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As the party was drawing to a close, Teddy requested to talk about an important matter with Larry. They made their way to the security office for privacy and Larry locked the door.
"What’s up, Teddy? Is anything wrong?" He cringed. "Was the disco ball a bit much?" Teddy chuckled and pat Larry on the shoulder.
"Oh it’s nothing like that, Lawrence. Frankly I don’t understand the appeal of this disco ball, but that’s not what I wished to discuss with you." He paused and heaved a deep sigh. "How is our young Pharaoh faring? I know you haven’t spent long with him, but he’s obviously taken a liking to you."
Larry rubbed his neck. “Well I’m not sure about that, but …” (Should he voice his suspicions? It was a personal matter and it wouldn’t feel right discussing it with someone else. However, this was Teddy, and with something this important he should probably have at least one other person there to help him out) “I’ve done some reading and it looks like he’s claustrophobic. I’m not sure how bad it is yet, but I have a feeling it’s …”
"Pretty bad," Teddy finished, looking grim. He moved toward the couch and sat on the armrest, looking as if he aged ten years. "I had suspected as much. It only makes sense, given what we’ve—what I’ve done to the poor lad.”
"But, Teddy it’s not all your fault—"
"True, but I stood by and let lesser men dictate the terms of his freedom and passed them on to you." He took off his glasses and held them in his lap. He stared at it for a long time, and when he finally glanced up, Larry could see tears in his eyes.
"I can’t forgive myself for what I’ve done," he began, voice tight. "Our first night guard warned us about him, saying that releasing a real person was too unpredictable, that being in charge of that much power would only bring disaster. At first I believed him, frightened at the thought of my otherwise impossible chance at life being taken from me. As time wore on, I started to question the reasoning behind the order, and felt it was unfair for us to keep him locked up. But I was still afraid and unfortunately by then the guilt had manifested as cowardice. After spending a number of years locked up, how could I expect him to do anything but curse us?
"I was using Ahkmenrah’s tablet for my own selfish desires, making me just as guilty as the previous night guards." There was silence for a few moments as the two men stared at the floor, neither knowing what to say. Muffled noises from the foyer drifted in, and they could hear Ahkmenrah and Nicky supervise the clean-up effort. Hearing their voices stirred a memory in Larry’s mind, leading him to a realization he hadn’t had a chance to dwell on yet.
"The only reason I let him out was because the jackals were going to skewer me and my son," Larry whispered. There was an unpleasant settling of guilt in his stomach and Larry suddenly felt nauseous. He plopped down on the couch next to Teddy. "It wasn’t for him or because I felt it was right. It was completely selfish of me." Larry put a hand over his mouth as the full reality of the situation hit him. “Oh god. If you had let us out, or we hadn’t been locked in …” The image of Ahkmenrah’s smiling face, the one full of gratitude and relief, all because Larry had freed him—it only made him feel worse.
“You still released him, Lawrence,” Teddy said softly, placing a hand on Larry’s shoulder. “At this point that’s all that matters.”
Larry scoffed. “It’d be easier to deal with if he wasn’t so damn happy all the time. I mean, how does someone stay so kind after all that?”
“That’s what troubles me the most,” Teddy said gravely, leaning back to rest his head against the wall. “I’ve dealt with men who’ve been through traumatic experiences, and the longer they delay addressing their feelings the worse the inevitable backlash is. Perhaps Ahkmenrah is already dealing with the issue privately in his own way, but just in case—”
“We’ll be ready for him,” Larry said, his voice thick but full of conviction. “We’ll make damn sure he won’t go through it alone. Least we can do, right?”
"Not quite. I’ve talked to some of the others, and we’ve agreed on a sort of public apology. It’s merely a start, but it needs to be done."
Larry bit his lip. “I think it’s a great idea, but what if it backfires? What if it’s too much at once?”
“I get what you mean, Lawrence, but what else can we do? Line everyone up outside his exhibit and take turns apologizing?” Teddy shook his head. “Dragging it out will only make it worse. That would certainly fray the poor boy’s nerves. Best to do it all at once.”
“Okay, but let’s do it at the end of the night. Just to make sure. This way he doesn’t have to spend the rest of it feeling awkward.”
“Excellent idea, m’boy!” Teddy pushed himself off the armrest and held out a hand. “Now let’s rejoin the others to ensure this mess is taken care of.”
—-
The next night, around 30 minutes to sunrise, Larry led Ahkmenrah to the foyer under the guise of friendly chatter.
