I'm glad so many of you are enjoying this story so far!
Izzy had just finished patrolling for stragglers and unlocking the doors to the store room where they held the recreational equipment before walking back to the front desk and sitting down before sunset. She put her head in her hands and sighed, resigning herself to explaining that museum would be upgrading and moving some of the exhibits to the federal archives. In the two years she had worked here, this was by far the hardest thing she had ever had to do.
An almost palpable wave of pure life swept through the museum and she could feel the light stress headache ease as the magic washed over her. She stood up and approached Teddy as Tex stepped off the platform.
"Good evening Izzy," he said with his usual pleasantness. Then, noticing her troubled expression, added, "What's wrong, my dear?" The concern was obvious I his voice.
"I need to talk to you and Ahk," she said. Her morose tone and saddened eyes worried Teddy, but he said nothing as he slid off Tex and followed her to find their resident Pharaoh. They walked down the hallways towards the Egyptian exhibit and met Ahk as he approached the main part of the museum.
Ahk could tell immediately that something was wrong. Teddy's bright smile was nowhere to be seen and Isis had an air of defeat about her, almost as if a rain cloud hovered above their heads.
"Is something wrong?" Ahk asked worriedly.
"I need to talk to you two, alone."
"We should be undisturbed in my room," Ahk offered. She nodded and together they entered the exhibit, surrounded in stone walls lined with hieroglyphs.
"I've got some bad news. The board and Dr. McPhee have decided to upgrade the museum and bring in new exhibits."
"What is so bad about that?" Ahkmenrah asked.
"The new exhibits will be replacing some of the old ones, which will be stored in the Federal Archives in the Smithsonian in D.C." Both men looked startled and taken aback."They have already decided which exhibits will go. Both of you will be staying, which means," she motioned to Ahk, "that the tablet is staying as well."
She paused a moment to let them wrap their heads around the information. It was devastating news to know their friends would be separated from them. It was worse even, for them to know that their friends would no longer be coming to life once they were moved.
"Who is leaving?" Teddy asked, his throat thick with worry.
"A few of the animals, the hall of miniatures, the Neanderthals, Attila and his Huns, Dexter and... and Sacajawea."
Teddy's expression darkened at her words. If he had been made of flesh, rather than wax, his face surely would have paled and he might have possibly let loose a few tears. He covered his face with his hand as he looked away. Izzy and Ahk looked on as their friend came to terms with losing his beloved.
Teddy's throat constricted painfully and he cleared it. "Is there anything we can do? Have you said anything on our behalf to the board? You are the only voice we have during the day. Surely you can say something." Teddy's eyes were pleading her to find a way to fix this.
Her tone was glum. "I tried, but I'm just a night guard, and a young one at that. They wouldn't listen to a 20 year-old discussing business decisions and what is best for the museum. I couldn't convince them. I tried calling Larry but I can't get a hold of him. I didn't want to tell you until the decisions were final and they have just signed the paperwork today. They will be packed up in the morning and shipped out the following day. I thought it would be best to tell you two the news first so we might be able to break it more gently to everyone."
"They will be devastated," Ahk said quietly.
"No, they won't," Teddy spoke hoarsely, but with a new determination in his eyes. "We tell them that we are all being moved. We won't let them know that this is their last few nights to come to life."
"You want to lie to them about that?" Izzy asked. "They won't know that they should be making the best of the time they have left." She looked to the president as she questioned his methods.
"Sometimes it is more noble to tell a small lie than to deliver a painful truth."
"It's not going to be easy," Izzy said solemnly.
But Ahk provided the final word for the situation. "We must, for our friends. It will be easier for them."
The two nodded their agreement, but all three knew this was going to be a tough night to get through.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
The evening before the exhibits were to be shipped out, they had an unexpected visitor waiting for them.
"Larry, you're back," Izzy called out as she approached the atrium where her predecessor stood by the front desk.
"Lawrence! Good to see you, lad!" Teddy shouted jubilantly.
"Yeah, you too, Teddy," Larry smiled.
"The Guardian of Brooklyn has returned!" Ahk shouted, commanding the full attention of the room.
"Hey, Ahk. Look, McPhee told me what's going on around here. I had no idea."
"Indeed. A lot has transpired, Lawrence, since your last visit. One would say that..." Larry held up a hand as he answered a text message on his phone, interrupting Teddy.
