Chapter 5

Ahkmenrah had not enjoyed himself so much in eons. The marvels he had witnessed! And to think he'd almost let his fear stop himself from accepting the president's offer of a tour... Throughout the night, he'd hardly dared blink, lest he miss another wonder. Who knew what he had been missing all this time? Who would have guessed a single building could contain so many treasures and so many people and cultures from all over the globe, across the ages? Not since Ancient Egypt had he felt so alive.

Meeting the inhabitants had been wonderful so far. None of them seemed to be overly frightened of him, which was a good start. At this point, he wondered what exactly he was supposed to be protecting his heirloom from; nobody in the museum seemed very dangerous. For once, as he lay down to 'rest,' he had something to look forward to at sunset-after all, the president had promised another tour tomorrow. He would see what the next night would bring.

"Guardian of Brooklyn!"

Larry Daley smiled down at Ahkmenrah as he helped the latter out of the sarcophagus. "Yeah, sorry I couldn't make it back last night, I had some things to take care of. So, how was your first night of freedom?" Teddy walked in as the pharaoh began to recount the previous night's adventures. Ahkmenrah could barely contain himself as he gestured enthusiastically with his hands while bouncing on the balls of his feet. Again, Teddy found himself unexpectedly smiling,-the pharaoh was as opposite from a mummy as one could get. Indeed, it was hard to believe that the young man before him was the same being who'd screamed the nights away. This was only the second night he'd met him, and he was already losing his fear of him. He knew he should maintain diligence, but Ahkmenrah's enthusiasm was so contagious, he found himself dashing over and asking if the pharaoh was ready to proceed as planned.

Standing between the two men, Larry smiled to himself and said, "Well, since you two seem to have plans, I'm going to go do my rounds. See you later!" Ahkmenrah headed out with his guide, eager for what might lie ahead.

And so the next few nights went. Ahkmenrah continued to learn more about the museum from Teddy, always keeping his tablet with him. Even though most of the inhabitants appeared friendly, one could never be too cautious... Fortunately, the greatest threat to it so far was Dexter, who continued trying to nab it. Meanwhile, he kept meeting the other inhabitants. Some, like the miniatures and Neanderthals, were remarkably friendly. Others, such as the Vikings and mobile statues, seemed more aloof, preferring to keep to their own established cliques.

During the tours, Ahkmenrah stayed close to the president, quietly observing him. As the nights progressed, the pharaoh noticed Teddy growing more enthusiastic as he described their "venerable institution;" perhaps it was this passion that was helping Ahkmenrah the most, encouraging him to take interest in his new surroundings instead of drowning in his past.

It was only a week after the pharaoh's initial release that the horror of prejudice emerged. Ahkmenrah was following Teddy through a narrow hallway, when they passed some simply-clad folks, dressed in blacks, greys, and whites. Just one glance at the tablet was all it took...

"THERE it passes, oh righteous men! None other than the Devil's device, that which bewitches objects to imitate life! And behold, ye righteous men, its wicked creator and keeper, unnatural in his waking, breathing state! Beware!" cried one of the older Puritans.

Ahkmenrah could only stare in utter shock and confusion as the Puritans pressed themselves away from him as far as they could. He clutched his tablet against himself as he tried to alleviate the situation. "I assure you gentlemen, I mean you no harm..." Sadly, this statement only agitated them further.

"Do not listen to the foul words he flings from his mouth. Do not be lured in by his pleasing appearance! For it is a demon that speaks, not a mere man."

The pharaoh turned to the president for assistance, but the latter appeared to have been struck dumb. Forcing his facial muscles to remain impassive, Ahkmenrah tried once again to reason with the Puritans. "If I have done anything to offend you..."

"BEGONE!" With a final screech, the Puritans fled down the hall, all the while making the sign of the Cross against him. Ahkmenrah and Teddy were left gaping in their wake. Before Ahkmenrah could even begin to digest what had happened, he was being ushered along, with Teddy babbling something about Puritans-obviously the ones they'd just seen.

Teddy tried to sweep the incident past them as quickly as possible, proceeding with the tour with extraordinary vigor. However, despite his best efforts, Ahkmenrah was unable to enjoy himself further that night. He couldn't blame him; in all honesty, the first few nights had gone so well, the president hadn't expected any major confrontations. Well, that was what happened when one let his guard down. Fortunately, the Puritans had fled before things escalated. Even better, they'd been the only ones to express hostility towards the pharaoh so far. (He dismissed the Mayans; they were hostile towards everyone.) Admittedly, Teddy was a bit impressed with Ahkmenrah, for not everyone would have been able to react so calmly. The king had reacted better than he himself had! At least Ahkmenrah hadn't tried to turn the Puritans to dust. Obviously, further contact between both parties would have to be avoided for now. And Larry should be told immediately...

He felt even worse when, right outside the tomb, Ahkmenrah asked him, "President, who were those people? What could I have done to frighten them?" Immediately, Teddy launched into an abbreviated history of the Puritans and Pilgrims. All to cover up the fact that he had no answer.