In a Single Day and Night

“…in a single day and night of misfortune all your warlike men in a body sank into the earth, and the island of Atlantis in like manner disappeared in the depths of the sea.” ― Plato, Timaeus and Critias

It was nothing like Merv had imagined it to be; a ring cobbled together with seashells and some petrified sticks, the crown resembled something more akin to flotsam than the property of some supposed majestic empire. If the plaque in front of the railing and the 3-inch-thick bulletproof glass casing didn’t clue on to what the hell it actually was, Merv would’ve thought the museum was displaying some primary schooler’s art project instead of a purported ancient artifact.

‘The Crown of Atlantis.’ Merv shone his torch on the plaque in front of the exhibit and scoffed. ‘If you say so, Smithsonian.’

Sitting in a glass cabinet no bigger than a bar fridge, the exhibit was currently on loan from the Smithsonian for the first time since its acquisition 15 years ago. Prior to the display, the item had called the inside of a dark wooden crate home, having been removed less than a dozen times – for short periods only — so the authenticity of the royal headdress could be verified.

Supposedly.

Merv shone his torch past the display in the direction of the restroom. It wasn’t often that he had stowaways in the…