Chapter Eight

Brunden backed up toward the service entrance, goading the hydra into following him, while Larry trailed behind, making sure their wasn't too much damage. At the last second, Larry tossed Brunden the keys, and Brunden backed out of the service entrance.

The beast followed him, just as he hoped, ad at the last second, he slipped back into the museum through the service entrance and locked the door behind him. It pushed at the door and pounded against it, causing a lot of door dents, but nothing more.

Tally finally found herself exactly where she wanted to be, the Egyptian room. Ahkmenrah and his brother were still chanting, but that didn't matter. She found her body, which was still sitting cross-legged on the case of the sarcophagus, and she leapt right in.

The second she opened her eyes, she slid off the glass case and said, "Hey, guys, I'm back." Kahmunrah and Ahkmenrah stopped chanting at the same time, and Tally checked her watch. "Uh-oh. Five fifty-five."

"The dawn is coming."

"You guys get back to your spots before the sun rises, or I'll never hear the end of it."

Ahkmenrah nodded and Tally helped him into his sarcophagus before she walked out of the Egyptian Wing, examining some of the damage caused by what seemed to be a giant creature.

"Oh, good, you're okay," Larry said, running up to her. "Brunden's in trouble."

"What'd he do this time?" Larry recounted everything having to do with the hydra as he led Tally down to the service entrance, where Brunden was single-handedly keeping a maniacal, vicious creature at bay. "Just barricade the door."

"With what?" Tally rolled her eyes and shoved a crate against the door and door jamb. "Oh."

"Listen to me, we've got three minutes before this thing turns to dust. Is that too long?"

"Not really."

"Good. Besides, I think you wore it out." Indeed, the banging had slowed and diminished in intensity.

Brunden relaxed against the now almost unrecognizable door. "Good."

Tally checked her watch again, finding that she had less than thirty seconds until the mess would be discovered. Even though within seconds she was sure the hydra turned to dust, she was also sure of another thing. "We're doomed."

Sure enough, slow, measured footsteps resounded through the hall, moving ever closer.

"McPhee?" Larry asked. "How'd you know we were here?"

"I followed the extensive trail of damage," McPhee replied, slowly. "What's happened to the service door? Anyone?"

"A nine-headed monster from beyond?" Brunden suggested.

"A nine-headed monster from beyond? Seriously? I've officially heard everything."

"You think you can fit a more detailed explanation into that mental archive of yours?" Tally asked.

"Oh, you think you can elaborate?"

"Of course I can."

"Show me." Tally led McPhee to the security office, where she rewound some of the tapes for that evening and played them for McPhee. "Where were you when all this was going on?"

"I was going through hell and back trying to stop the world from going there, thank you for asking."

"So what are you doing in the Egyptian wing?"

"Ever heard of astral projection?"

"No."

"I'll have to tell you about it sometime. Well, that's pretty much the end of it. Any questions?"

"Why did you completely destroy our new exhibit?"

"Because otherwise most of us would've been dead. You, me, Larry, Brunden, and a whole bunch of others. Actually, realistically, the only one to survive would've been Jedediah."

"And why's that?"

"Don't you know your history? Jedediah the miniature is the only one I've seen here with blond hair and blue eyes, qualities Hitler saw as pure."

"Makes sense." McPhee turned toward the screens. "Now, do you have any idea how much you two owe me in damages?"

"Uh, I think it lands somewhere in the hundreds of thousands."

McPhee turned toward Tally again. "Seven hundred fifty thousand dollars."

"Each?"

"Each."

"Okay. Expect to see me around for a long time."

"Good."