by Adam Stower
It gleamed in the torchlight.
Pickering caught his breath.
‘Look! There in the centre!’ he said, pointing at the crown. ‘That diamond! It’s the size of a goose egg!’
‘A big goose,’ added Dodge in an awed whisper. ‘A big, fat goose.’
The gang gazed greedily at the treasure, their fears forgotten.
Pickering snapped into action.
They were over the ropes in a flash, scooping up great handfuls of golden treasure and giggling with mad delight as they crammed it into their bags. They filled their pockets too, slipped bracelets on their wrists and rings on every finger.
Then there was a sound.
Everyone froze.
‘What was that?’ said Shifty, cocking an ear to listen.
‘It was nothing,’ said Crusher, shoving a third tiara onto his bald, stubbly head. ‘You’ve got the jitters, that’s all.’
Shifty listened for a moment more, but hearing nothing, started digging out rubies from a jewelled box with the tip of his knife.
They froze again.
‘OK, tell me you didn’t hear it that time?’ said Shifty, his voice going a bit squeaky.
‘I think it came from … that,’ said Jelly, staring wide-eyed at the golden skull.
‘It was the wind, you gibbering goons!’ snapped Pickering. ‘Just the wind! Now get on with it!’
Ben was backing away as far as the leash would let him.
‘Er, perhaps we should scarper, eh boss?’ said Shifty, gingerly stepping away. ‘We’ve got plenty of loot.’
‘You stay where you are!’ hissed Pickering viciously. ‘We’re not going anywhere without that crown!’
He turned and stepped towards the golden skull, his eyes fixed on the Mummy’s Crown and its enormous glittering diamond.
He reached for it. His quivering fingertips stretched out, just inches away. The room fell deathly quiet as everyone held their breath.
In a flash, the skull shot upwards with a booming moan and towered over Pickering. Bony hands stretched out from beneath billowing robes, and light blazed from the skull’s hollow eyes.
Pickering shrieked. He fell backwards, letting Ben’s leash slip from his fingers. Pickering then scrabbled to get away, bumped into Ben and knocked him, stumbling, into the Mummy’s clutches!
‘It’s got him!’ shouted Shifty. ‘It’s got Pole!’
The Mummy’s cloak swirled round Ben and he vanished.
There was a muffled scream and then silence.
The Midnight Mob watched in horror as the Mummy’s cloak swept slowly open.
There on the floor lay Ben.
He was shrivelled to a nub!
That was it! Jelly, Dodge, Shifty and Crusher bolted shrieking for the door, flapping about like wet hens, throwing off their jewellery and emptying their pockets as they went.
‘HALT! NOBODY MOVE!’ shouted a voice over the din.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Mrs Pole stood framed in the doorway, shielding her eyes from the dazzling torchlight.
The gang of stubby little men threw themselves at her feet, trembling like jellies.
‘SAVE US, MISSUS!’ they begged and pleaded.
‘IT’S THE MUMMY’S CURSE!’ they shouted over each other.
‘We didn’t mean to steal all the stuff!’
‘Just get us out of here before we gets shrivelled by the Mummy!’
‘A nice jail cell – lock us up nice and safe! PLEASE, MISSUS!’
Without a moment’s hesitation, Mrs Pole hoisted the men onto their feet, dragged them out into the corridor like sacks of porridge, and locked them in a broom cupboard.
With the peculiar little men safely tucked away, she strode back into the Treasure Chamber.
It was a mess. Treasure was strewn all over the floor. The rest of it was packed in big black bags.
The golden skull was back on display, as still as the grave.
‘You were brilliant!’ said Ben, emerging from the dark.
Mrs Pole goggled. ‘What are YOU doing here? Are you OK? Who ARE those men and what’s all this about shrivelling their mummy? Come on, let’s get out of here! We’ve got to call the police!’
‘There’s no hurry, Mrs P,’ said Coo, strolling up to her as cool as a freshly refrigerated cucumber.
‘COO! Is that you?’ Mrs Pole squinted, looking more confused than ever. ‘What on earth are you two DOING here? And why are you dressed like that? What’s with the hairy outfit? I think you two have got some explaining to do, don’t you?’
