She said it quite bluntly. "He's just a little taciturn, though, don't you think?" "He wasn't like that before," said Miss Johnson quickly, "it's only since—" Suddenly, she stopped talking. "Just since—" I prompt her. "Ah," said Miss Johnson, shrugging her shoulders; it was a gesture peculiar to her. "A lot of things have changed now." I did not say anything.I hoped she would go on—and she did—but preceded it with a small laugh, as if to deflect her words from their importance.

"I'm afraid I'm a old-fashioned stubborn. I sometimes think that if the wife of an archaeologist is not interested in archaeology, it's better not to accompany her on the expedition. It's smarter for her to do so. On the contrary, it often causes friction." "Is it Mrs. McGado?" I suggested. "Oh, her!" Miss Johnson ignored my prompt. "I'm really thinking of Mrs. Leidner. She's a lovely person—to use a common saying—and we can quite understand why Dr. Leidner was 'bewitched' by her. But, I can't help but think: She's not a good fit here. She's — it's going to be a mess here."

It turned out that Miss Johnson felt the same way as Mrs. Kersey: there was an air of uneasiness here, and Mrs. Leidner was to blame.But what was the cause of Mrs. Leidner's own uneasiness? "That disturbs him very much," said Miss Johnson earnestly. "Of course I—ha, I seem to be a loyal and jealous old dog. I don't like to see him so tired and worried. He should Concentrate on his excavations instead of spending time with his wife and worrying about her boring fears. If she gets nervous about going to the middle of nowhere, then she should stay in America. A place that does nothing but whiners, I can't stand it!"

Then, probably thinking that she was afraid of exaggerating, she went on: "Of course, I admire her a lot. She is a very lovely person. She has a charming manner when she is happy." So, that topic ends here. I thought to myself: If women are locked in one place for a long time, they must be jealous of each other.The situation is always the same.Miss Johnson obviously didn't like the host's wife (perhaps quite naturally), and, unless I'm very mistaken, Mrs. McGadoo didn't like her much either. Another person who didn't like Mrs. Leidner was Sheila Riley.She came to the construction site once or twice.Once in a car, and the other time with the same young fellow on a horse--I mean, of course, on two horses.I have a vague feeling that she likes the taciturn American young man Emmott very much.When he was on duty at the dig site, she used to stop and chat with him, and I think he adored her too.

Mrs. Leidner remarked on the matter at lunch one day--she was ill-considered, I think. "That girl Rayleigh is still chasing David," she said with a giggle. "Poor David, she even chased you at the digging site! Girls are so infatuated sometimes!" Mr. Emmott said nothing , However, his dark face was a little red.He looked straight at her with a very strange expression--a direct, determined look, with something defiant about it. She smiled slightly and looked away. I heard Father Lavigne whisper something, but when I said "What?" he just shook his head and didn't repeat it.

Mr. Coleman said to me that afternoon: "Actually, I didn't like Mrs. Leidner very much at first. She always scolded me when I was talking. But I've begun to understand her better now, and in the She's one of the most gracious women I've ever known. You tell her all the troubles you're having, and you don't know where you're going. She has a bad feeling for Sheila Riley, I know, but Sheila was very rude to her once too. That's Sheila's biggest fault—she has no manners, and she has a bad temper!" I believe this very much, and for good reason.Dr. Rayleigh spoiled her.

"Of course she must have gotten a little self-indulgent, because she was the only young woman here, but she spoke to Mrs. Leidner as if Mrs. Leidner was her old aunt. That was inexcusable, too. Mrs. Leidner is not a young woman, but she is a very good-looking woman, rather like a fairy in fairy tales, coming out of the swamp grass with a lantern to lure you away." He said resentfully again. Then, "You don't think Sheila is seductive. She just curses." Also, I can only recall two notable things. First things first: I got my fingers sticky from mending the pottery, and went to the lab to get some acetone to wash it off.When I got there, I found Mr. Mercado in a corner, with his head on his arms, and I thought he was asleep.I got the bottle of acetone I was going to use and left.

Mrs. McGado caught me unexpectedly that night. "Did you take a bottle of acetone from the lab?" "Yes," I said, "I took it." "You clearly know that there is always a small bottle of acetone in the antiquities room." Her words were menacing. "Really? I don't know." "I think you know. You just want to spy. I know what nurses look like in hospitals." My eyes widened, looking at her. "Mrs. McGado, I don't know what you're talking about," I said sternly. "I'm never going to spy on anyone." "Oh, no, of course not. Do you think I don't know what you're doing here?" I thought about it for a minute or two.I really thought she must be drunk.I walked away without saying anything more, but I thought it was a strange thing. The other one wasn't a big deal either.Once I was baiting a little wild dog over with a piece of bread, but the little dog was timid--all Arabian dogs are--and he thought I must be up to no good, and ran away.I followed it out of the arch and into the corner.I ran so hard that I bumped into Father Lavigne and another man without realizing it.They were standing together: I saw at once that the other was the one whom Mrs. Leidner and I had noticed the other day trying to peep through the window. I apologized to them, Father Lavigne smiled, said goodbye to the other one, and came back with me. "You know," he said, "I feel ashamed. I'm learning Oriental. But no one on this site understands my Oriental: it's shameful, don't you think? Just now, I'm Trying to talk to that guy in the Arabic I'm learning to see if I'm getting better. The guy's from the town - but still not very successful! Leidner says my Arabic is too pure." This is it.However, a thought suddenly crossed my mind: that person is still around the house.How strange. That night, we had a scare. It was about two o'clock in the morning.I am a very alert person when I sleep.Most nurses do.By the time my door opened, I was sitting on the bed. "Miss nurse! Miss nurse!" It was Mrs Leidner's voice, low and urgent. I struck a match and lit a candle. She was standing in the doorway, in a long blue dressing-gown, dazed with terror. "In the room next to me, there was a man - there was a man - and I heard him scratching the wall." I jumped out of bed and walked over to her. "It's all right," I said, "I'm here. Don't be afraid, dear." She whispered, "Go and find Eric." I nodded and ran out to knock on his room.After a while, he was with us.Mrs. Leidner sat on my bed, panting loudly. "I heard him," she said, "I heard him—grabbing on the wall." "Anyone in the Antiquities Room?" called Dr. Leidner. He ran out quickly—and then, for a split second, it occurred to me how differently the two reacted.Mrs. Leidner's fears were entirely personal.But Dr. Leidner immediately thought of his precious treasures. "Antiquities room," whispered Mrs Leidner, "of course, what a fool I am!" She got up, pulled up her dressing gown, and asked me to come with her.Her frightened air was all gone. We went to the antiquities room and found Dr. Leidner and Father Lavigne there.Father Lavigne also heard a voice, so got up to check.He said he saw a light in the antiquities room, put on his sandals, grabbed a torch, and was therefore delayed for a while.When he got there, he didn't find anyone.Fortunately, however, the door there was well locked.At night, the door should be locked. Dr. Leidner was relieved to see that nothing was lost.Then, he met him. Also, nothing was found.The outer arches are locked.The guards said categorically that no one could come in from the outside.Perhaps they had just slept soundly, that was not certain.However, there was no sign of anyone breaking in. Father Lavigne had just taken down the boxes from the shelf to see if everything was in order.It was probably his voice that woke Mrs. Leidner.On the other hand, Father Lavigne himself affirmed that he heard footsteps pass by his window, and saw the flicker of a light in the Antiquities Room. And no one heard anything, or saw anything. This accident has value in my account because, therefore, Mrs. Leidner confided the next day.