With the metal of his making Ptah fills my mouth,

The same metal that opened all mouths.

Sekhmet-Wadjet from the west, Sahyt rules all souls.

I am ruled by them, my mouth is mine.

My Dream is broken and I Rise and Speak and Live.

Rise! Speak! Live!

And as the last words slithered from Lady Bertram’s somewhat mumbling lips, she then said a sentence or two in a completely foreign tongue, and waved the various amulets about like cutlery at suppertime.

The attic room began to rumble and shake.

The Mummy’s sunken chest rose and fell. And then it sat up, slowly, until it was upright. Linen bits went flapping all around, and dust arose, as the Mummy then slowly lifted one desiccated wrapped leg over the side of the sarcophagus, then the other. And then it stood up, teetering, and raised one arm, and underneath the linen its mouth moved and rounded into a concave circular orifice.

It seemed the Mummy strove to speak, but yet could not.

“Oh dear, well then,” said the brave lady, trying to make the Mummy feel more comfortable, all things considered. Then she continued in a much firmer tone. “Well, I do bid you welcome to the world and to our splendid isle of Majesty’s Great Britain, My Lord, O Great Pharaoh. ’Tis truly a veritable delight, a rare pleasure to have you here under my roof, you must be—ahem—parched and famished. The world has certainly changed since oh-so-many years ago, and naturally you might have questions. May I offer you a gooseberry tart? Fanny does harbor a liking of them and so does Julia—”

The Mummy apparently found its voice at last.

Out came the most horrid bellow that Lady Bertram had ever had the misfortune of hearing.

But the lady was rather nonplussed. “Oh dear,” she said. “I don’t suppose I ought to have some tea brought up instead?”

“RWAH! RWAHARRR!” said the Mummy, now raising both hands.

“A rack of lamb? Beg pardon?”

“ARRWAW WAY WARRRTH!”

“Oh dear!” Lady Bertram wrung her hands. “Does your Mummyship perchance mean to request—”

“AWRAW WOWW WAUTH!”

“Oh dear! Oh dear! Whatever does that signify? Perchance—a rat gone south? No? Goodness, I do not think we have rats. That is, I am certain we do not allow them on the premises. Verily, I must insist, that no matter the customs of your own dear bygone Egypt, here we do not consume vermin, particularly not in this household—my dear sister Norris, being the one exception, of course. Or, is it arcane pharaonic code for some other particular royal need—”

“UMWAWP MAH WOUTH!”

“A whap of vermouth? Whatever could that be? I am sorry—”

“AAAAAAAAAARGH!” The Mummy shook its upraised hands, howling mightily. It appeared to be in frustrated distress.

“UNWAWP MY WOUTH!”

“Oh! Oh! Yes! Indeed, now I understand, unwrap my mouth! Why, by all means I shall.” And Lady Bertram hurried to oblige.