by Lana Axe
“On your left,” he said. “And then it’s down the hall, fourth door on the right.” He flashed a set of white teeth and wiggled his nose.
With an approving bob of her head, Cali set off down the corridor to her left. Cautiously scanning every inch, she found it void of any security cameras or devices. “This can’t be right,” she said, uneasy.
“There’s less to steal up here,” Emmit said. “No exhibits, just offices.”
“Yes, but a thief could start up here and make his way down.” Switching her mechanical eye to infrared mode, she realized she’d been wrong. There were security devices, hot ones. Undetectable with the naked eye, these were the most sophisticated. Holding out a paw, she prevented Emmit from moving.
“What is it?” he asked.
“There’s security all right,” she said. “And it’s mounted right above the door we need to go through.” Of course the museum’s staff would want to protect the control room. It was a hot spot for intelligent thieves. Once the system was disarmed, the entire building was vulnerable. “Looks like the contraption launches missiles,” she cautioned.
“So how do we get in?” Emmit asked. He could probably scale the wall and try to turn it off, but he didn’t know how to find it without being able to see it.
“If I get too close I’ll set it off,” Cali said. There was no way around it. A straight corridor lay before them, with only doorways to hide in. They wouldn’t provide enough cover to conceal her entire body. She needed Emmit’s help more than ever. “If it’s like the other ones, it won’t see you. If it does, I doubt it’s programmed to consider you a threat.”
“What are you saying?” he asked, his throat suddenly dry.
“You could go in alone.”
“But who knows what they’ve put inside the control room?” Emmit asked. “There could be a dozen wildcats in there waiting to tear an intruder apart!” His paws were already shaking, his knees becoming jelly.
“I doubt that’s the case,” she reassured him. “I really don’t see another solution.” There probably was another solution, but the feline was too impatient to find it. They’d already come this far, and this was the quickest solution she could find. She didn’t want to put her friend in danger, but she felt the risk was minimal. Most likely there was nothing guarding the inside of the control room. If there were, it was probably another unmanned system, which would take no interest in a tiny mouse.
Emmit swallowed hard against the lump in his throat, and all the color drained from his nose.
Cali patted his back with her paw. “Don’t be frightened,” she said. “Most of the buildings in Ticswyk have mice, right?”
Emmit nodded.
“Well, if these systems went off for mice, they’d be going off all the time,” she pointed out. “That means you’re safe. Cats on the other hand…”
“I get it,” Emmit said, taking a deep breath. “Give me a minute.” He needed a few more deep breaths and a moment to gather his courage. “I’m going in,” he announced. With slow steps, he made his way along the corridor. It felt like an eternity, as if the hallway stretched on for miles. The blue light on the device finally became visible as he moved closer. His eyes fixed on it, expecting it to go steady at any moment, signaling an impending attack.
He was lightheaded by the time he reached the door, but the security system still hadn’t noticed him. Allowing himself a long, slow exhale, he began to work at the lock. In seconds it clicked open, his skills as a master picklock unencumbered by his fear. Opening the door only an inch, he crept inside.
Blinking lights and gauges of all sorts cluttered the room. He gagged and coughed at the scent of burnt oil, and the heat inside was nearly unbearable. A boiler had been placed inside the room, providing steam power to at least one security device. There were a million wires and levers, and he had no idea which one controlled what. Why did Cali think I was the right mouse for this job? he wondered. She must not have been thinking clearly.
When his eyes landed on a metal panel riveted to the wall, he understood. A hefty lock had been placed across it, one that most thieves would need hours to pick. But Emmit knew exactly how it was done. No strange devices were required; a scrap of wire would do.
Fortunately there were plenty of wires around. Gnawing at one, he freed a small section of metal wire and inserted it into the lock. Six, seven, eight tumblers later, he had it open. The main power switch awaited inside. It was almost too heavy for him to budge, but after three hops against it, he managed to move it enough to cut power to the entire museum. Now they had to hurry.
