عتیقه فروش

Adam Carr

a fifty-year-old antique dealer

stood in the middle of his emporium

and watched shoppers as they examined his unusual antiques.

Collectors from all over the world came to buy his statues

artwork, jewelry, books, and hundreds more antiques

that no other antique dealer could offer.

Sir Eric Morgan

holding a gold necklace and a dagger

worked his way through the crowd to Adam.

“Adam, my good man”

my catalog shows this necklace to be one worn by Nefertiti

of Ancient Egypt

circa 3600 BC,”

he said

and showed Adam the picture in the catalog.

“An amazing resemblance, wouldn’t you say, old chap?

Was it made for you?

If so, shouldn’t you label it a replica?

“Sir Morgan, suppose I told you that it is not a replica.

What would you say?

“Well, Adam, I would say…

I would say, well how could it be?

If it were the real thing

the archeological world would have broadcast its find.

I don’t understand.

“Sir Morgan,

we’ve known each other for many years.

I would never lie to you.

Tell you what

Take the necklace to anyone you want to have it examined.

I’m sure you have an expert on your payroll

who can tell a replica from the authentic piece.

“Oh.

this is very generous of you.

I will take you up on your offer.

Now, I would like to know about this,”

he said holding up the dagger.

“My friend

what you’re holding is an ancient Roman dagger

used by Brutus to kill Caesar.

“Come, now

this can’t be the real thing.

I mean something like this would surely have been lost.

Where did you get it?

“My friend, let me just say I got it.

You may take both to your expert if you wish.

“May I keep them for a week?

I’ll have to fly my man in ­from London.

“Of course.

Take your time.

If you will excuse me

I believe I have a customer,”

he said

and went to a woman who was holding a painting in one hand

and her check book in the other.

After everyone had left,

Adam tallied his sales.

100,000 dollar

Not bad.

I will have to acquire some more antiques,” he said

went to his office, pressed some buttons on the lock

and the door opened.

He entered,

locked the door behind him

and went to a sliding door in the wall

and entered a walk-in closet.

He removed a black jump suit

a black head covering

black gloves

and black, sneaker-like shoes.

Standing in front of an ornate, full-length mirror

he put on the clothes.

The head-covering which was lined with Velcro at the neck

stuck smoothly to the Velcro that lined the turtle-neck collar of the jump suit.

The front of the mask was made with material that he could see through

and allowed him to breath

as though there was nothing covering his face.

When he finished dressing

he turned to see no skin could be seen.

Every inch of him was covered.

Next, he took a black back pack

that was made out of the same material as his clothes,

and slung it on his back.

He looked in the mirror,

and after several moments he became invisible.

“There, Now I’m ready for a shopping trip.

He turned toward his office door

opened it and saw a man trying to get into a show case

in which there was jewelry.

He locked his office door and walked slowly toward the man

who heard him and turned.

“What the hell.

I thought I heard someone.

Must be my imagination,” he said

and returned to the show case.

Adam walked up to the case

and slapped the man in the face.

“What the fu*ck”

he swore

and put his hand to his face.

Adam hit him again, knocking the man to the floor.

“Jeez, this place is haunted,”

he gasped and ran out of the building.

“Being invisible has its advantages,” Adam said

returned to his office,

and went to the mirror.

“Mirror, I want to see Nero watching Rome burn.

“Yes, Master, Look.

a voice said and Adam looked in the mirror

and saw a city in flames.

The vision showed a man standing on a roof top

apparently singing and playing an instrument.

“He’s playing a cithara.

If I don’t get it, it will be lost in the flames,”

he said, stepped in the mirror and set foot on the roof.

Nero was a few yards away.

Adam hurried to Nero

and pulled the Cithara out of his hands startling him.

“Mirror, make a portal for me

and an opening appeared.

Nero stared as Adam went through the opening

and stepped out of the mirror in his office.

“This is a treasure,” he said holding the Cithara up.

“Imagine, this was in Nero’s hands.

Wait till the collectors see this, especially Sir Morgan.

A week of brisk business went by and Sir Morgan returned.

“Adam, How do you do it?

How do you get these?

My expert said they are authentic.

How much do you want for them?

“One million for each.

“Sold.

And, Adam

I’ll give you anything you want

if you will tell me how you got these.

“I’m sorry, my friend, I cannot tell you.

“Alright, If you won’t tell me how,

may I ask you to get something for me?

“Yes, What do you want?

“Nero’s fiddle,The fiddle he played while Rome burned.

“He didn’t play a fiddle.

The fiddle or violin wasn’t invented until the 16th century.

Nero played an instrument called a cithara

it’s like a lyre.

Come with me,”

Adam said

and went to the cithara that he put in the show case.

“There it is.

“My God, Adam,”

Sir Morgan said looking closely at the cithara.

“Anyone else would say you’re a charlatan

but I know you are not.

I believe you, I must have it.

How much?

“Two million.

It wasn’t easy getting this.

“Sold

Now, tell me

can you get anything

“I doubt that I can get anything.

Why?

What do you want?

“Don’t laugh.

I want the forbidden fruit.

You know

Adam and Eve and the serpent.

“You’re joking.

The story of Adam and Eve is just a story.

Not too many people believe it’s true.

“I know

but if it’s true

then you would know

“Alright, I’ll try.

“Great,” he said

he shook Adam’s hand and he left.

That night, Adam prepared himself and faced the mirror.

“Mirror

I want to go to Garden of Eden

when Eve encountered the snake,”

he said, and an image of a garden

and a woman talking to a snake that was coiled around a tree branch.

“Oh, my God, it’s true,”

he thought, stepped in the mirror

and stood in the garden.

As he did, his clothes disappeared and he stood naked.

Eve turned to him.

“Adam, come to see what the snake has for us to eat,”

Nobody knew what happened to Adam.

Sir Morgan thought he knew

but never shared his thoughts with anyone.