Poking My Head In To Say Hello

Hello People! Here I am! I’ve been absent so much lately because I do have a book to write, you know. And books take time. Loads and loads of time.

In other news, Sticky Will stopped by. It was Open Visitation Day at the museum, the one day out of the month when admission to the museum is free, so anybody who wishes to view the artifacts can do so. Mother and Father tend to make themselves scarce on Open Visitation Day, but I don’t. I manage to stay quite busy. So many children come on Open Visitation Day that it’s important to be sure they don’t get carried away and touch the artifacts or press too closely up against the glass cases. Of course, all the under curators are busy making sure of the same thing, but for different reasons. They want to protect the artifacts from the masses. I want to protect the masses from any curses lingering on the artifacts.

I also like to watch the families that come to the museum on a family outing. However, I am always very careful to avoid the school groups. It wouldn’t do at all to have one of the teachers notice me and ask why I wasn’t in school. Of course, it wouldn’t be any of their business, but that never stops grown ups from butting in, I’ve found.

Today, as I hung back watching a family with three daughters ohh and ahh over the mummy cases in the Egyptian exhibit, a boy wearing his cap pulled low over his eyes sidled up next to me. I politely stepped aside to let him pass. Only he didn’t pass. Instead, he asked, “Oy miss. Are any of them mummies cursed?”

Of course, I recognized his voice immediately.

“Will?” I said quietly, not wanting to raise anyone’s curiosity. “What are you doing here?”

“Ain’t I good enough to come to yer museum to see yer blooming mummies?”

“Of course you are!” I rushed to assure him. “I just wasn’t expecting you, that’s all.” Honestly. Does he have to get so indignant all the time?

“And Ol’ Wigmere did want me to check in on you and see if you ‘ad any messages for ‘im.”

The good news was that I didn’t. Not today. Things seemed to be quiet here at the museum, at least for now.

But as we all know, that could change at any moment…