Ron Goulart - The Curse of the Obelisk

THE CURSE OF THE OBELISK 7
CHAPTER 2
After rubbing at his nose, Maurice Allegre tapped the drawing in the newspaper open upon his
desk. "My reputation is in shreds already, M. Challenge," he said, wringing his small hands. "Just
this past Monday here in Le Figaro no less a formidable penman than Caran d'Ache depicted me as
a grave robber. You see?"
Harry leaned forward in his heavy wooden chair. "Doesn't resemble you that much."
"Ah, but all Paris knows at whom this barb is aimed," said the forlorn museum director. "Even
though he's seen fit to give me an extremely large Hebraic nose. It is sad enough to be blamed for
selling that accursed obelisk without being branded a Dreyfusard as well. If the outside world were
to learn of my latest sorrows . . ." He sighed.
"Suppose you detail your problem to me."
The office was shadowy, the furniture heavy and dark, the carpets and drapes the color of deep
autumn. Hovering in the dim corners that the light from the faintly hissing gas lamps didn't reach
were coffins, mummy cases and at least one suit of Oriental armor.
Allegre patted at the part in his slick dark hair. "My two regular watchmen had let me down,"
he said, taking another disheartened glance at the cartoon attacking him. "After all, M. Challenge, I
do not own this Musée des Antiquités. Nay, I am but an employee. When the directors, you
understand, agreed to sell the obelisk to Baron Groll in Urbania, I could only, meekly, go along
with them." He poked a delicate finger at the cartoon. "This is, after all, a private institution and not
a public one. They can sell whatever they wish and to whomsoever they wish. Therefore, when this
Caran d'Ache shows me looting tombs and selling the treasures of France to foreigners, he errs in—
"
"You told my father your museum was haunted."
Allegre said, "Your father, at least in his cablegrams, strikes one as a highly intelligent man. I
was halfway expecting that he himself would journey here to Paris to handle the—"
"He rarely travels these days," said Harry. "Do you have ghosts?"
Allegre shrugged with both his shoulders and both hands. "Ah, but I myself have seen not a
one," he replied. "My addlepated watchmen, on the other hand, insist that on several occasions
some unusual incidents have taken place."
"Such as?"
"Most, if not all, of this outré activity has allegedly occurred in our Antiqués Égyptiennes
Wing, M. Challenge," said the director. "Both Gaspar and Albert have insisted they heard many
strange sounds and, furthermore, that they saw with their own eyes . . ." He shrugged once again.
"They saw one of the mummified corpses leave its resting place and walk."
"When did these incidents begin?"
Allegre answered, "Approximately three weeks ago. Fortunately, I have been able, thus far, to
keep it quiet. I fear that—"
"I'd like to talk to Gaspar and Albert."