Century Traveler

Seeing his discomfort, Mel immediately felt sorry for having pressured him. "I didn't mean to hurt you, John. I'm sorry."

"Look, Mel, I'm sorry I'm not ready to return Satomi's feelings. I'm not ready to be someone's boyfriend. I'm certainly not going to begin a physical relationship with someone who has an emotional bond, as that wouldn't be fair to either of us. I really enjoyed the kiss, but you saw how that finished."

He saw Mel was fixating on his mouth as her mind was cast back to the event. He felt distinctly uncomfortable as he recalled the multiple times in the past when the circumstances were reversed. He'd been the one obsessing over Melanie's amazingly lush, soft, kissable lips. Longing to feel them against his, to feel her tongue slipping into his mouth, to slide his fingers into her long black tresses, the press of their bodies against each other...

John gasped and pulled back as he suddenly realized how close he'd come to kissing Mel. She was leaning forward, her eyes closed, those wonderful lips ready for the touch of his. He'd been halfway across the table himself.

"I'm sorry, Mel. I have to go," he said abruptly and left, walking in the direction he was facing. He wandered aimlessly, shaken to the core. "Was Deron right? What have I become?" he thought.

He found an empty bench in a park and sat with his head in his hand, elbows resting on his knees.

After a few minutes, he felt the bench settle under the weight of another occupant. His sense of smell detected the warm spice of a familiar cologne.

"Why have you been avoiding me, Mr. Sass?" John asked quietly, not moving from his position.

"Have I?" came the reply.

"I needed to speak with you. Crazy shit is happening in my life, and for some reason, I really need your input," John said calmly.

"What can an old fool like me possibly offer that's of value?" the man replied. John picked up something in the tone. Anger? Grief? Was it directed at him? Not for the first time, he wished he knew how to read people better.

"Guidance or just a non-judgemental ear. Sometimes that's all that's needed. Someone to listen," John said.

There was a pause as the old man digested this. "Okay, I'm listening."

John's mind immediately swam with the multitude of things he wanted to discuss with him. The enormity of what he wanted to tell him was daunting. John sat back and realized this park wasn't the best setting either. Too busy. He looked over at the man and was shocked to see he looked like he'd aged since he'd seen him in the hospital. Suddenly he felt terribly selfish for thinking of his own needs. The man slept on the streets, for Pete's sake!

"How have you been?" John asked.

The question caught Mr. Sass by surprise. He smiled, and his shoulders relaxed. "I've been worried about someone. Looks like it isn't all bad news."

John smiled, and his eyes filled with tears for some odd reason. He had to look away. He felt a hand on his shoulder, giving him a pat.

His cell began ringing insistently. He recognized the tone as Deron's. He smiled apologetically at Mr. Sass. "Sorry. That's my boss. Probably wondering why I didn't return to work after lunch. I'd better answer."

Mr. Sass just nodded.

"Hello. Yes, sorry I had to do something, but I'll be back shortly. No, everything is good. Thanks!"

He looked at the old man. "Could I speak with you after work tonight? Are you available? Maybe I could buy us dinner?"

Old but sharp eyes gauged him, and Mr. Sass smiled. "Sure. I'll be around. We can talk then."

John stood and shook the man's hand. Then he headed back to work. Knowing he'd be able to talk with Mr. Sass really helped, and by the time he reached the office, he was almost feeling normal.

He managed to avoid Mel and Satomi on his way in, and neither sought him out, so he buried himself in his work. He had some trouble with his e-mail in the afternoon, so he went up to speak with Kelly in her cluttered office/server room. The room was a little chilly for his tastes, but Kelly seemed to prefer it. She sat at her desk, eyes fixed on the weblogs scrolling up her screen. John smiled as he looked at the wall of pictures Kelly had taped up of her girlfriend. At least here, he didn't need to worry about being accused of trying to seduce this co-worker. Kelly was quite head over heels for Laura and had been for over a year. He thought they made a cute couple. Laura even looked like a blonde version of Kelly.

Kelly seemed to notice him standing there, which meant she wasn't completely absorbed in the web logs after all. She spun around in her chair and grinned up at him.

"Well, look who's here! Mr. Animal Magnetism himself."