“Come on,” Cali shouted as the light on the security device blinked out.
Emmit was out in a flash, careening down the hallway toward Porchester’s office.
The lock on Porchester’s office posed no challenge for the crafty mouse. “After you,” he said as the door swung open.
Cali pounced inside. “Let’s see if we can find that box.” She scanned the room for the shining coffer, but it wasn’t in plain sight. In fact, there wasn’t much inside the office at all. There were a few papers on the desk, but little else.
“Is this the right office?” Emmit asked.
Pointing to three framed pictures on the wall, Cali said, “It has to be.” Not only was the name Carter Porchester posted on the door, but also there were three photos of him on the wall. In all three he stood proudly near an excavation site, admiring his own handiwork.
Opening the desk drawers, Cali found them all empty except for one. It held a few invoices for various supplies or services rendered. Nothing related to the amulet. Emmit opened a file cabinet, only to find that the drawers were filled with empty folders.
“What a boring man,” Cali commented. There was nothing at all of interest in his office.
“Maybe he doesn’t spend much time here,” Emmit said.
“He spends every day at the museum,” Cali said. But perhaps Emmit was right. Porchester might spend more time fussing over his exhibit than sitting in an office. So where would he have taken the amulet? Groaning, she realized what had happened. “I’ll bet he destroyed it,” she said.
“Why would he do that?” Emmit asked.
“It was a fake, and if word got out, he’d be ridiculed,” she said. “The only way to be sure that didn’t happen was to destroy it.”
“What about the sarcophagus?” Emmit asked. It was also a forgery.
“You’re right,” Cali said. “It’s still on display.” She tapped a claw against her chin. “I suppose it was too heavy to remove, and with the lid on, there’s no reason for anyone to suspect it’s a fraud. Not to mention that the golden coffin is probably drawing half the crowd to the exhibit.”
“Then we should take another look at the sarcophagus,” Emmit suggested.
“I was thinking the exact same thing,” Cali said. “I want another look inside it. Maybe there’s a clue left behind by its maker.”
“But we can’t get inside without the amulet,” he reminded her.
“Can’t we?” Cali asked with a smile.
Creeping down the stairs, Cali still kept her eyes trained on the security cameras. Eventually someone would notice that they’d been shut off, and she and Emmit would have to make their escape. So far there was no sign anyone was around.
Arriving on the exhibit floor, Cali scanned every display case they passed. If there were any other clockwork items on display, she failed to recognize them. Everything appeared to be as it should be, ancient and silent. No ticking, no visible gears or cogs, no puffs of steam rising from moving objects—nothing at all. She found that to be a relief. That meant the forgery had been done on a small scale, though its designer had gone over the top. He or she could have constructed something far simpler, but she supposed such a person would want to make a grand display.
The golden sarcophagus was certainly grand. The broken glass had been swept away, and velvet ropes had been placed to stop visitors from coming too close. The feline intended to
get extremely close.
Running her enhanced claw down the seam beneath the lid, she felt for any sign of weakness. There was none. Next she inspected it with her mechanical eye, but it appeared to be sealed tight. “I guess we have to do this the hard way,” she muttered.
Emmit wasn’t sure what that meant, but he was about to find out. As he looked on, Cali inserted her claw into one of the rivets securing her enhancements to her tail. His jaw dropped when she removed a section, complete with a small gear mechanism. “Doesn’t that hurt?” he asked, cringing.
“Not at all,” she replied. Twisting at the gears, she reset them to another purpose. Inserting the thinnest portion of brass into the seam, she activated her device. Her ears twitched as the gears inside the sarcophagus sprang to life. Removing her homemade device, she waited for the lid to slide open. When it was wide enough for a cat, she hopped in and reinserted her tool to stop the lid from crashing to the floor.
An awestricken Emmit kept his distance. He didn’t want inside that coffin, not for any reason.
