Read The Prisoner of Chillon and Scattered Short Stories Page 8
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“Harry should be in position by this evening. Let’s check the scene and establish contact with him after dinner. He’s going to give us two clear, adjoining hallways to work with. We have to take care of whatever mechanism they have set up to protect the case holding the vases. So be very perceptive when we get down there. Let me do the art talk while you inspect the technology.”
“My specialty."
"By the way, Maggie, what was all that crap about ‘you’ll be surprised about the results.’ She’s very nice, but just don’t take her for a fool. Actually, I think she’s quite charming.”
Maggie shrugged.
“Enough. It’s about time. Take the bag and let’s go down to meet her near the exhibition case.” He looked out the window at the cars leaving the parking lot. “I think visiting hours are over.”
The curator and his student walked down toward the area of the castle which the Duke had opened to visitors six years earlier as a means to gain some profit from his family’s beautiful holdings - the value of landed wealth had been corroding for a long time. A guard led them to Lady Jennifer, who happily escorted the researchers to the display case holding the precious paper mache vases.
“Marvelous,” Lynn Peterson smiled at her teacher. “So different from all the pictures.”
“Certainly,” Dean Westerfield almost purred as a guard helped him lift the top off the case, while Maggie watched the placement of the safety locks. “That makes perfect sense, for the camera could not capture the full reflection capacity of the glaze.” He turned to her, now holding one of the vases. “Remember those vases out of the third Ming Dynasty that I was showing you a few months ago? They have the same resistance to dust gathering.”
“That is explained by the lack of static electricity formed by its surface atoms,” Lady Jennifer smiled, gently touching the vase. “I’ll look again for my paper on the various properties of the polymers.”
“Don’t worry your busy schedule about it,” Maggie snapped back sarcastically. “I have the right books upstairs.”
Lady Jennifer replied with the calmness and soft grace that was expected of her. She managed to take no offense. “I’m sure you do, Ms. Peterson, but if any assistance is needed, I would be. . .”
“Thanks.”
Westerfield turned and glared at his companion. “Don’t you just adore the minuteness of the figures at the neck?” he persisted, trying to turn Maggie away from her presumed rival and back to the display case.
“incredible.” While the examination continued, Westerfield showed his findings to the fascinated Lady Jennifer while his assistant, pretending to take notes, was examining the laser emitters that criss-crossed the sides of the heavily protected display case. They would have to be very careful, she knew. But once the vases were out, the rest was up to good old Harry.