K N O C K O N C E F O R Y E S
Theodosia left the beautiful woman's exhibit shortly after Teddy fled, leaving the woman disappointed. She wasn't altogether surprised Teddy couldn't do it, after all, he had been watching her for Gods only know how long with that pair of binoculars. And since Teddy had disappeared, and Larry hadn't given her what she wanted, Theodosia decided to try her hand at moving the giant rock slab on top of Ahkmenrah's sarcophagus.
Spoiler alert – it wasn't working.
"This thing is immovable!" she shouted to the silent tomb. "Who puts a slab of rock on top of a glass encased exhibit, anyway?"
She had tried lifting it with her sword, but since her sword was created for a museum exhibit, she almost bent it, and she was entirely unable to move it on her own (as she suspected she wouldn't be.) The only way she was getting that piece of rock off the casing was if someone helped her move it – and since Teddy thought the Pharaoh was evil, and Larry thought Teddy knew best, she had no one to help her.
Unless, she asked another Spartan to help her. But then she would be going against what Larry wanted. But if the Pharaoh turned out to be good, then maybe it wouldn't matter, because they would realize there was no reason to lock him away anyway.
But if he was evil, then they would have been right, and Theodosia would have been the one to let him free.
She was truly at an impasse.
Even though her gut told her that Ahkmenrah wasn't evil like Teddy thought, what did she really know? She had spent her entire existence locked away with exhibits from the exact same place as her – she didn't know anything about the Egyptians. For all she knew, Ahkmenrah was a tyrant when he was alive.
But then, it didn't say that on his plaque. Wouldn't that be noteworthy?
Theodosia had no idea what to think. She couldn't figure out who was right, her or Teddy. She knew the other nightguards made it their hobby to lock away exhibits for their own personal reasons, and a Pharaoh would be very hard to control. Keeping him locked in a box meant he couldn't get in their way, and all they would have to do was lie to Teddy, and he – and his nobleness – would forever assume the Pharaoh Ahkmenrah was an evil scoundrel.
Thinking about it made her head ache. All Theodosia was sure about was the feeling she had in her gut, and that feeling told her Ahkmenrah wasn't actually evil.
And she trusted herself more than she trusted anyone else.
Ahkmenrah was silent in his sarcophagus, but the silence was beginning to become haunting.
"Ahkmenrah?" Silence. "I have an idea that might make this less of a...one-sided conversation. I can ask you questions, and you can hit the top of the sarcophagus once for yes and twice for no – oh no, can you even use your arms?"
Theodosia was startled by a knock on the box.
She laughed, "So, I guess you can. Do I...bother you?"
Two knocks sounded from inside the sarcophagus. No.
"Oh, thank the Gods," she sighed. "I was worried you found me annoying. Agnes says I can be annoying, and that I ask too many questions. But Helene says she thinks I'm very bright for such a young person, and since Helene is older, I believe what she has to say. Agnes is always criticizing everyone anyway."
Theodosia paused. This was boring. Why was she talking about people he didn't even know? She should change the subject.
"Teddy thinks you're bad. Are you?"
Two knocks.
"You could be lying," Theodosia decided. "But, personally, I don't think you are. Those nightguards – I'm not sure you ever met them – but they were nasty old men. Larry's much nicer, although he's much stupider. Anyway, those nightguards liked to lock some exhibits away at night. They always locked us up because my people, and the people across the hall, would always fight. I suppose I see where they were coming from, but it never felt like anything but malevolent intent. Cecil – one of the old men – used to taunt me all the time. I wish I could get my hands on him, but he's probably gone to some distant shack to keel over and die like an old cat. Gods know he was old enough.
I think they lied to Teddy about you. It would be the least of their accumulated crimes against this museum. I'm trying to convince Larry and Teddy to let you out – well, I asked Larry, and he promised he would think about so long as I stopped talking, and I did so he has to now. I didn't talk to Teddy, though. I was going to, but we ambushed him while he was staring at a beautiful woman behind a glass wall. She's very pretty, I can see why he admires her, but he's too afraid to talk to her. It seems it's because he's in love with her. Have you ever been in love?"
Ahkmenrah hit the top of the sarcophagus twice and Theodosia nodded to no one.
"Me either. I tried asking him, but I'm not sure I understood any of what he said. If being in love means being afraid of the person you love, then why does anyone fall in love? Shouldn't you want to talk to the person you love? Do you think I'm being insensitive?"
One knock.
"You think I'm being insensitive—?"
One more knock.
"Well, well, you're honest, aren't you," Theodosia huffed, crossing her arms. "Why, do you him being nervous is justified?"
He knocked once.
"So, you're supposed to be afraid to talk to the person you like?"
Ahkmenrah knocked twice, as Theodosia stared back at the glass case, confused. She was even more confused when he knocked once, and then twice again, like he couldn't decide.
