Page 42 of The Explorer
“How does it work?” Indiana asked.
“We’re linked up to it via our brain implants. It scans the buildings. I can see floor plans in my mind that Pio shows me with an analysis of building materials and strength. This building isn’t about to collapse so it’s safe to go inside.”
We walked around in the remnants of what had once been an elegant jewelry store. Moss grew on the carpet, fungus on some of the walls, and a small tree was sprouting through the floorboards.
Banni squatted down and waved us over to a pile of old boxes. “We’ve already taken some of it, but what do you think?” He held up a display of earrings.
“Helmes can take these and polish them into beautiful jewelry again. Do you want some for your mom?”
“Are you kidding me? Yes!” Indiana reached for the treasure while I looked through the pile with Banni. We found necklaces and arm bracelets.
“Can we take all of them?” I asked.
“Sure, if you want to, but do you think your friends would want this old stuff?”
“Of course! Don’t the French?”
“There’s a small market for antiques, but most people connect pre-war things with bad energy. Some say that objects can carry spirits inside them and it’s bad luck to own them.”
Indiana and I kept going through the treasures of the store. “Northlanders aren’t afraid of ghosts and spirits. We could make a fortune by bringing antiques back home.”
“Hmm.” Banni looked around the store. “What about old watches? There are some over there.”
Indiana laughed with glee when he found at least forty watches in fine boxes.
“Do they still work?” I asked.
He used his gamma reader before picking up a few. “No, they need some restoration, but if that guy from the repair shop could show us how to do it, we could import antiques to the Northlands. I know I could sell all of these.”
“Always the businessman like your father,” I said and rubbed on one the necklaces. “I wanna give this one to my mother.”
“We should bring one for Freya as well. She’ll appreciate the history of the objects.”
“So would Pearl,” I pointed out and thought of a long list of close friends that would love a present like this.
In the end we filled a bag full of jewelry and watches. Just as we were about to leave, I pushed a door open into a back room, and found crates against the wall. Wrapped inside silk, I found a true treasure of a rococo style clock.
Even though the glass was dusty, and the gold was faded, I knew instantly that I had to have it.
“Can we bring this one?” I asked Banni.
He came to stand next to me and looked at the old fragile clock. “That old thing?”
“Yes. Even for the people who owned this store, this clock would have been an antique. With some tender love from your repair man, it could be beautiful again.”
When Banni agreed that I could bring it, I showed it to Indiana with pride.
“Does this remind you of something?”
His eyes widened. “That’s like the clock on my parents’ mantel in their living room.”
“Yes, except what they have is a replica. This one is a true French rococo style clock.” Making a sound of joy, I rose on my toes and beamed with excitement. “If we could have their friend at the repair shop fix this one, your mom would forgive me for staying in Old Europe. I know she worries about you and probably blames me for the whole thing since you wouldn’t have stayed if it weren’t for me.”
“Yeah, you’re right. It might take her a while to forgive you for that, but that clock would definitely help smooth things over with her.”
We spent five hours in the city center with Banni, Alex, and Val showing us some of the city’s old landmarks.
It was easy to see that this historical place had once been a proud and gorgeous city. At the same time, it was sad to walk around among the ruins of what had once been. There were no signs of invasion by a foreign power, no bullet holes from projectiles fired, no burned-down buildings. Most likely people died from toxic bombs or they killed themselves because their brain implants got hacked.
