This is probably another thing over which only I puzzle, but this is also a question I would like to put to you guys, the readership, in the form of a debate. As such, this will be a two-part post, and each part will deal with one side of the question. The question up for the questioning is: Was Dexter bribed to steal the tablet and take it with him to the Smithsonian?
Pro: Yes, yes he was.
Why would he need to be bribed? In the alternate ending to BOTS, on the DVD, he is shown taking a protective stance in front of the tablet when the three old ex-night guards question Ahkmenrah regarding its safety. Blatant as his disregard for rules is, this shows that he understands that the tablet is the thing which gives all the exhibits life and therefore messing with it is a bad thing. This suggests, however subtlely, that he wouldn't steal the thing of his own free will.
Who would bribe him? Even Teddy Roosevelt, who is perhaps the exhibits' leader, is perfectly fine letting the tablet stay in a museum which is currently being gutted of roughly ninety percent of its exhibits. However, Ahkmenrah, who owns the tablet and therefore has top charge of its safety, likely would not. After all, a nearly completely emptied museum through which only construction workers pass through during normal working hours looks like prime pickings for anyone looking to steal a sizeable slab of magical 24-kt gold, especially Cecil, Gus, and Reginald. Ahkmenrah would be a complete fool to leave the tablet in such a dangerous situation knowing the obvious threat is still out there.
There's another reason Ahkmenrah would sneak the tablet out of the Museum of Natural History under the noses of practically everyone else: having been raised a diplomat from birth, basically, he would be very, very good at reading people, and he would pick up from Larry's general demeanor as he visits the museum, specifically that Larry is moving a million miles an hour without bothering to rest on any one subject for very long, a sign of workaholism and possibly also a clue that he doesn't want to stop and realize that he made a wrong choice. Ahkmenrah therefore picks up on the same thing Amelia does later on, but while Amelia is upfront in discussing it with Larry, if it's the case that Ahkmenrah bribed Dexter or otherwise involved him in the theft of the tablet, Ahkmenrah has chosen a course of action.
Relocating the tablet serves two purposes: he transfers it to another, more crowded museum where he's sure it will be safe, at least from threats of whose existences he is aware, and it sets Larry on a course back to where he belongs. Involving Dexter allows him to cover up his actions. After all, everyone knows Dexter as the klepto trouble-maker capuchin who loves a good joke at the expense of everyone else, the night guard(s) especially. No one would suspect that he'd been working for someone where the heist of the tablet is concerned. Therefore, everyone just assumes Dexter stole the tablet out of spite or some other personal motivation.
Next on "For the Love of Night at the Museum": The other side of the debate: why Dexter was self-motivated to steal the tablet, and then, my dear readers, the floor is yours!
Countdown: 327 Days to NATM 3
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