Jekyll & Hyde Inc.

“No one knows what the mummies look like,” said Edward. “They keep themselves strictly to themselves. Hardly surprising . . . who else is there, that they could have anything in common with? The world they knew has been dust and less than dust for millennia. The annual gathering is the only time they emerge from behind their usual layers of protection, to meet in person.”

“Why would they risk that?” said Tina.

“Nostalgia?” said Edward. “A chance to say I can remember when it was all sand around here . . . or simply because all the other monster Clans hold gatherings, and the mummies didn’t want to feel left out. Or perhaps it’s just vanity, proclaiming Here we are! Still alive, after all these years. Look on our achievements and despair!”

“Who’s your inside man?” said Tina.

“I had great difficulty finding one,” said Edward. “That’s one of the reasons it’s taken me so long to arrange the complete destruction of the monster Clans. I couldn’t risk making a move until I was sure I could bring them all down. Because if even one survived, it would take control of all the territories . . . And of course I couldn’t buy the loyalty of anyone in the mummies’ inner circle, because they already had more money than they knew what to do with.”

“I’m guessing you have other methods for suborning people,” said Daniel. “Blackmail, or intimidation?”

“How well you know me,” said Edward. “But, much as it pains me to admit it, everyone turned out to be far more scared of the mummies than they were of me. Which gives you some idea of how vicious those monsters can be. Of all the Clans, the mummies have always made the most use of the werewolves, to dispose of outside threats, and the ghouls, to dispose of all the bodies that accumulate in their wake.”

“Hold it,” said Daniel. “You told us that the werewolves act as muscle for all the Clans . . . but Tina and I haven’t spotted anything hairy and dangerous so far.”

“I’ve been wondering about that,” said Edward. “In the past the wolves provided security for all the gatherings, but this year the entire werewolf clan has been conspicuous by its absence. It’s as though they’ve disappeared into the deepest part of the underworld.”

“Why would they do that?” said Tina.

Edward shrugged. “The last reports I saw mentioned something about an internal power struggle in their clan. It’s a dog-eat-dog world in the werewolf clan. I’ve got people out watching for them, should they decide to reappear. For now, be grateful that the werewolves aren’t part of the problem. Silver bullets are expensive.”

“Can we get back to your inside man?” said Daniel.

“Of course. Professor Albert Pinder was a part of the British Museum academic staff, specializing in the more obscure areas of ancient Egyptology. Perfectly happy to potter around in his little ivory tower and do the odd job of authentification for the mummies—until he discovered exactly what it is the mummies do for a living. Spitting mad at the thought of his precious Museum being under the control of a criminal organization, he reached out to me.”

“How would an academic like Professor Pinder even know someone like you existed?” said Daniel.

“He didn’t,” said Edward. “But I have people everywhere. When they heard he was looking for someone brave enough to stand up to the Clan of Mummies, the professor was carefully pointed in my direction. I’m told my existence came as something of a shock. Apparently living mummies from the dawn of civilization was one thing, but a ‘fictional character’ come to life was quite another. Perhaps that’s why he insisted on meeting me in person. I like to think I wasn’t a disappointment . . . I promised him the complete destruction of the mummies, in return for their exact location and a means of entering the Museum unobserved. Luckily for us, the professor knew a lot about the history of the British Museum, and was able to provide an entirely unexpected means of entry.”

“You keep talking about him in the past tense,” said Tina. “He’s dead, isn’t he? Did the mummies get to him?”

“Something like that,” said Edward.

Daniel sat up straight, as the penny dropped. “You killed him! That’s why you had to go and meet him in person!”

“He lost his nerve,” Edward said calmly. “He was ready to betray us to the mummies. I couldn’t allow that. They would have set an ambush and killed both of you. So I did what I had to. He died very quickly, if that matters.”

“Tell us about the secret way in,” said Tina.

“The Museum will be surrounded by mercenary soldiers, so all the usual entrances are closed to us,” said Edward. “Even Miss Montague couldn’t provide you with enough weapons to get past that level of security.”

“She said she knew you, when she was younger,” said Tina.

“So she did,” said Edward. “Luckily, she’s not one to bear a grudge.”