Lottie gasped Does that mean you’d lose your job And Uncle Bert Yes and that useless caretaker too sneered Sir Trevelyan Lottie was going to protest about her friend Reg being called useless but decided that now wasn’t the time And you’d be thrown out of your quarters here The whole museum would be shut down until the money could be raised Lottie bit her lip in worry Sir Trevelyan for all his unpleasantness was a fighter He never backed down from an argument or a challenge but as Lottie looked at him she realized that today he looked different He looked defeated 6
I’ll go tell Uncle Bert she said turning to leave As she walked away from the curator’s office she realized that she would have to do the unthinkable She had to help Sir Trevelyan Taylor Lottie walked through the Ancient Rome department where she found her great uncle Bert face down on the floor his head pressed against the wooden floorboards Are you all right Uncle Bert she said dashing over to him Did you fall No no Just erm resting he said unconvincingly 7
Lottie gave him a look that clearly said I don’t believe you Oh all right I dropped a coin between the floorboards and I was trying to see if I could get it out Lottie laughed Uncle Bert the Curator of Egyptology at the British Museum had been left in charge of the Roman section for a few weeks while Cedric the usual Curator of Roman Artifacts was on an archaeological dig He had only been gone for three days so far Oh Uncle What did you drop A penny A nickel No it’s eh rather more valuable than that said Uncle Bert with a blush A golden 8
Roman aureus It was two thousand years old and part of the Roman coin exhibit Lottie sighed and went to get Reg the tall caretaker who lived on the grounds of the museum with them He came quickly carrying a crowbar and hammer instead of his usual mop and bucket Reg to the rescue he announced Where did you drop it butterfingers Are you sure that a crowbar is the best way to go about this Reg asked Lottie It seems a bit drastic 9