‘Outfit? Oh yeah, my outfit,’ said Coo, nudging Ben and winking. ‘Well, it’s a long story, Mrs P, but in a nutshell, me and Ben here had to play a few tricks to save the treasure from the Midnight Mob.’
A pair of hands shot out from the shadows and snatched Ben by the collar.
Ben gurgled, half choking.
‘Yes, POLE! SURPRISE!’ screamed Pickering, backing away and dragging Ben along with him.
‘I knew it was all a fake! I TOLD YOU, DIDN’T I? It takes more than a schoolboy and a … a …’ He glanced at Coo. ‘A … well … a hairy one of THOSE to get the better of Percy Pickering! The TREASURE is MINE!’ he bellowed, his one eye swivelling madly about in his head as he spoke. ‘MINE!’
‘Stay where you are, Pickering,’ commanded Mrs Pole. ‘Let Ben go!’
‘Oh no,’ said Pickering, tightening his grip. ‘Ben is coming with me. He’s going to help me carry all this loot. Any tricks and he’ll WISH he’d been shrivelled by the Mummy compared to what I’ll do to him, so no funny business, got it?’
But Mrs Pole and Coo weren’t looking at Pickering any more. They were staring past him, at one of the statues.
‘Coo, love?’ said Mrs Pole, her voice a little shaky.
‘Ha! Nice try!’ scoffed Pickering, turning to glance behind him.
Pickering shrieked like a startled weasel, let go of Ben, and sprinted for the door.
‘He’s escaping!’ shouted Ben.
‘Not for long,’ said Coo, flipping a gold cup up off the floor with her foot and catching it in her hand. She threw it hard and fast. It hit Pickering THUNK on the back of the head and knocked him out cold.
Ben turned and stared wide-eyed at the statue.
It stepped forwards, looming out of the shadows.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The next morning was bright and crisp. Autumn sun streamed in through the windows of Mr and Mrs Pole’s little house.
DING DONG!
‘I’ll get it,’ yelled Ben. ‘That’ll be Coo.’
‘Morning, Pole!’ said Coo, standing on the doorstep with Herbert by her side wagging his rump cheerfully.
‘No beard then?’ said Ben, looking Coo up and down. ‘Worried about startling Mum and Dad, eh?’
‘I don’t think they’re quite ready for it yet, do you?’ she said, stroking her smooth cheeks. ‘Maybe next time.’
‘Come on in. We’ve got a guest,’ said Ben, hanging Coo’s crown on the hallstand as Mr Pole strode past carrying a teapot and a plate stacked with crumpets.
‘Coo! Herbert!’ he boomed cheerfully. ‘It sounds like you all had a busy night! Crooks, police, arrests! I expect you could do with a crumpet, eh? Come on through.’
In the living room, sipping tea, were Mrs Pole and the living statue.
‘Hello, Coo,’ said Mrs Pole. She turned to her guest. ‘You’ve met Chief Umpopo.’
‘Hello again, chief!’ said Coo.
Chief Umpopo smiled one of those smiles that show ALL your teeth. He stood up and put his hands on Coo’s shoulders.
‘Hello, my friend,’ he said. ‘I came to thank you all for saving the Mummy’s Gold. Your quick wits and your courage will for ever be remembered by the Blue-foots.’
‘Happy to help, chief.’ Coo grinned.
‘Help yourself to some breakfast, love,’ said Mrs Pole warmly. ‘We were just talking about all the excitement last night.’
‘Oh, thanks!’ s
aid Coo, dropping onto the sofa beside Ben, grabbing a cup of hot tea and deftly stabbing three crumpets with the tip of her spear.
‘You didn’t half give me a fright last night, Mr Umpopo,’ said Mrs Pole, smiling. ‘I really thought you were a statue come to life!’
‘I’m awfully sorry!’ said Chief Umpopo. ‘It all happened so fast!’
‘So how come you were there in the first place?’ asked Mr Pole, sitting back in his armchair and offering Herbert a bite of his buttered crumpet.
