An Unexpected Guest

After we finished with the introduction part of the process, we got down to the more important matters at hand: comparing notes.

Larry and Harry had managed to get down to the ground floor without incident. While creeping around there, they bumped into Mr. Thorndyke. Once he expressed that he was not with the gun men and could direct them to the office where the hostages were being held, they followed Mr. Thorndyke. While not experts at dealing with armed gun men, Larry and Harry got the drop on the two gun men in the office, disarming and restraining them. With the grateful hostages freed and promising to contact the police, the three men then came to assist us. And just in time too.

Our news, that the head gun man had not only touched the gem of Kah-So-Bey but was holding it, proved very distressing to Mr. Thorndyke and, to a lesser degree, Harry. “Why, that gem has a curse on it,” Harry explained, mopping at his forehead with a handkerchief.

Ms. Chapman nodded. “I told him about it but I was ignored.” She paused before continuing. “I didn't believe in the curse. Why would I? It sounded like a nice story to put on a sign. When you see a man drop dead in front of you, from just a touch?” Her voice grew very quiet. “I believe now.”

“Believing is all well and good,” I noted. “Greater things in heaven and earth than dreamt of in your philosophy and all that. We have a creature that was worshiped in Ancient Egypt as a god. What do we do about it? He seemed to have an interest in killing people. A lot of people.”

“A fine way to get to the nub of the problem,” Mr. Thorndyke said with enthusiasm. “No matter that your details are suspect, the point is still how do we stop him?” He turned to Ms. Chapman. “What do we know about Set?” She just looked at him. “Come, come, you are in the Egyptology department, are you not?”

“I am,” she reassured. “The myths about Set are often contradictory. I... let me think...”

Her pondering was interrupted by the sound of breaking glass. There was a moment of panic, of us looking at each other in surprise, all apparently sharing my 'what was that?' thought. It sounded very nearby, as if it was just around the corner...

Oh. Oh dear.

Considering the looks I got, I made this expression of concern out loud. “Think about it for a moment. What's right outside? Much of the remnants of the 'Temples, Tells, and Tombs' exhibit that was once on the second floor.”

Harry must not have realized what he'd been walking past. “So what?”

Ms. Chapman's eyes brightened with understanding. “Djed-hor!”

I nodded, walking to the doorway to confirm my theory. “Set said something about having been gone awhile so he'd stick with something familiar.” The lighting in the hallway confirmed that I was right. Sometimes I really hate being right. A broken display case, glass on the floor, and a shambling bandaged figure struggling to free itself from the case. It stood, its face rotted away by millennia of decay. Slowly, at first, the feet shuffled forward, dragging the creature towards us.

Completely aware that my next words would sound ridiculous, I grimly noted “The mummy walks!”