One Night - Night at the Museum

Seven: To the Smithsonian!

"So there's nothing you can do?" cried Nick in disbelief that night as they arrived home. "They're gone?"

"I wish there was man, I'm telling you I tried everything. I called the board, I talked to McPhee. But they were shipped off this morning."

"This is a lot of food Dad," Nick commented while inspecting their take-out dinner. Then he grinned. "Did you see Natasha at the museum? Did you invite her for dinner?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh uh yeah I saw her but no Ed from work is coming by I thought I told you. We just have to go over a couple of work things."

"So you're working tonight?" Nick said in obvious disappointment.

"Hey I used to work every night, remember?"

"Yeah but that was when you had the coolest job in the world."

"Yeah well 'cool' doesn't pay for all your video games or whatever," Larry said as he went to go answer the phone which had begun ringing. He didn't recognize the number. "Hello?"

"Gigantor! It's me!"

Larry stopped. "Jed?" There were sounds of commotion in the background. "Jed, what are you doing? How did you dial the phone?"

"Long story!" cried Jed, sounding panicked. "That brazen little monkey stole the tablet and now we're in a world of hurt boy!" Jed raised his voice to be heard over the shouts and crashes.

"What's going on?" Larry demanded.

"Kahmunrah!"

"Wha - Kahmunrah?"

"Ahkmenrah's big brother, and trust me, he's not a friendly! Repeat, not a friendly! HEY!" Jed's voice broke off and joined the commotion then, and it sounded like there was a struggle taking place.

"Jed? Jed?" cried Larry, but the line went dead.

"What was that about?" asked Nick.

"I don't know." Larry sighed and then grabbed his car keys. "Come on, I'm going to drop you off at your mom's."

"What's going on Dad?" Nick asked as they left the apartment.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." They headed down to the parkade and to their car. "Here," Larry said, passing Nick his cellphone as he pulled the car out of the parkade. "Call Natasha."

Nick did so and dialed her number. "Hi Natasha, it's Nick," he said when she answered.

"Oh hi Nick, how are you?" she asked him.

Before he could answer Larry snatched the phone from him and held it up to his own ear. "Natasha? Hi it's me."

"You're not supposed to talk on the phone and drive at the same time!" chided Nick, but Larry ignored him.

"Listen, I have a huge favour to ask of you..."

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Larry arrived in D.C. late the next morning. He headed straight to the Smithsonian.

"Okay buddy," he said, speaking into the phone to Nick. "I'm here."

"Have you found Natasha?"

"Not yet. Now McPhee said the Federal Archives are in the Smithsonian. So where exactly am I going?"

"That's the thing Dad, the Smithsonian is actually nineteen different museums all laid out around the National Mall, from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. They've got everything there, there's actually some really cool stuff."