“It’s empty,” Cali said. “As it should be.” It was good to know the fictitious mummy hadn’t returned to its bed. She wouldn’t want to share the space with it.
“Are you sure this is safe?” Emmit asked.
“Of course,” Cali replied, waving her tool. “I’ve got everything under control.”
As soon as she finished her sentence, the lid began to slide on its own. Cali didn’t panic. Instead she stayed put, allowing it to close on top of her.
“Cali!” Emmit screeched. “Are you all right?” Had she been crushed? Was there enough air in there?
“I’b fibe,” came her muffled reply. Unfazed by her entrapment, she studied the inner workings of the sarcophagus. She sniffed it, licked it, and pressed her nose against it. It was definitely solid gold. Porchester had to have paid a fortune for it. Too bad he hadn’t done his homework to figure out it was a fake.
The museum director would be furious at this massive waste of funds. In fact, this item was worth a fortune, even if it was a fake. The cost of the gold alone was probably enough to bankrupt the entire museum. She wondered how Porchester had managed to acquire it at all. Too bad that information hadn’t been available in his office.
Studying the clockwork mechanism, she found it quite fascinating. It was a genius design, crafted to allow the lid to move smoothly. There was a stopper in place on one side, and she suspected it had failed on the other side. That’s why the lid had crashed to the floor. It was supposed to stop when it was three-quarters open. Whoever had designed it hadn’t accounted for the unbalanced weight of the lid. Strange. It seemed a rather elementary mistake. Perhaps it was crafted in a hurry.
“Come out of there!” Emmit demanded. His stomach was in a knot, and his head was spinning with worry.
On his command, the lid began to slide open once again. Cali jammed it partway and hopped out, then proceeded to close it up tight.
“What did you find?” Emmit asked.
“Not much,” Cali said. “But I had a good look at the gear mechanism, so I might recognize it if I find the schematics.”
“What good would that do?” the mouse asked.
“The schematics would undoubtedly tell us who made it,” she said. “Then we’d be a step closer to unraveling this mystery.”
“Right,” Emmit said.
The muffled voice of a human coupled with the tapping of hard-soled shoes alerted them to the presence of the night watchman. The man lifted a lantern and gazed into the darkness.
“Let’s get out of here,” Cali whispered. She grabbed her makeshift tool in her mouth and sprinted down the hall. Returning to the chimney, she paused a moment for Emmit to grab onto her brass spine. “Hold on tight,” she said. Shifting power to her haunches, she wiggled her behind and leapt inside the chimney. Digging in with her mechanical claws, she braced herself for a second jump. Three leaps brought her to the roof and safety. Below, the sound of electricity powering up told her that the security system had been rearmed. Not a moment too soon, she thought. Dropping down from the building, she trotted back toward home.
* * * * *
Curled up on her windowsill, Cali was in the midst of a pleasant nap. Her breakfast had been hours ago, and Lionel had stepped out to run errands with the assurance he would be back before dinner. Snoozing, the clockwork feline rested her troubled mind from any and all cares. In her dreams, she sat at the edge of a barrel, the sun shining high overhead. Not a cloud obscured the day’s beauty, and she enjoyed the gentle breeze as it tousled her fur. After a few seconds, a blue fish swam by. Waiting for the perfect moment, she swatted the surface of the water, sending the fish flying high in the air. It landed perfectly in her mouth, and she chomped it with a contented smile on her face.
This was the life. Catching one’s own fish without getting wet. Of course her paw received a few light splashes, but it was worth it. She licked at her paw and looked down at the water, waiting for the next fish to swim by.
Something sharp jabbed her in the side, and she nearly fell off the edge of the barrel. She looked around but saw no one.
“Cali, wake up!” a little voice shouted.
A second jab to her ribs roused her from her slumber, her brow wrinkling in annoyance. “Emmit,” she said, frowning. What could possibly be important enough to wake her up?
“I saw the newspaper this morning,” he said. “There was half a pastry inside it.”
