The plan
70 hours before
He raised his notebook, crossing out those who have come as Teddy recognized them, among who were sitting on the stairs raised his name when mentioned.
_Dexter?
_Present
_Sacajawea?
_Present
_Atila?
_Present
_Colombus?
_Present
_Representative of the Civil War Dudes?
_Present
_ Sagittarius Constellation?
_Present
_Jed and Octavius?
_With news, they sent soldiers and cowboys to communicate them
_O... kay then I have forgot someone?
_Us!
He felt a voice coming from a speaker and when he looked up he could see Laa holding his boyfriend's tablet above his head, from where they could see Tilly, his son and his boss who were transmitting from London.
_Laa, Nick, Tilly and Doctor McPhee present.
He said, laughing softly as the caveman happily moved the tablet and those who were projected on it scolded him for doing so.
_Teddy, you can start
He told his friend, moving on to sit next to Ahkmenrah on the stairs.
_Thanks Lawrence - the former president exclaimed, extending a hand to Sacajawea.
The native explorer smiling took her partner's hand and got up to stand beside him.
When all this delusional process proposed by Octavius started, he had relied on them to establish a strategy and he had no regrets. Those two could inspire and move even the stones. And he wasn't kidding. He had videos of the moai to prove it.
_I suppose you are all familiar with our new exhibit, right? - Teddy asked those present and most nodded - I also suppose you are aware that he... is not adapting as it should to our family in the museum.
There were several sighs, coupled with head shakes and Attila's raised hand.
_Yes, my Hun friend, what do you have to say? - Teddy told him, yielding the floor.
The leader of the most famous hordes in history, got up taking off the fur hat that he always wore and for a couple of minutes he made a very heartfelt discourse while gently tapping his chest.
Ahkmenrah, as befitted the translator among all of them, clearing his throat, relate his words, in a condensed version and, he supposed, somewhat softened as well.
_Atila says that since the beginning of our life in the museum he had not met a sadder person. That he is a great sorcerer, but that he no longer works magic. That he feels that he has lost something or someone very important. And… that the Huns have watched over his exhibition because they have been afraid that he would escape again like the time Larry went to look for him, but this time to stay outside until dawn and end his pain.
The Hun turned to his boyfriend and repeated several of his words.
_Ah, and that... he offers to do whatever it takes not to lose anyone else in the museum.
_Thank you very much Attila - Teddy said indicating to the Hun and Ahkmenrah that they will sit down - Exactly that’s why we are here.
_Loki - Sacajawea continued - Not only is he a new companion in this museum, he is also our most important attraction at the moment and it is very important that we can make him feel comfortable here.
_If you allow me - Doctor McPhee's voice was heard and Laa got up running with the tablet to show them the screen to those who were seated - Thank you very much, Laa - added the Director which made the caveman smile showing his teeth and that provoke a general laugh - As Sacajawea affirms, Loki's exhibition is… the most visited in these moments when people fear to go out. As a museum, we need people to come to our building, to buy tickets and souvenirs, to visit our website and our social networks. We were very lucky when, during successive lockdowns, Larry and Teddy organized the T-shirt sale with you posing on it. They were a success. But now, we need another one, because we had to transfer Ahkmenrah's parents and, I must confess, this has been an extremely costly process.
_You have to take advantage of the opportunity guys - Nick told them - Loki is one of the most famous movie and series characters out there. Seriously. He has a huge fan base and if you can make the Loki over there be the ten percent of the Loki that those fans love, you won't have money problems, at least for a few years in the future.
_The problem is... - Ahkmenrah intervened - How do we do it? He doesn't allow anyone to get close and...
His boyfriend got up again and walked to stand next to Sacajawea.
_Yesterday… we saw something that… gave us a glimpse of why Loki behaves the way he behaves, because Jedediah was curious about something Octavius had been doing.
He put a hand to his face, hitting it.
The fool Roman had not been able to hide things well from the cowboy.
That is probably why they weren't present at the meeting.
_Hey, guys, that's not right - Nick felt from the table - I gave my password to Octavius, not you.
_I’m really sorry, Nick - Sacajawea said to his son - We realized we shouldn't have done it.
_How is Jed, Ahk? - asked his young scion - He must have felt horrible.
_He went to see Octavius as soon as we finished watching the series - explained the Egyptian - He promised that, as we were going to do with Teddy and Larry, he was going to tell him what he did.
_Hai visto la serie? (Have you seen the series?)
Columbus asked in amazement in Italian, since they had discovered that the famous navigator only spoke in this language and a concert of voices rose at understanding what the question implied, forcing him to get up and hit a loud whistle that made everyone stop talking.