"What?" John blurted, stunned. He was perhaps a little too sensitive to such comments.

"Sorry, but I call 'em like I see 'em. Satomi was absolutely enraptured by that kiss you gave her the other day, which was hella hot, by the way! God! I think we all creamed our jeans when you growled at Deron, all deep and throaty like that. Even Franklin."

John placed his right hand over his eyes and rubbed his temples, which were beginning to throb with a headache. "Kelly, please, I didn't come here to talk about this."

"Well, that's too bad, dude, cuz you're the reason Laura and I have had really hot sex the past couple of nights. When I described what happened in explicit detail, she went wild! That's right! You're our straight fantasy fuck!" She laughed at the embarrassed look on his face.

"Kelly! Geezus! Give it a rest! I just need you to look into why my e-mail account isn't responding!" John groaned.

"Oh, that! I took your account offline as someone outside was trying their best to hack into it. They were pretty sneaky, but I'm sneakier, or perhaps I should say, more paranoid because I had precautions in place to catch that kind of activity. I locked them in a loop where they would think they were getting deeper, but it just took them in circles. I kept them online for twenty minutes before they clued in and logged off. In that time, I tried every trick in my repertoire to trace them back, but it was a no-go. They covered their source really well. I'll put your account back online now."

"How often does that happen?" he asked, puzzled.

Kelly snorted as she shrugged. "Hackers show up randomly and test the limits of our site. It happens. Directed attacks on specific accounts are much less frequent here. I can't recall when the last one was... or if we've ever had one here," Kelly said, her eyes drawn back to the screen.

"Thanks," John said.

"No problem... lover!" she giggled.

He made his way back to his desk, feeling a little worse for wear. He hadn't expected Kelly to react like that. Oh, he knew she had a sailor's tongue, but she'd never directed it at him before.

He went back into his e-mail and followed up on a few items when his direct line rang.

"Hello, John speaking."

"Ah, yes, uh, is this John who was interested in the Ethiopian tablet?" said a voice. John picked up that the speaker was young, female, and nervous.

"Yes, is this ArchAnon555?" he asked.

"...Yes, I guess I am. Now," she said, her voice trembling.

"Is everything all right?" he asked.

"Sorry, my uncle passed away a couple of days ago. I'm the executor of his will. I found he'd left his computer logged in to his e-mail, and I saw your message at the top of the stack. I'm definitely interested in selling it. It's been nothing but a burden to our family for years. He was obsessed with it, and it destroyed his marriage. The sooner it's gone, the better. You mentioned in the note that you'd help ensure the seller got a fair price. My uncle had a lot of debt when he died. Do you think I could get a good price for it?" she asked hopefully.

John cringed inwardly when ArchAnon555's niece and executor divulged how eager she was to sell the artifact. He definitely got the vibe that the young woman could easily be steamrolled into a bargain price. She was lucky that John took his commitment to being fair to both parties very seriously.

"Yes, I should be able to help you get a very fair price for it. To be a seller with us, you'll need to go to our website and set up an account - enter 'ArchAnon555' as the username. As you've informed me that the item belonged to your deceased uncle, you'll need to scan a copy of the document listing you as executor and legal representative and attach it to the account. I'll send you the link. Do you think you can do this?" he asked.

"Yes, I've had to send out that information more than once today, so I already have it scanned," she replied.

"I have to inform you that the tablets have some troublesome history. There were originally two. One was stolen in transit, and one was involved in a multiple homicide. I've been informed that my company does not wish to know the history of the item you have in your possession, so if you know which of the two it is, please do not share that information with me. This is the only way we can broker the deal. Is this understood?"

"Oh my God! I knew it was cursed!" the woman gasped.

"Did you understand what I just said?" John asked again, trying to remain calm with the stakes this high.

"Oh! Yes, I understand. Sorry!" she finally agreed.

"Is the item secure for shipping?" John asked.

"Yes, it's still in the original crate. There are old British Airways cargo stickers and an address label for Oxford University sealing the crate shut. Do you want me to open it to confirm the contents?" she asked.

"Ah, you just gave me the history of the item." The woman moaned unhappily. "However, we're in luck. It sounds like it's not the one involved in the homicides. I will proceed with that understanding, so we are good."

