Waters of Oblivion

Chapter 31: The Library

Sitting in the British Library's reading room, Reine flipped over the glossy photograph and read the label on the back.

008 NAVME Mariner's astrolabe

Description: Cast brass frame. All parts included and in exceptional condition.

Size: 207 mm diameter, 20 mm thick, 3288 g weight

Origin: Possibly Iran or Iraq

Date: circa 1600-1650

Graduations: Engraved scales to 1 degree with Arabic digits on the upper half of frame.

Inscriptions: None

Maker: Unknown

Provenance: Purchased by M. Nichols at auction in 1988; purchased as part of the Cantorini collection in 1923; in the possession of Admiral C. McGinty in 1840; found on a beach on Barbados in 1815.

She'd gone over the same lines numerous times in the course of the afternoon, but was still no closer to identifying the missing information. Although she'd called out several centuries' old manuscripts from the Asia and Africa collection, none of them proved useful. The reading room, which earlier had been packed with other researchers, was now almost completely empty. Even Noor had given up for the day in order to join Mal for dinner.

Reine turned over the picture and threw it on top of a dozen others like it. Although they also showed the same item, they were taken from different angles and with various degrees of magnification. Nevertheless, none were suitable. Reine preferred to examine artifacts personally: to feel the objects and to view them from a perspective a camera wasn't able to capture. It was easy to miss a tiny, yet important detail just from looking at a flat image.

She sighed, remembering she would have never guessed her pendant from Max was actually the original locket if she hadn't stumbled upon the hidden clasp.

The golden pendant with a jasper face. She drew her finger around the perimeter of the astrolabe in the photo, mimicking the shape of the jewelry she'd gotten for her engagement.

The engagement to Massimo Baldovini, son of a Florentine banker, at just sixteen years old. The movement of her finger stopped at the recollection.

He was so confident and assertive even then. He was also kind and generous. He'd devoted his attention to the family business upon his father's death, even at the expense of his own happiness.

She frowned. It was at the expense of her happiness, as well.

Although the delay of their wedding had been long, it luckily wasn't permanent. Six years later, they finally got a chance to declare their vows to each other in the church of Santa Maria Novella.

She smiled. They'd never even made it to the reception.

Reine had previously conferred extensively with her girlfriends - all of whom were by that age already not only married, but also with children - and thought she knew what to expect. Max loved her, but a man in the Fifteenth Century wasn't obligated to save himself for his future wife. She was held to different standards, but managed to look at the positive side: at least one of them would be experienced.

After years waiting for each other, they were both eager to consummate the marriage. The time leading up to it was easier during the years he often travelled, but when Max began spending more time in Florence, their mutual self-control was really put to the test.

Because of the extended engagement, their families considered a priest's blessing just a formality, and they often got to spend time together without a chaperone. While they didn't take full advantage of the lack of oversight, they came close on several occasions.