"Are you, or aren't you? It seems like you don't know the answer to that question either. Love seems complicated, and weird. I don't like it very much, thankfully there's no chance I'll ever have to understand it."
Ahkmenrah knocked twice. It meant no, according to their arrangement, but Theodosia got what he might have meant – "you don't know that." Ahkmenrah seemed like the self-righteous type and she hadn't even talked to him face to face yet.
"I'm a museum exhibit. I would have already fallen in love with one of the handsome Spartan boys from my exhibit if I was so meant to be with someone," she reasoned. "I'm made of wax. I have no reason to love someone. You must understand what that feels like – you know, being dead and all."
He knocked twice, and Theodosia rolled her eyes.
"Don't tell me you're the optimistic type?"
He knocked once.
"Well then, I guess you can't be evil," Theodosia laughed. "Evil people aren't supposed to believe in love. I bet if Teddy could talk to you like I am, he wouldn't believe you were evil. But I already know he wouldn't believe you anyway. He's very nice, despite...well, you know. But he's very matter of fact – militant. He's strict, and he seems pretty dead set on the idea that you're evil. But don't worry, I'll try my best to change his mind, and then you'll be free just like me. I can show you around the museum, there's so much to see. And I can show you the woman Teddy admires. She wears animal skin and has beautiful black hair and beads all over her dress. I haven't formally met her yet, but I would like to. There are some nasty people, but don't worry, I know who to avoid."
Theodosia always got a sour taste in her mouth when she thought about the snotty Chinese women from the Asia exhibit and their fancy dresses. They were all so beautiful, but so mean.
They would probably like Ahkmenrah though, Theodosia thought bitterly. He was probably buried with jewels and gold and things those women would like. She was sure his clothing was a far cry from Theodosia's plain dress.
At least she liked her dress.
"Wouldn't that be fun?"
She waited for the knock, a smile growing her face.
"I think so too," she mused.
Theodosia continued her partly one-sided conversation with Ahkmenrah for the rest of the night, talking about everything she could think of and more. She tried to learn more about Egypt, but it was hard to learn about it using only yes or no questions. She managed to learn that it was beautiful, sandy, hot, and that Ahkmenrah missed it. Theodosia also managed to learn that Ahkmenrah was young – eighteen to be exact. She found that out by shouting random numbers until he finally only knocked once.
She shot too low the first time – she guessed twelve. She should have guessed they were the same age, but she remembered museum goers talking about that one Pharaoh that became a Pharaoh when he was nine and she incorrectly assumed this was a similar situation.
Even though he couldn't talk, his knock didn't seem that amused.
Theodosia hadn't even realized how long her and Ahkmenrah had been "talking" until Teddy came to find her. If he hadn't come to find her, she might not have ever realized. Larry definitely would have been fired if a Greek exhibit was moved to the Egyptian for no rhyme or reason.
"Theo, there you are!" Teddy laughed jovially, when he finally found her. "How did I know I would find you in here? Seems you admire someone as well, hm?"
Theodosia rolled her eyes, ignoring Teddy's comment. "Teddy, why can't Ahkmenrah be free like everybody else? Why do you think he's bad?"
"It's best for everyone that he stays inside that sarcophagus," he frowned, as he met Theodosia by the Pharaoh's side.
"But—"
"Come on, Theodosia. It's sunrise."
Theodosia wanted to say more about Teddy's vague statement, but she knew it had to wait. She stood up, saying a last farewell to Ahkmenrah, and joined Teddy as he left. The jackals watched them walk away with a cautious gaze until the pair left the exhibit, and they went back to their original places, staring straight ahead.
"Where's Larry," Theodosia asked, as they reached Texas.
"Well," Teddy sighed, "Lawrence decided to leave."
"He...left?" Theodosia said, turning to Teddy, confused. "Why?"
"This museum proved to be too much for him," Teddy explained. "He didn't feel he was up for the task, but I suppose I understand him somewhat. We certainly didn't make it easy on him."
Theodosia felt betrayed. She had chosen to trust Larry, to trust that he would make the museum better, but he had left anyway, with his tail between his legs. Now who would take his place? Someone else like Cecil, or Reginald, or Gus? Someone who lock everyone away again for another fifty years? She might never get the chance to meet Ahkmenrah, or see Teddy again.
"I thought Larry different," Theodosia murmured, shaking her head. "I see I was wrong."
"Don't hate the boy, Theodosia."
"We should go," she frowned, ignoring Teddy as she left the Egyptian exhibit with a heavy heart. "The sun is going to rise soon."
a/n: I honestly think this chapter is kind of terrible, but now we can finally get to the part of the movie where Ahkmenrah actually has lines. I tried to create an interaction, but honestly, I don't think it worked that well. Whatever.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter nonetheless! And thank you for reading!