John exhaled with relief. "Normally, I'd have you confirm what's inside the box, but from what I understand, uncrating an artifact can be a delicate process and could damage the item if done incorrectly. As you've indicated that the crate appears to have remained unopened, I'd suggest that it might be safer to just have it shipped here. We'll have our expert confirm its authenticity and give an appraisal. The final say on making the sale is always yours. Please note that you'll need to pay for the initial shipping to us. The price for that is based on weight and the cost of insurance. I suggest you insure the package for as much as you feel comfortable spending. We have a courier for antiquities, and I'll send you their details. They're fully bonded and know how to deal with fragile items. I'd suggest you wrap the crate to obscure its original labeling. Maybe in layers of bubble wrap? You will also need to pay for the appraisal, and I can tell you that will run you roughly three-hundred-dollars."

"That's a lot of money to pay up front. What if the deal falls through?" she asked, worried.

"Well, I can tell you I have a very motivated buyer who's confirmed with us that they will buy the item if it's authenticated and you agree upon a price. For your peace of mind, you could find someone to authenticate it before you ship it here, but you'll still need to pay for our expert to authenticate it for us. That part is non-negotiable."

"What kind of price can I expect for it? How much is it worth?" she asked.

"These items are in an odd category. If you were to take it to a museum, they'd tell you it's priceless and ask you to donate it because that's how much they'd give you, nothing. Like a painting from one of the masters, the price largely depends on what collectors are willing to pay. That's what we'll learn from the appraisal. The buyer is also subject to the appraisal. The appraiser might determine that the collector market for obscure, ancient Ethiopian tablets is very small, limiting the value. Another option you have would be to take it to an auction house, but I should warn you that while Oxford's legal claim on this item may have expired, if they learn of the auction, they may still file a claim that would tie it up in the courts. That's just a possibility. I hope that helps."

John was sure Oxford wouldn't do anything of the sort or even be aware of such an auction until after the fact. While he felt a little bad doing it, he'd offered the auction route to make her feel at ease with him, then planted the seed of doubt to kill its appeal. He wanted her to continue to work through him. While it wasn't his intention to swindle her, he still needed to pull in the commission.

There was silence at the other end of the phone for a while, then he heard her sigh. "Okay, send me the details for the courier. I want this thing out of our lives. Please let me know when you've received the assessment. I'll send you a cheque for that. Let's hope for the best. As I said, my uncle left us with some debt. The money would really be welcome."

John did a silent victory punch, then quickly sent the courier details to the ArchAnon555 account. "Alright, I've sent you the information. I'll get the ball rolling on our side. Thank you very much. I'll inform the buyer that we've entered the next phase of the deal. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions."

"Thanks, John. Bye," she said and hung up.

John stood up and did a little dance at his desk, then walked to Deron's office.

The man was working on his PC with a pencil in his mouth.

"So, can you contact our assessor and ask if he's qualified to authenticate ancient Ethiopian tablets and give us an appraisal?"

The pencil dropped unnoticed to the floor as Deron's eyes lit up and his face split into a big grin. "You did it? He wants to sell, and he'll work through us?"

"Well, duh!" John teased.

"That's awesome!" Deron's grin was infectious.

"I'll ask Kelly to keep an eye out for her account," John said, turning away.

"ArchAnon55 is a she. Cool," Deron remarked.

"Actually, ArchAnon555 died a couple of days ago, and his executor is his niece. Not to worry, she will send us the confirmation documentation," he quickly added, seeing Deron's face fall. The grin sprang right back on his face.

"That's why I keep you around," Deron said.

"Oh, did I mention she told me the item's history?" John said, watching Deron's face fall again. Before the man could explode, John held up his hands reassuringly. "It's cool! It's the one that was shipped to Oxford. I didn't ask. She just blurted it out after I told her not to tell me."

"You're going to give me heart failure! Get out of my office before you do. Hey, take the rest of the day off!" Deron said magnanimously.

John glanced at the wall clock and saw it was past his quitting time. "Nice."

Deron laughed and waved him away in a shooing motion. As he bent to pick up the pencil, he clunked his head on the desk.

"Karma, man," John said and beat it before Deron could pitch the pencil at him.

