Tiki by L. Sprague de Camp (F&SF, February 1977) is the sixth1 of his ‘W. Wilson Newbury’ series of stories, all of which concern the eponymous middle level banker and his various supernatural escapades. This one opens at a party to celebrate the opening of a new wing at the local museum (the “Drexel Hall of Crustaceans”), funded by Newbury’s rich boss, and which we find is now home to a large Polynesian idol of the goddess Tiki of Atea.
The rest of the story has Newbury turn up a few weeks later at his boss’s invitation for a personal tour round the new wing. Accompanying Newbury are his son, and the latter’s ne’er-do-well friend, both of who run off ahead and graffiti the idol with a moustache. When Newbury and Drexel get to the idol they hear a muttered threat (“You shall rue your insolence, mortal!”)
Later on, when Newbury and the kids are alone in the museum, the goddess animates the dead giant crabs and they are chased about for a bit until (spoiler) Newbury eventually stops them with a fire extinguisher. No explanation is given for why this would be anyone’s weapon of choice in combating zombie crustaceans.
Nearly all of the Newbury stories had this simple setup/denouement structure, and little in the way of complication or plot. Consequently they weren’t much good, and I always wondered why (a) de Camp bothered writing them, and (b) any editor bought them.
* (Mediocre). 3200 words.
1. Or seventh story. Another of de Camp’s Newbury stories, The Figurine, was published at the same time in the February 1977 Fantastic. The ISFDB page for the series is here.