6 – The Grand Tour
Simms retrieved the stack of signs from the corner of the office and gave half each to Mickey and Angelo. “Let me give you the grand tour,” he said as he led them from the office toward the museum. “I’ll show you the entrances to the Egress, and then you can be off and about your job.”
The ticket taker gave them a scornful look as Simms took them into the first hall. Angelo held up his signs for the man to see. “We’re working for Mr. Barnum,” he said. The man’s expression melted into surprise.
Now that they had time to look about, it was obvious why the people in the booths looked so stiff. “This is the Wax Figure Gallery,” said Simms.
Mickey nudged Angelo with her elbow and pointed out the figure of a giant and giantess. Angelo motioned toward two men who seemed to be joined at the hip.
“You’ll have time enough to take them all in later,” said Simms as he lead them briskly toward the grand staircase. “I need to show you the Egress doors. There’s four of ‘em. One each on the second through fifth floors.” They ascended the stairs once again, only this time they both went to the right and on up to the second floor.
“There are three rooms on this floor. This center room is the picture gallery.” Mickey craned her head trying to take in all the pictures. They were mounted on the wall clear up to the ceiling. “That room to the left contains the royal carriage of the Queen Dowager of England and lots of stuffed animals like the elephant and giraffe from Africa, the kangaroo from Australia, and sea turtles. But the first entrance to the Egress is in this here room to the right.”
The room to which Simms led them was elevated a few steps above the picture gallery and was filled with what seemed like hundreds of birds, both mounted and live.
“That’s the entrance there.” Simms gestured to a small
recess covered with a heavy drape that was set into the far wall of the
room. A man was on a ladder mounting a sign above the drape. It read
simply: EGRESS. “There is another entrance just like this one on
each floor above. Got it?”
Mickey and Angelo nodded.
“See those doors on the opposite wall? Those lead to the lecture hall. You can also get into the hall from the two rooms above this. I think it’s a Shakespeare reading this afternoon.”
“Ah-h-h-h,” said Angelo, as if he were an authority on the matter, “the dead writer-guy.”
Simms choked back a chuckle and said, “Exactly.” He then took his wards up two more floors that were filled with items like stones, and shells, and knight’s armor, and mummies, and... It was just too much to take in.
On the fifth floor landing, Simms pointed up the stairs and told them it was the way to the roof. “Nice view, if you like that sort of thing. Fresh air and all, you know. Well, anyway, I’ll leave you here and set you about your job. Just make sure all the signs you hang point toward the Egress and don’t forget to talk it up.”
– End Chapter Six –
