27. Clarry

CLARRY

I couldn't quite reach the cannister on the top shelf, my fingers brushing against it and pushing it farther out of reach. On the next shelf I glanced at the ticking timebomb.

6:17

6:16

6:15

I gave myself a leg up by stepping on the lowest shelf.

The set of shelves teetered with my weight.

I could almost reach the cannister, but not quite.

I stepped up to the next shelf.

Everything started rocking.

The cannister slid into my hand and I grabbed it…

Just before the entire set of shelves came tumbling down.

I hit the floor first, the cannister containing The Goddess of Happiness slipping from my hand and rolling across the floor.

A split second later, all the shelving and all the cannisters landed on top of me in an almighty crash.

The dynamite package scuttled across the floor, the timer not missing a beat.

6:01

6:00

5:5 9

With a grunt I managed to pull myself out from under the shelves, tipping cannisters off the top of me.

I staggered unsteadily toward The Goddess of Happiness cannister, stumbling giddily into the projector and leaning on it to try and gain my balance.

As I did, I hit a switch.

The reel inside the projector started spinning and the speakers inside the theater came to life.

I peered out through the projector window to see the silver screen light up with the last movie that had played at the Ritz… The Bodyguard . It was on the final reel, the movie's climax only minutes away.

I looked at the bomb on the floor and thought my own climax would be minutes away too if I didn't get the heck out of there now.

I grabbed the cannister containing Mavis's film.

I pushed my way through the door and into the theater where I thought I heard a strange crash and clatter. I dismissed it as part of the movie that was playing up on the big screen and bolted out into the foyer.