“Ahkmenrah!” Teddy walked toward the two of them, flanked by practically the entire museum. “Mind if we have a word, lad?”
Ahkmenrah’s eyes widened at the enormous crowd gathered before him, but he soon smoothed out his surprise and nodded. Larry fought back the small smirk at the way Ahkmenrah shifted closer to him ever so slightly. (Not like he could blame him—it was a bit daunting having so many eyes trained on you) The night guard crossed his fingers for luck, praying this wouldn’t blow up in their faces.
Thankfully, Teddy got straight to the point. “We all wish to apologize for standing by and leaving you locked up all those years. What we did to you was unforgivable. There was no reason for us to fear you.”
“Yeah, you ain’t scary at all!” Jedediah piped up from the stair railing, where he and the other miniatures were placed. Numerous heads nodded in agreement.
"I know this can never make up for all the pain and trouble we’ve caused you, but please accept our deepest apologies." Teddy crossed an arm over his chest and crouched into a bow on one knee. Ahkmenrah took a step back in shock, and soon all the exhibits followed suit, expressing humble respect in a variety of different ways. The Civil War soldiers snapped to attention and saluted him, the animals bowed low to the ground, Jedediah and his men took off their hats and dipped their heads, Octavius and his battalion acted in a manner similar to Teddy after removing their helmets, and so on. Rexy even stepped forward and nuzzled Ahkmenrah as gently as he could.
Ahkmenrah entire body was stiff, darting his attention from person to person before finally settling on Larry with a frantic look. Larry smiled warmly and inclined his head in his own bow. However, it was obvious all the attention was starting to get to the Pharaoh. While he had most likely been trained since birth on how to conduct himself in front of a large crowd, the years of solitude were beginning to take its toll.
Larry reached out and tightly grasped Ahkmenrah’s shoulder to ground him in reality, and was pleased to see the frenzied look to his movements slow. Ahkmenrah closed his eyes and took a few calming breaths. His posture straightened with dignity and purpose, and Larry could easily see the royalty born within him shine.
"My friends," he began, voice soft but full of confidence. "I had already forgiven you, but know that your words are greatly appreciated. It does me considerable pleasure to be surrounded by such honorable people. I look forward to getting to know all of you better in the upcoming years."
Everyone snapped their attention to Ahkmenrah when he finished, lips parted in awe. Larry couldn’t blame them—Ahkmenrah possessed a level of maturity not found in most adults, let alone someone of his age. (Which Larry had checked earlier that morning—Ahkmenrah was barely twenty-years-old when he died. Talk about depressing)
“Yeehaw! Three cheers for the Pharaoh!” Jedidiah hollered, tossing his hat upward. “Hip hip—”
“HOORAY!”
The entire floor boomed with their echoing cheers, and Ahkmenrah laughed as they all thrust a hand in the air. Once they finished, everyone swarmed forward, taking turns clapping Ahkmenrah on the back or enveloping him in hugs. Attila lifted him off the ground when it was his turn, nearly smothering him. Sacagawea kissed him on the cheek and winked. For the miniatures, Ahkmenrah held out his fingers and they all took turns shaking them.
Larry merely stood back and enjoyed the sight with a smile so wide it hurt. He threw an arm around Teddy, who was watching with moist eyes. “You did good,” he whispered. Ahkmenrah was clearly soaking up all the physical attention, not looking bothered in the slightest. Larry thought back to how Ahkmenrah had hugged him without restraint last night and how receptive he was to the slightest touch. Perhaps this was all he needed. It was amusing to discover Ahkmenrah was a touchy-feely person, and Larry made sure to make a mental note.
——
Eventually the excitement died down, and everyone returned to their respective places for sunrise. Ahkmenrah had thrown his arms around Larry and Teddy before leaving, thanking both of them profusely.
Now he stood beside his sarcophagus, his nonexistent heart feeling fuller than it had in many, many years. He had spent many nights dreaming of what it would be like to be freed, and he was pleased to see it was better than he could have imagined. He felt giddy with excitement at what the future would bring, eager for the chance to explore his new home and get to know his new friends better.
He glanced down at the sarcophagus and found it wasn’t as frightening as it had been two nights ago. It had taken a considerable effort to work up the courage to get inside, not knowing if he would ever be given the chance to step out again.
But now he needn’t worry. Now he knew for a fact he had friends, and their apology erased all fear of possible entrapment.
Ahkmenrah finally had a home.