3 - The Mummy..

The next day, after the conference agenda had concluded, I met Dr. Richard in the institution's cafeteria. He was sipping coffee and smoking. I greeted him, and it seemed to me that the previous night's events were nothing but a silly, distant memory. Dr. Richard stirred the cream in his cup, then asked me:"Did you read the papers?""Yes.""And what do you think?"I was frank with him about my opinion on the entire matter. His eyes flashed with anger as he set his cup down on the saucer:"Nonsense?! Do you really think that I, and one of the greatest historians in Europe, fell victim to some filthy trick concocted by a joker? Fine. Let's say this joker went to unbearable lengths, prepared all these documents, arranged for the mummy, and waited for years until a fool like me decided to explore that crypt and find these things... What a joke!""There's no evidence to prove my opinion, but there's also nothing to disprove it."He shook his head in frustration, then regained his inherited composure and said:"I want you to come tonight... There's something new I want you to see. Same time."Once again, at dinner, I sat across from the piercing gaze of Judas's descendants. On the other side of the table sat Professor Max Lovarsky, who—as you know—is Jewish and never missed an opportunity to talk about the suffering he endured in Nazi concentration camps. Why did God create scholars to be so dull?After dinner, Dr. Richard turned to me and said:"What I'm about to show you is the culmination of years of research by me and Professor Lovarsky. I don't expect you to be convinced, but I do demand—and it's my right—that you respect everything you're about to see. Additionally, what you're about to witness is a secret that must remain confidential."He uttered the last sentence in a terrifying tone, deliberately emphasizing the word "must," sending a shiver down my spine. I replied:"I promise."I followed them to the basement—the elegant English cellar, filled with the scent of aged wine, dampness, and something else I couldn't quite place. Dr. Richard moved aside some burlap covering a sealed crate in the corner, opened it, and then exclaimed in a theatrical voice:"Gentlemen... behold, the mummy of Count Dracula!"To be fair, I felt neither awe nor curiosity—nothing at all. I maintained the expression of a scientist who isn't "astonished" by anything but is "interested" in it. It was an ordinary mummy with all the typical flaws: decaying skin, scattered strands of hair, a broken nose. Only one thing stood out: the teeth. Why did this thing have such sharp fangs, resembling those of a wolf?Dr. Cummings smirked and whispered:"What do you think?"I didn't answer but instead asked Lovarsky:"How did you manage to bring it here?""We successfully smuggled it under the guise of a shipment of drilling equipment. The authorities in Transylvania don't even know it's here, so they haven't bothered to look for it."Dr. Richard Cummings lit a match and brought it close to the mummy. Suddenly, it went out. He exclaimed:"Do you see? There's an inert gas emanating from this mummy..."I couldn't swallow all of this, but it was real. Right before me was living proof of the fallibility of scientific assumptions, the existence of magic, and the credibility of all legends...I asked Dr. Richard:"But why are you wasting all this time and effort?""The truth..."He said it simply and continued:"The truth that will grant science unparalleled flexibility, enough to encompass myths and all primitive beliefs, and trigger a revolution unlike anything the world has ever seen...""We are now standing before living proof of the existence of magic."We went up to the living room a few minutes later and sat in silence around a collection of ancient documents. I asked in confusion:"I still don't understand... why are you showing this to me, of all people?""You're a Muslim, Dr. Rifaat ...""Yes.""And I'm Catholic, and Dr. Lovarsky is Jewish. This will make the witnesses of the miracle representatives of three religions.""What miracle?""The resurrection of Dracula..."