The Rules of the Red - 2014 Watty Award Winner |✓|

Chapter Nine - Part One

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CHAPTER NINE

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I walked up and down the halls of the New Yorker Museum with Tidus, matched in stride, and yet strangely distant. He spoke politely, opened doors for me, and caught me by the hand once when I almost tripped going down a step. But he would hardly look at me, and when he did it was rarely in the eye. He was torn between the monster and the gentleman – two halves struggling to conquer one soul. And all I could do was watch and just hope that the right half would win.

At one point, we ended up standing together in front of a display. And at first glance, Tidus seemed to be studying Frost at Giverny, but a perceptive eye could see that he was troubled. Because as beautiful as Claude Monet’s painting was, it simply couldn’t hold his full attention. He stared at the painting, and yet I knew he didn’t really see it.

For a moment, I looked to him, and wanted to ask if he was ok, or if perhaps he wanted to talk about what was wrong. But then I remembered how he wasn’t interested in friendship, so I merely walked away.

And after an hour of solemn strolling, we finally hit pay dirt. We found ourselves in one of the last rooms of the museum that was open to the public. It was a large open area with strange tribal paintings, and pictures of odd symbols hung along the walls. I paused, disturbed, but unable to look away from a depiction of a large black snake that was simultaneously raping and strangling a woman.

“I think we’ve found what it is we’re looking for.” Tidus said, nodding in the direction of one of the room’s only display cases.

Together, we approached a small, clear, glass podium, of about waist-height. Feeling both excited, and apprehensive I stooped to observe the open ring box that lay on a satin, cream-colored pillow within. Sitting in the box was a heavy-looking black diamond in a canary-colored band. Light from the museum windows struck the ring, casting glimmers of gray along the walls of the room.

“Stunning, isn’t?”

I looked up to see a tall, thin man staring down at me from the opposite side of the podium’s case. He wore a crisp suit with the pin of the hotel’s name and insignia at the breast pocket. His hair was brown and greying prematurely, and he looked as if he had been ill recently. But his strong smile, and the hardness to his eyes, told me that he was still quite agile for a man of his condition.

“Very,” I said, straightening. “I’ve never seen a ring like it. It’s gorgeous.” I offered my hand, along with a polite smile. “I’m Naomi. This is my… friend, Tidus.”

“Hello, I’m Ben Foster.” The man said, offering his hand to each of us. “I am the museum’s head curator and leading archaeologist. I see that you are interested in this piece. Usually, we aren’t interested in carrying jewelry, but this piece happens to have very significant history behind it. Have you ever heard of the Countess, Neona Aslin?”

I shook my head no, but I was surprised to see Tidus give an odd smile and nod that yes, he had.