Cali rolled her eyes. The mouse was often preoccupied with food, and she wasn’t interested in what he had for breakfast. “The paper?” she said, urging him to get to the point.
“It was all about an attempted break-in at the museum,” he said. “They know we were there.”
“Slow down,” she said. “Were we seen? What else did it say?”
Emmit hopped down from the windowsill and retrieved a scrap of newspaper he’d brought with him. Though stained with bits of butter and cream cheese, she could read every word. As she skimmed the article, she shook her head.
“I don’t believe it,” she said. “They think the mummy was trying to get back in!” How gullible could people be?
“It says there were witnesses,” Emmit said, pointing to a paragraph.
“Seven witnesses,” Cali said. “They all claim to have seen a glimpse of the mummy in that area, but none were brave enough to approach it.”
“And look here,” Emmit said, pointing.
“Another man who wishes to remain anonymous claims to have spotted the mummy two days ago outside the butcher shop. That establishment was broken into that very night.” Cali paused her reading. “What would a mummy want with meat?”
“You really think it was a mummy?” Emmit asked.
“I think this is getting out of hand,” she said. “All these people can’t be making it up. Some of them might be mistaken, but they’re definitely seeing something.”
“What are we going to do?” Emmit asked.
The wheels of a plan turned in Cali’s head. “The next time there’s a mummy lurking in the streets, we’re going to be there,” she vowed. “Follow me.” Hopping from her windowsill, she led the little mouse inside Lionel’s workshop. He was no chemist, but he often kept certain chemicals on hand for his work. Cali was sure one of them would produce the effect she was looking for.
Picking through a crate of straw, she delicately examined a set of glass vials. Selecting three for testing, she carefully lifted them from the crate.
“What are those?” Emmit asked.
“Reagents,” she replied. “I’m hoping one of them will produce a color noticeable enough.”
Emmit wasn’t sure what that meant. He watched in silence as Cali carried the vials to Lionel’s workbench. Sifting through the clutter, she found a section of metal tube mounted on a round platform. He waited and watched while the feline twisted a nob then struck a match to ignite the gas flowing through the tube. A flame sparked to life.
“Is that coal
gas?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied. “Now let’s see what this does.” Carefully measuring a small amount of powder from the first vial, she held it over the flame. A soft blue light glowed above the fire.
“Wow,” Emmit said.
“Not wow enough,” she replied. “We want to be able to see it from a distance.” Repeating the process with the second powder, she produced an orange light. It still wasn’t bright enough. It looked like a normal gas lamp burning in the streets. The third reagent, however, produced a vibrant red hue, deep enough to catch anyone’s attention. “I think this will do,” she announced, a proud smile on her face.
“What do we do with it?” Emmit asked.
She opened the drawer on Lionel’s desk and retrieved a set of small paper pouches. “Take these and the vial,” she said, handing over the items. “Find a dozen or so street animals that you trust. Mice, rats, foxes, I don’t care who. Tell them if they see anything strange to climb the nearest lamppost and add this powder to the fire.”
“Is it safe?” Emmit asked. “They’re going to ask before they agree to do it.”
“It’s perfectly safe,” she said. “You saw me just now, and it didn’t produce any harmful effects.”
The little mouse nodded. His guarantee that he’d seen the powder in use would probably be enough to convince a few of his friends to help. “And why are we adding this to the lamps again?” She hadn’t quite explained that part.
“We’re lighting signals,” she said. “That’s how we’ll know where to go to look for the mummy.”
“Ah,” Emmit replied. “So if they see a mummy, hear about a mummy, or see humans running away screaming, then they should go ahead and put this in the nearest lamp. Then we will come running.”
“Er, yes,” Cali said. “That’s the plan, at least.”
“How will we see the light?” he asked. “It might be on the other side of Ticswyk.”
“Have every animal on the lookout for a red lamp and if they see one, they should light the lamp nearest to them. That way we’ll have a series of red lamps to follow.”