_Let's see - he said to everyone placing his arms akimbo around his waist - I want to point out that, as Nick says, you shouldn't have done it. I'm very disappointed in you two… three, if we count Jed. Not only did you see something that was very intimate for Loki, but you also intruded on Octavius's private affairs, who had taken every precaution to avoid harm to both Loki and Jed.
He sighed watching as his partner looked down and Sacajawea as well, while they murmured that they were sorry.
_But... what's done is done. And, by the way, we were going to tell you something about that series so that you could understand what is going to happen in a few days - he added, shaking his head, to go on to point out to the others - Although that something is very little, so I don't want to see anyone spying on what the Loki series is about on computers or harassing Sacajawea, Ahkmenrah or Jedediah to tell you anything, are we clear?
There was a general assent, after which he sat down again, while Teddy spoke again.
_As Lawrence says, Loki is the protagonist of a very particular story that he and few people have seen what it is about. Not even I have, for the same reasons we discussed with Sacajawea last night: it is a private matter for Loki and should be respected. However, there is some data that we are going to share with you so that you can understand what is going to happen and with what we have to help - explained Teddy, pointing to Sacajawea and Ahkmenrah.
_Loki, as Atila says, lost a lot in his series - explained the native explorer - Virtually his entire family.
_And his partner - Ahkmenrah added - A man called Mobius, who is ... very similar to Jedediah and whose recent loss has led him to constantly follow our friend through the corridors as if he were his shadow.
There was a general "aahhhhh" that made him laugh.
More than one of them had come to a conclusion similar to Attila's, but they hadn't connected the dots between what was happening with the cowboy.
The Hun, in fact, after the first surprise, without asking to speak, said a phrase followed by a gesture of sinking a sword that did not need to be translated. Everyone knew the relationship between the leaders of the dioramas and they knew how the blood would rise to the head of the leader of the Roman Empire, if someone even laid a half an eye on Jed.
_If I may, my liege - exclaimed one of the Romans that Octavius had commanded to be there.
_You may soldier - Teddy exclaimed, following his never-failing military stance.
_I think we can bring some peace of mind about what Mr. Atila express - the little envoy continued.
_You have the floor, then - said the former president, whereupon the envoy extended his hand and another soldier handed him a scroll that he spread between his hands and after clearing his throat, he read aloud to the audience.
“I, Sergio Andronicus, aide-de-camp of the son of Mars, General of the glorious Roman legions, Octavius Augustus, at his request, transmit the good news to all the inhabitants of the regions outside our earth, that on this day, in front of the altar of the Vestal Virgins at media nox, in the center of our adored land, our commander-in-chief will marry the so-called Jedediah Smith, leader of the cowboys of the Wild West. As I was commanded in charge of the jubilant event, through this delegation I extend the invitation to the same, to the representatives of the museum exhibitions, as well as to His Serene Highness, Fourth King of the Fourth King, Pharaoh of Egypt and giver of life of the museum, Ahkmenrah and Guardian of Brooklyn Larry Daley”
There was a moment of silence when the envoy finished reading the news, which lasted until he re-rolled and handed over the parchment for safekeeping.
After that, however, pandemonium broke out. There was laughter, applause, sounds of gunshots from the cowboys who had accompanied the Romans and who had obviously restrained themselves from telling what they knew, so that they could celebrate in a big way once Octavius's soldiers had had their moment of drama.
_Wonderful news! - Teddy exclaimed looking at the soldier - Transmit to young Sergio that we will all attend!
_Ma questo non va bene per i nostri piani – Colón said getting up and interrupting the general noise - Loki non sarà felice di questo matrimonio, se il cowboy assomiglia così tanto alla persona che ha perso. (But this is not good for our plans. Loki will not be happy with this marriage, if the cowboy looks so much like the person he lost)
The exhibits observed each other, realizing what the event of the year meant to the Norse god, because no one needed to speak Italian to understand what Columbus had said: Loki was not going to be happy with the marriage of the one who looked so much like his lover.
He sighed, holding the hand of his own lover who had returned to his place beside him on the staircase, remembering how unhappy he had been in those years when the Pharaoh had established his abode in London.
After returning to New York with the exhibitions and saying goodbye to them and his work because the board decided to remove him for the double crime of the disaster on the night of the show and the loss of Ahkmenrah who had been sent "by mistake" to the British Museum, he had tried to rebuild his existence as best he could.
He had planned things properly so he would not have to work for a couple of years and try to make up for lost time on his studies.
Oh, yeah. A couple of nights with some beautiful bottles in a bar had opened the way to the revelation that the constant insistence on his son that he study was due primarily to the fact that he had not been able to do so.