‘Well, it’s like this,’ explained the chief. ‘I was over the moon to hear that our Mummy’s Gold had been recovered. And to be invited along to the exhibition, before taking the treasure home to my tribe, was just too exciting! I couldn’t wait to see it, so I popped along to the museum yesterday for a peek.’
‘And you got locked in?’ said Mrs Pole.
‘Yes! What a nincompoop!’ The chief blushed. ‘I got carried away and didn’t realize it was closing time. I settled in for the night, feeling terribly embarrassed. But it got quite chilly so I slipped on one of the tribal costumes.’
‘And when the Midnight Mob burst in?’ asked Mr Pole, wiping butter off his beard.
‘Gracious! It was quite a shock, I can tell you!’ chuckled the chief. ‘I just stood still. As still as a … well, a statue! It was pretty dark in there. No one noticed me.’
‘Blimey!’
‘And then all of a sudden, there was the Mummy, and well, you know the rest.’
‘Speaking of which, now you’re here, Coo,’ said Mrs Pole, ‘please tell us, how did you do it? You know, bringing the Mummy’s Curse to life?’
Coo smiled her sidelong smile. ‘Well, it all began when Ben turned up yesterday, babbling something about Pickering and a gold coin …’ said Coo.
Everyone leaned forward to listen, quietly munching their breakfast while Coo explained how she and Ben had discovered the truth about the Midnight Mob, found their hideout and overheard their plans to steal the Mummy’s Gold.
‘So they tricked their way into schools in disguise, then wangled field trips to check out the museums and plan their robberies?’ said Mr Pole with a hint of admiration.
‘They had me fooled,’ said Ben. ‘Right up until I saw them in the hideout. Not Coo though. She saw right through them. The next thing I know she whispers some instructions, winks at me and pushes me off the ledge, right into Pickering’s hands!’
‘Ha! You should’ve seen your face!’ chuckled Coo, tossing her last bite of crumpet into the air and catching it in her mouth.
‘So, anyway,’ Coo continued, ‘I hid until the coast was clear then snuck back and listened to Ben doing his bit and telling Pickering and his mob about the curse.’
‘You were brilliant, Ben, acting scared and telling them all that CURSE rubbish! I almost believed you myself!’ Coo paused to slurp her tea. ‘After that, I picked up a few bits and bobs from the tree house and slipped into the museum before closing.’
‘Yes, yes, but come on, HOW did you do the curses?’ said Mr Pole. ‘I mean, it was you, wasn’t it? The gold isn’t really cursed, is it?’
‘I don’t know about the real Mummy’s Curse, Mr P.’ Coo grinned. ‘But the Ben Pole version certainly had a little help from me.’
She pulled some drawings from her bag and spread them out on the table.
‘Look, these plans will help explain. OK, so Ben told the Midnight Mob that there were three signs to show you’d been cursed, and he made sure they noticed them all. I just had to bring them to life.’
‘Ha! Well knock me down with a lemon jelly! You’ve done it again, Coo! AMAZING!’ said Mr Pole, patting her heartily on the back. ‘Absolutely marvellous! Um, so those boots in your bag over there, are they the Stretch’n’Fetch ones?’ he added, getting up and going for a closer look.
‘The tribe will be very proud of you, Coo,’ said the chief warmly.
‘I know I am,’ said Mrs Pole, leaning in to hug Coo and Ben and rub Herbert’s chops. ‘I’m proud of you all. And I must say, Coo, that hairy outfit was fantastic! A little extra touch to blend in with the exhibits, was it?’ she added. ‘It’s VERY lifelike.’
Coo glanced at Ben. ‘Yes, you could say that, Mrs P,’ she said, smiling. ‘Very lifelike.’
‘Anyway,’ said Mrs Pole, getting to her feet, ‘we had better go. It’s the Mummy’s Gold grand opening tonight, and there’s lots of clearing up to do. Coo, we’ll drop you and Ben off at the woods on the way, OK?’
‘Coo, Ben, I trust we will see you tonight?’ said Chief Umpopo.
‘We’ll be there,’ said Coo, shaking his hand.
