Chapter 4
Ursula Borkart read Dalton’s text message and saw the photo seconds before she was about to speak at the annual meeting of The Society of American Magicians at The Roosevelt Hotel, of which she had been a member for thirty-nine years, since she was twenty-seven. She was so taken aback by what she saw that two words slipped out of her mouth in a whisper: “The Brimstone.”
She seriously considered making up an excuse for not giving her speech, calling Dalton and asking to see the object for herself. But she couldn’t afford to. She was on a panel and she needed the fifteen hundred dollars. Instead, she opted not to be bad mannered, walked purposely to the podium and rushed through her scheduled fifteen minutes in a compact eight.
Unlike the speakers before her who returned to their seats, Ursula mouthed the words “ladies room” to the moderator, slipped out of the auditorium and made a beeline to a quiet corner where she studied the photo on her Droid. It was difficult to detect any details and she knew that the key was the three indentations on the bottom. Without seeing it in person she couldn’t tell for sure.
As she scrolled to Dalton’s phone number, she knew she had to make a decision. She could call two people to do the verification, Proctor Newley in Manhattan and Henri Arpin in Paris. She was certain she could get more money from Henri, but he would need at least 24 hours to fly to New York. She was too excited to wait.
Seeing Ursula’s name on the Caller ID, he answered immediately. “Got anything for me?”
“It’s out of my wheelhouse, Dalton,” she said, which was a lie. As a member of The Brimstone Society she knew as much about the object as any of the others. “But I know someone who can help you.” If it were indeed the real thing, better to let, Proctor, the president of the Society make the official call. It would show respect and be a way of laying the groundwork for her plan. “It’s his area of expertise.”
“And that is?”
“Enchanted artifacts.”
Dalton had first been exposed to the mythology of magical objects in high school before the rift with his father. More elegantly referred to as enchanted artifacts. they come from legends and myth: Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur, the magic carpet from Arabian Nights and the invisibility cloak from Harry Potter.
“Dalton, are you in possession of the object in the picture?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my! Answer me this: Is it a cheaply designed piece of costume jewelry or more ornate?”
“Ornate.”
“Is it light or heavy?”
“On the heavy side. Looks like sterling silver and something else. Maybe quartz. It feels older rather than new.”
“The little charm-like things hanging from it: how many are there?”
“Six.”
“And what are they?”
“A small scissors, knife, compass, magnifying glass, a tiny clock and something I don’t recognize hanging from the bottom.”
“That’s called a vinaigrette. It was designed to hold smelling salts. Are the charms flimsy or sturdy?”
“Sturdy.”
“How did you come into possession of it?”
“My father had it with him when he died. There’s a possibility it may have had something to do with his death.”
“Goodness. So you’re not calling me on behalf of a client.”
“Indirectly. She’s here with me now, but this is personal, too.”
“The person I have in mind will need to see it up close to verify that it’s The Brimstone.” She immediately regretted uttering the word. In her excitement, she’d lost all caution.
“I thought it was called a chatelaine.”
Not wanting to say anymore, she said, “It would be better if Proctor explained. I’ll call him now.”
“Are you referring to Proctor Newley, the Director of The Morgan Library and Museum?”
“Yes.”
“He was my father’s primary specialist on rare books. I wonder if he contacted him about this Brimstone thing?”
To herself, Ursula thought No way in hell. Proctor would have reported it to the Society.
She continued in her singsong voice. “Enchanted artifacts are Proctor’s guilty pleasure. He plays it down to most people. Unless your father knew of Proctor’s interest in them he would have no reason to inquire about The Brimstone. Besides the rare books, The Morgan has a world-class collection of manuscripts, drawings, prints, and ancient artifacts. Those that fall under the enchanted umbrella are less visible. As soon as Proctor examines it he’ll know right away if it’s The Brimstone. And Dalton, don’t bother doing any research on The Brimstone. You won’t find any information of consequence. The Brimstone Society is a secretive bunch and have been know to put out false information. Wait for Proctor’s call.”
Ursula immediately called Proctor Newley only to get his Voicemail. “It’s Ursula. You may be getting an early birthday present.” Proctor would be turning seventy-four in six days. “Call me.”
Ursula couldn’t take her eyes off the image on her Droid screen. She wasn’t sure what held more interest for her, the powers The Brimstone had or its financial value.
She had fallen on hard times. At this point in her life, getting the seven-figure finder’s fee was clearly more appealing than being able to travel back in time.