And after he sold his company, even paying off the museum debts, he had enough left to invest and save and a medium but nice apartment that he didn't have to pay rent for.
The way then was open so that, after a life of ups and downs, he would take the time necessary to face college.
In a few days then, sober and nervous, he had mingled with a crowd of youngsters at the enrollments of the… Department of History.
Yes, sure, it had been a topic that he had considered treating in therapy, but… it had also been the most logical option. The University promoted the major in History as one in which its graduate possessed "Effective Writing Skills, Research Skills, Critical Analysis, Interdisciplinary though and awareness" as well as the ability to "uncover, synthesize, and communicate complex ideas”.
In his understanding, the subject was accessible to him and the skills being touted he already possessed.
After all, if he had been able to train a group of cavemen, he could handle that.
And he had turned to study, discovering that the nights of dialogue with Teddy and Sacajawea, of discussions with the Huns, of contemplation of the learning process of the Neanderthals, of the constant confrontation between Romans and cowboys but especially of the long walks together with the young pharaoh had provided him with an enormous amount of data and deep readings of that past that his students companions approached in the classroom, but that he had already lived in person.
It was in those days that he had also discovered that his heart didn’t belong to him anymore, without him even knowing it.
"_That do you want what?
_A few photos of Ahkmenrah for school.
_Why?
_Because I want to draw him for a paper and I don't have good photos of him, Tilly. Tell him what it's for and I'm sure he won't object"
And he hadn't.
The young pharaoh had even posed for the photos sent by the London Guard.
He had possed for the shoots.
In different costumes from his historical period and even in common street clothes of the present, because the guard had provided him with these when he had said that the London climate chilled his body.
He had been speechless when he saw them and... he had discovered, terrified, that his heart had accelerated when he saw the other through the images.
Ahkmenrah.
Fourth King of the Fourth King.
More unattainable than a Hollywood star, for a former guard turned student.
But that, nevertheless, invaded his memories and heart.
_Everything will be fine - he whispered to his partner and then got up without letting go of his hand to say the same to all the other exhibitions - Everything will be fine! Mobius is on the way!
The eyes of everyone present went to his person and he indicate to Teddy that he will continue with his explanation.
_As Lawrence says, the General and the Roman people, have offered their funds and with them it has been possible to acquire a sculpture of similar quality to that of Loki, but that portrays his love that, if everything goes as planned, will remember our friend from the world of super heroes and will help him in his life here
If moments before the thing had exploded with worry, at that moment it exploded with joy. The exhibits were happy to hear the news, talking to each other about how long it would take for the new couple to imitate Octavius and Jed, while the vast majority profusely congratulated the Roman soldiers who grinned from ear to ear at each thanks.
_That its... a beautiful gesture from Octavius - said his own partner gently - I will make sure to attend his wedding with a gift suitable to the goodness of his heart.
_I thought the same - he admitted smiling - In the morning I went specifically to get something for those two and something for the Romans as well. They have sacrificed something that took them more than 50 years to put together and they have done it without expecting anything in return.
_I don't know why, but it reminds me of someone I know.
Commented he Egyptian smiling and then kissed him on the cheek, which made him blush. He wasn't used to expressions of... affection. He had always been quite reserved in that regard. But with Ahkmenrah, the situation was totally different. The Pharaoh was a tactile person who was constantly touching him in one way or another and making sure everyone in the museum knew exactly that the night guard was paired with him.
He did not deny it. Beyond the shame thanks to his personality, he was fascinated by the fact that Ahk was like that, both coming from such different social strata.
_Very good my friends! We are all happy! There is a lot of good news! - Teddy exclaimed calling their attention - But... you must know that the arrival of our friend's partner will be in three days. Along with Ahkmenrah's parents. Nick? Tilly? Doctor McPhee?
Laa stepped forward again, lifting the tablet so the others could see the screen.
_It's as Teddy says - explained the London guard - Nick came hastily to London to check the sculpture with me and it is of the best possible quality and its in very good condition.
_Really - his son added with a smile - It is Mobius in every detail. I have to say my jaw almost dropped from how well it's done.
_And we managed to ship it to transport it together with Merenkahre and Shepseheret - added Doctor McPhee - so it will be arriving together with them and us in three days
Sacajawea smiled resting a hand on Laa's shoulder, to look at the others.
_Which means that, in these three days, we have to make an effort to make Loki leave his seclusion and begin to integrate. His partner does not remember him so sad and we have to try to get him to regain some of his way of being before Mobius arrives. We must all collaborate and help him see that those of us who live here are interested in him and want to see him well. Not only because he is important to the survival of the museum, but because... he is a good person, who has had very bad times, but who deserves all the happiness possible.