‘WOOOOOOOOOAAAH! OOooopsadaisy!’ Mr Pole’s voice drifted in from outside.
‘Oh no!’ said Ben, rushing to the window. ‘Dad’s got hold of your Stretch’n’Fetch boots!’
‘DAD! CLICK YOUR HEELS!’ yelled Ben through cupped hands.
‘What was that, lad?’ said Mr Pole as he wobbled off down the garden and tripped over the shed. ‘Lick more eels? How’s THAT going to help?’
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Back at the tree house, Ben and Herbert lay stretched out on an enormous hammock in the autumn sunshine enjoying the peace and quiet. Mr Pole had been rescued, and had whizzed off to the museum with the others.
Ben chuckled when Coo strolled out from her hut to join them, a cup in each hand. She was back to normal. Her fresh thick beard blew gently in the breeze.
‘I’ll never know how you grow that thing so fast,’ he said, reaching for the ginger beer she offered him.
‘Practice,’ she replied.
‘So, Coo, how come you know Chief Umpopo?’ asked Ben, propping himself up on one elbow to look at her. ‘I’ve been wondering about that since yesterday.’
‘Oh that,’ said Coo hopping onto the hammock. ‘I get around, you know. I’m sure I told you, there was this one time I was floating down the Amazon river in a biscuit tin …’
Herbert rolled onto his back for Coo to scratch his belly while she spoke, and by the time her story was over, he was snoring gently.
‘Not a bad night’s work last night, eh, Ben?’ she said. ‘We saved the Mummy’s Gold for Chief Umpopo, your mum will get promoted for bravery, and my woods are crook-free again.’
‘Yeah. Not bad at all. Oh, did you hear?’ Ben sat up. ‘Apparently, there’s been a mix up. Pickering and his Midnight Mob have been sent to do hard time at the Peril Beach Correctional Institute for Unruly Girls! Tougher than any prison!’
‘Ha! Serves them right, after what they did to your poor Mr Travis,’ said Coo.
‘How come you knew they were men, back in the hideout?’ Ben wondered. ‘They had me fooled all along.’
‘Oh, there were a few signs, if you knew where to look,’ said Coo.
‘But mostly it was just one thing,’ she added.
‘Yes? What?’
‘They were TOO girly,’ said Coo, idly picking a dead leaf from her beard. ‘No girl is THAT girly!’
Ben giggled, lay back down and watched the yellowing leaves above blow in the breeze.
‘What was that thing made from?’ he said. ‘That shrivelled version of me? It looked horrible! It scared me half to death.’
‘Oh, that?’ Coo grinned. ‘Yeah, pretty ugly, wasn’t it? Well I suppose you have your dad to thank for that.’
‘No!’
‘Yup!’
‘His SAUSAGES?’
‘Ha! You’ve got it!’ said Coo. ‘They were the most mummified things I could find!’
‘Brilliant!’ said Ben, dabbing his eyes. ‘Just brilliant!’
Coo grabbed Herbert and got up, leaving Ben sprawled in the hammock.
‘Are you off somewhere?’ asked Ben, looking up and shielding his eyes from the sun.
‘No,’ said Coo. ‘This just seems like a good time.’
Ben sat up. ‘For what?’
Coo had one of those looks. And she was standing suspiciously close to a big lever.
‘It’
s my latest thing,’ said Coo with a grin.
‘Really?’
‘Yes.’
‘Now?’
‘Why not?’
Ben couldn’t think of a good enough reason. It was just another day in Coo’s woods. He smiled.
‘Go on then.’
‘Trust me.’ Coo winked …
… and she pulled the lever.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I’d like to thank everyone at David Fickling Books for their boundless enthusiasm during the making of this book. Thank you Rosie and Bella for your guidance and encouragement, and Alison for helping to bring it all together so beautifully.
I would also like to thank:
Tamlyn and Caroline at Arena Illustration for their continuing friendship and all their hard work on my behalf,
My wonderful family and friends for their support,
And especially my wife Zoë, and my daughter, Mary, for their love and patience.
A.S.
ABOUT ADAM STOWER