7 – The Great Egress
It was terrific fun. They decided to hang the signs first, thinking it would be best not to look like workers when they talked about the Great Egress. After the last sign was hung, they proceeded to explore every nook and cranny of the museum, always commenting about the Great Egress as they went. The said things like:
“I can’t wait to see the Egress.”
“I hear the Egress is top secret.”
“Where is the Egress?”
and
“I think I saw the entrance over there.”
Before they knew it, Mickey and Angelo had aroused their own curiosity and their patter shifted to:
“I wonder what the Egress is?”
“What d’ya think is so secret about the Egress?”
“Why can’t we see the Egress?”
and
“It couldn’t hurt to just sneak a peek.”
They were on the fifth floor again when they made their decision. They stood in front of the curtained entrance to the Great Egress, looking up at the sign.
“Whattcha think?” asked Angelo, knowing full well what Mickey thought.
Mickey turned completely around, slowly surveying the room. “You seen Simms around anywhere?”
“Nope.”
Casually, so as to not attract attention, Mickey parted the curtain to let Angelo slip into the alcove. A second later, she followed. A rather ordinary door stood before them. Mickey reached out, turned the knob and stepped through. They were in a stair well. The door swung shut behind them, closing with a click. They could hear voices and footsteps echoing up the stairwell from below.
“M-maybe we shouldn’t,” said Angelo. He was surprised
to see Mickey nod in agreement. They turned backed to the door and reached
for the...
There was no knob!
Angelo gulped.
“No way but down, I guess,” said Mickey.
“No way but down,” echoed Angelo.
So down they went, flight
after flight. They met more people heading down the stairs with each
floor they descended. Below them, Mickey caught a glimpse of Robert and
his family. Everyone looked as puzzled as Mickey and Angelo.
“Could it be in the basement?” asked Angelo.
Mickey shrugged.
There was light below them now. It would dim and brighten, dim and brighten as if a door was being opened and closed. As they rounded onto the last flight of stairs, they saw a large sign mounted on the wall above a picture of a hand pointing to a now open doorway. It read:
As Mickey followed the other customers through the door and into the sun-drenched street, she slapped Angelo on the back and laughed heartily.
“I... I...” said Angelo, his mouth gaping wide in dismay. “I don’t understand. What did that sign say?”
“Angelo, me boy-o,” said Mickey with a wide grin on her face, “that sign said that we’ve been humbugged!”
Author’s Note...
While the story of Mickey and Angelo is fictitious, P.T. Barnum and the American Museum were real. The descriptions of the interior of the museum and the displays within are based upon the Barnum’s 1850 American Museum illustrated Guide Book and other resources found the The City University of New York’s wonderful web site, The Lost Museum. Historically, Barnum’s infamous “This way to the Egress” signs were employed years before the setting of this little tale, but I doubt Barnum would protest such a minor humbug as this.
– End of the Great Egress Caper –
