‘And that goes for the rest of you, too!’ he snarled under his breath. ‘We’re going to steal that treasure. No trick of the light’s going to stop us! Got it?’
‘Yes, boss,’ mumbled the gang, still staring wide-eyed at the glowing warnings.
Pickering strode forward, pulling Ben with him. The gang scampered after them, anxious to get the gold and get away as fast as they could.
They crept on, along corridors and up wide marble stairs. At last, they came to the huge metal doors of the Treasure Chamber. They were locked tight.
‘This is it, lads!’ said Pickering in an excited whisper.
‘Yes, boss,’ said Jelly, slipping his cutting torch from his shoulder. He fired it up, adjusted its flame to a hot blue point and started work.
Ben had to shield his eyes from the bright sparks that spat and fizzed from the door as Jelly began to cut. When he was done, a large wobbly circle glowed orange on the door. Jelly gave it a sharp kick and it fell inwards, landing with a CLANG on the other side.
Pickering bent down and stepped through the hole in the doors, dragging Ben behind him. The others followed, taking care not to burn themselves on the hot, glowing edges.
‘Well, gentlemen,’ said Pickering, throwing his arms wide, ‘here it is.’
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
They gasped. The crates and packing cases were gone. The treasure was on glorious display.
It was utterly magnificent! It was mind-bogglingly, eye-gogglingly amazing! (If there was such a word as ‘eye-gogglingly’, that is.)
If all the treasures of the world were each marked out of ten, then the Mummy’s Gold would score a solid one hundred and seven. Out of ten. That’s how incredible it was. It might possibly even score one hundred and eight, if the judge was particularly fond of enormous diamonds.
Golden trinkets, goblets and daggers, all glittering with jewels, spilled from chests. Gold statues stood guard, draped in tribal robes and clutching ornate clubs studded with precious stones. Dazzling treasures were on display in every direction and in the centre of it all, perched on a golden skull, was the Mummy’s Crown.
It gleamed in the torchlight.
Pickering caught his breath.
‘Look! There in the centre!’ he said, pointing at the crown. ‘That diamond! It’s the size of a goose egg!’
‘A big goose,’ added Dodge in an awed whisper. ‘A big, fat goose.’
The gang gazed greedily at the treasure, their fears forgotten.
Pickering snapped into action.
They were over the ropes in a flash, scooping up great handfuls of golden treasure and giggling with mad delight as they crammed it into their bags. They filled their pockets too, slipped bracelets on their wrists and rings on every finger.
Then there was a sound.
Everyone froze.
‘What was that?’ said Shifty, cocking an ear to listen.
‘It was nothing,’ said Crusher, shoving a third tiara onto his bald, stubbly head. ‘You’ve got the jitters, that’s all.’
Shifty listened for a moment more, but hearing nothing, started digging out rubies from a jewelled box with the tip of his knife.
They froze again.
‘OK, tell me you didn’t hear it that time?’ said Shifty, his voice going a bit squeaky.
‘I think it came from … that,’ said Jelly, staring wide-eyed at the golden skull.
‘It was the wind, you gibbering goons!’ snapped Pickering. ‘Just the wind! Now get on with it!’
Ben was backing away as far as the leash would let him.
‘Er, perhaps we should scarper, eh boss?’ said Shifty, gingerly stepping away. ‘We’ve got plenty of loot.’
‘You stay where you are!’ hissed Pickering viciously. ‘We’re not going anywhere without that crown!’
He turned and stepped towards the golden skull, his eyes fixed on the Mummy’s Crown and its enormous glittering diamond.
He reached for it. His quivering fingertips stretched out, just inches away. The room fell deathly quiet as everyone held their breath.
In a flash, the skull shot upwards with a booming moan and towered over Pickering. Bony hands stretched out from beneath billowing robes, and light blazed from the skull’s hollow eyes.
Pickering shrieked. He fell backwards, letting Ben’s leash slip from his fingers. Pickering then scrabbled to get away, bumped into Ben and knocked him, stumbling, into the Mummy’s clutches!
‘It’s got him!’ shouted Shifty. ‘It’s got Pole!’
The Mummy’s cloak swirled round Ben and he vanished.
There was a muffled scream and then silence.
The Midnight Mob watched in horror as the Mummy’s cloak swept slowly open.
There on the floor lay Ben.
He was shrivelled to a nub!
That was it! Jelly, Dodge, Shifty and Crusher bolted shrieking for the door, flapping about like wet hens, throwing off their jewellery and emptying their pockets as they went.
‘HALT! NOBODY MOVE!’ shouted a voice over the din.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Mrs Pole stood framed in the doorway, shielding her eyes from the dazzling torchlight.
The gang of stubby little men threw themselves at her feet, trembling like jellies.
‘SAVE US, MISSUS!’ they begged and pleaded.
‘IT’S THE MUMMY’S CURSE!’ they shouted over each other.
‘We didn’t mean to steal all the stuff!’
‘Just get us out of here before we gets shrivelled by the Mummy!’
‘A nice jail cell – lock us up nice and safe! PLEASE, MISSUS!’
Without a moment’s hesitation, Mrs Pole hoisted the men onto their feet, dragged them out into the corridor like sacks of porridge, and locked them in a broom cupboard.
With the peculiar little men safely tucked away, she strode back into the Treasure Chamber.
It was a mess. Treasure was strewn all over the floor. The rest of it was packed in big black bags.
The golden skull was back on display, as still as the grave.
‘You were brilliant!’ said Ben, emerging from the dark.
Mrs Pole goggled. ‘What are YOU doing here? Are you OK? Who ARE those men and what’s all this about shrivelling
