The Artifacts

910 Words2 Pages

It’s Dr. George Larkin dressed in his designer gray suit and polished shoes. Clean shaven, not a hair out of place. He’s a model of the status quo in all that splendor. It could’ve been his joke to send these girls in here, but Larkin doesn’t have a sense of humor that I’m aware of. The man barely smiles. And Dr. James Fielder isn’t far behind dressed in a lab coat. A competent man of science, I’ve always thought. He’s currently working on the non-destructive analytical methods such as examining trace elements and surface analysis, the boring stuff. Behind him is a third man that I don’t know. He’s wearing a brown huntsman tweed with the garnish of a maroon bow tie. It may’ve been dashing in its day, but that suit now lay shabby on this man’s portly frame and it smells of staleness as if it had been stored in the depths of an attic trunk. I’ve never cared about a fashion faux pas, but a violation of the nose is another matter. “Are you wearing headphones?” Dr. Larkin asks. “Ah…indeed. Sorry.” I lower them around my neck. “I don’t otherwise wear such things. Normally I work here alone, but…as you can see I have helpers today.” I smile over at the girls. “And a good job they are doing.” Dr. Larkin waves a hand at them and turns back to me. “Well…you already know Dr. Fielder.” “Of course.” I nod to him. “Now let me introduce Dr. Nelson Polley. Our newest fellow.” “Dr. Polley.” I reach out a hand. “Welcome.” “A pleasure sir.” Polley gives me a handshake that’s warm but firm and his eyes go soft around the edges. His smile is sincere. He’s the sort who would walk old ladies across the street and not complain about it and for that, the smell of his tweed suit is forgiven. “My field is artifact p... ... middle of paper ... ...s.” “That’s brilliant.” Fielder smiles. “Yeah. Calgon, take me awayyyy!” I’m feeling so relieved that the thought escapes out. Yet everyone’s face contorts. They don’t understand me. “It’s a commercial I once saw on holiday,” I try to explain it, but I’m too late. “DR. SCHWAB.” Larkin shouts in a voice that shouldn’t go ignored. “Coming. Right.” I know what it means. It means I must hurry and he’s already heading for the door. “Wait.” I take my headphones off and pat each of the girls’ hands to say goodbye to them, especially the mini ponytails. I wish them well. “You’d better get moving,” Fielder says and he tilts his head. I have to catch up, I know. Larkin is already down the hall, but I stop to pat the counter of my laboratory before rushing out the door. “Where are we going?” I ask. I’m at a run as we enter the Enlightenment Gallery.

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