Lots of people consider this Bram Stoker novel to be just as good as his
Dracula.
It tells of the consequences of being an archaeologist and messing with Egyptian tombs and the mummies that are found inside of them. Just a little curse to be wary of, but everyone knows that those are just superstitions. Right? Um...
From Amazon:
"Hither the Gods come not at any summons. The Nameless One has insulted them and is forever alone. Go not nigh, lest their vengeance wither you away!" The warning was inscribed on the entrance of the hidden tomb, forgotten for millennia in the sands of mystic Egypt. Then the archaeologists and grave robbers came in search of the fabled Jewel of Seven Stars, which they found clutched in the hand of the mummy.
Few heeded the ancient warning, until all who came in contact with the Jewel began to die in a mysterious and violent way--with the marks of a strangler around their neck.
Note:
After I posted this, I found out that when
The Jewel of Seven Stars was first released in 1903 the publishers received a great deal of criticism from both critics and readers because of its gruesome ending.
Shortly before his death in 1912 when Stoker attempted to republish the book he was told that he would have to change the ending if he didn’t want it to go out of publication. As a result, Stoker removed
Chapter XVI Powers - Old and New and gave the book a new and happier ending. For many years the original ending was unavailable to most readers.
My first post had the new and happier ending. I have found the original grimmer ending and I'm now posting that as a new version. I will keep the my first post up in case anyone prefers that one.
I thought about including BOTH endings in one file, but I couldn't figure out a way to do that without interrupting the flow of reading. Hence the whole new file.
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