"Hey, Bocephus! Little help over here!" Jed called from a crate. Izzy rushed over and lifted the lid for the tiny men as Larry finished his message.
"Hey, fellas. How are you doing?" Larry asked as they climbed out of the packing peanuts.
"Well lookie here," Jed called out, ignoring Larry's question. "If it ain't Mr. Big-in-the-Britches himself. Come back just in time to see us off!"
Larry ignored his tone. "Yeah, Jed, I heard. Look I don't know how this happened."
"Yeah." Jed waved him off. "Yeah, real mystery how this happened. Maybe the answer's on that magic buzzing box there in your hand. You weren't here Gigantor. That's how it happened! Ain't no mystery!"
"The fact is, Larry," Octavious added, "there's no one here with enough influence to sway the museum's decisions on our behalf."
"Well, what about Izzy?" Larry asked.
Izzy shook her head. "Oct just said it, Larry. I don't have the influence you do. I'm just a young night guard trying to tell the museum board how to handle the important business decisions. They won't listen to me. I'm not the CEO of my own company, Larry. I did what I could but it wasn't enough."
"Well it's okay. I'll call the board in the morning, all right? I've got some pull now. We're gonna to be okay here."
"'We'? Did you hear that?" Jed asked of no one in particular. "You hear Daydream Johnny? There ain't been a 'we' since you put us on the 'pay no mind' list. And that's a cold place to be, boy."
"Larry, what's done is done. Even the glory of Rome had to come to an end," Octavious looked away sadly as his melodramatic tone rang out.
"Would you please not look dramatically off into the middle distance when you say that?" Larry asked. "It makes me feel worse."
"Good," Izzy said, irritation evident in her usually kind voice. "Keep doing it Oct. He deserved to feel worse. Do you know how many times I tried to call you in the last week? I knew you would be able to say something to the board. I left messages with your secretary but I guess it wasn't important enough for you now that you are a big shot. You didn't care enough to get back to me."
"Look maybe it won't be that bad."
Attila mimicked Larry's words in his own language in the mocking tone of a frustrated child.
Izzy smiled in agreement at his treatment towards the man who had all but abandoned them.
"Yes, you make a good point. But this is the Smithsonian we're talking about here."
Dexter appeared and chattered at Larry.
"Dexter you don't know that," Larry responded, pointing a finger at the monkey.
"You're missing the point, Gigantor! They're shipping us out!"
"Larry," Octavious began patronizingly, "I know you're trying to make us feel better. I can see that you're genuinely slightly bothered but it's never going to be the same. All of us here, together in this place."
"It ain't never gonna be home, boy," Jed added, and Octavious nodded in agreement.
"Jedediah, please!" Teddy begged before turning to his friend. "Lawrence, these are emotional times for all of us. But it is our last night as a family and I don't want to see it squandered in self-pity. So who will join me for one final stroll through these hallowed halls?"
They spent the night walking through the halls together, remembering all the fun times they had. They told Izzy all of the memorable moments that had had before she had become the night guard. They laughed, some cried. A heavy gloom settled over all of them as dawn approached and each wore an expression of reflection as they looked around the museum and the ones they would be permanently separated from.
Izzy had to pretend to say goodbye to all of them to keep up the façade that she would be left behind with a quiet museum while they all ventured to the Smithsonian, and then individual goodbyes to each of them as they climbed into their crates.
She watched with teary eyes as she made her way to the fringes of the room to pretend to give a goodbye hug to Ahkmenrah, wanting them to fully believe that she was the only person that they would be losing.
"I'm going to miss them so much," she whispered for only Ahk to hear. "The board won't go back on their decisions and there is nothing that Larry can do." He raised his arm and placed it around her shoulders in comfort. She leaned into his side gratefully and they watched Dexter slam Larry's hands in his crate.
"I never thought I would miss Dexter this much," she laughed mournfully.
"It will never be the same. But a new day is dawning and with it, new opportunities," Ahk said wisely.
She gripped his hand on her shoulder tightly, holding it in the hope that she was giving just as much comfort as she was receiving.
"You should head back," she said. "It's nearly dawn and I need to make sure their crates are closed."
"We will see you tomorrow night, Isis. We can all get through this."
She sent him a polite smile that held no true warmth and they parted.
Izzy checked and closed each crate correctly as she overheard Teddy telling Larry that Ahk's tablet wouldn't be shipped to the Smithsonian after all. She left before her tears had a chance to spill from her eyes.
Next chapter will be posted monday.