John returned to his desk and fired off the note to the buyer, informing him the seller was interested and that they'd begun the next phase of the deal. That felt satisfying to write. He knew that the whole transaction could come crashing down if the item was a fake or if the seller decided the shipping costs were too much, or for a multitude of other reasons. But the ball was rolling for now.

He left Kelly a note regarding ArchAnon555's account, then signed off and packed up. Then he headed for the door. He spotted Mel coming out of the ladies' room, and he stopped to apologize to her, but she blushed and did an immediate turnaround and headed back inside. Satomi would have already left for the day, so he wouldn't be bumping into her tonight. He thought about dinner with Mr. Sass and wondered where he would take the man.

"John! Yo, dude!" Franklin called out somewhat frantically.

John turned around and saw the young man sitting at the checkout desk. "Oh! Goodnight, Franklin!"

"Yeah, goodnight. The scary old black dude poked his head inside and told me to tell you that something came up and he had to leave. He said he'd try again tomorrow night."

"Thanks for telling me," John said with disappointment.

"Are you kidding me? You have to tell him I gave you the message, or he'll cut me," Franklin moaned with fear.

"He's not going to do that," John replied.

"Just tell him."

"Goodnight, Franklin."

John really wanted to speak with Mr. Sass. He sighed and headed off to catch the bus instead.

Chapter 10

The courier company contacted John the following morning to inform him that the package had arrived at their office too late to be delivered until the next morning. He thanked them for the update, then called Deron.

"Hey, boss. The tablet won't be in until tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll let Jean-Francois know. He has someone in mind to do the authentication and assessment. It will probably take another day or so to arrange to have them come in. While I have you on the phone, I have a favor to ask," Deron began.

"Sure, what is it?" John asked.

"I got a call from a publisher who wants to come in for a tour this afternoon. I'd do it... but I'm the boss, and I don't want to, and you owe me for pranking me back when the tablet order first came in. See? I told you I'd get you back. Honestly, I don't know what she wants, and I'm not really interested in taking on any specific lines from a publishing house. I'd rather not burn any bridges hence getting you to do the tour and find out what she wants. Her name is Kate Darrows, and her publishing house is Seshat Publishing. Do a little research before she arrives, which should be around five. She's flying in from Seattle. Seriously, are you cool with this?" Deron asked.

"Sure, no problem," John said. He'd done similar tours in the past and knew the script to follow.

"You da man!" Deron cheered, then hung up.

John opened a browser and pulled up the Seshat Publishing website. A few minutes later, he was already bored. They specialized in republishing public domain ancient texts of the occult and spun them into fluff for the masses. It was probably very profitable, but their link to what Century Traveler did was very limited. Still, he'd listen to what the woman had to say.

Speaking of the woman, their website had no pictures of her at all. John had to do some serious Internet spelunking to find an old image of her on a fan site of a Seshat series. Apparently, Kate had attended a trade show twelve years ago in England to promote their books. This particular fan managed to sneak a picture of the otherwise photo-phobic woman. She wasn't looking directly at the camera, but she was a very attractive woman, from what he could see. At the time, she was maybe in her early forties, and had long red hair and hourglass curves. He couldn't get much more from the one image he found. As it was over a decade ago, he wondered if she'd kept her figure. Something to look forward to anyway.

It was approaching lunchtime, and John had a mission. He wanted to apologize to Satomi for kissing her and almost kissing Mel. Which one he spoke to first depended on which of them was least successful in avoiding him.

He headed over to Mel's desk and saw that she'd already left. Heading down to the floor, he discovered from Franklin that Satomi had gone to lunch with Mel after refusing his invitation yet again! The young man was quite outraged that his fantasy woman didn't want to even break bread with him. John asked if he knew where they were going and was told the sandwich shop the next street over. John recalled the place and suspected it was a favorite spot for sharing girl talk across the small cramped tables in the intimate seating area in the back.

John strolled over to the shop and bought a large roast beef sub. He carried it into the dark warren of the seating area and spotted his prey in the far corner. He saw that he'd be able to slip in a chair next to the small booth and get a captive audience and a good amount of privacy if he tucked in. He needed to clear the air, and he wanted them all to go back to being friends, but first, he needed to talk with them.