Conall the Red, aka 'Mac' (ruadh) wrote in shadowlands_ic, @ 2018-01-23 20:56:00 |
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Entry tags: | arabella ward, mac |
Who: Mac and Arabella
What: Talking coins and metallurgy
Where: British Museum
When: 6 January 1889 (backdated)
Ratings/warnings: Low
Mac enjoyed attending the British Museum every now and again. The organization had undergone explosive growth over the last few decades and there was always something new to see when he toured the grounds. Addition of collections from the near east and Egypt were especially interesting to the sidhe lord, one of the few times when he came face to face with objects older than himself and made of stone or bronze, no iron to be seen.
Arabella had moved from wing to wing, studying the coins of ancient cultures in turn as she came upon them, and skirting the heavier pieces of iron and steel when she came upon them, which felt like an itch between her shoulder blades even when she touched nothing. She would have bypassed the medieval collection entirely, filled as it was with armor and weapons, but had steeled herself and made her way through it in search of currency.
None of the coins showed anything like the wear she'd seen on the possible counterfeit now held at the bank, and she emerged from the wing with a slow sigh of relief, tinged with disappointment.
Mac noticed the young woman immediately. The glamours were unmistakable to one such as he, though Mac doubted anyone not a skilled mage or a sidhe would spot them. This had to be the young changeling Una had mentioned at her cèilidh in August. Curious as to the disappointed expression on her face he decided to follow discretely and observe her. Best to get a feel for the girl’s personality before making an introduction.
Arabella found a docent after her own search had failed, by which point she had several unlikely theories which nonetheless were worth pursuing, if only to rule them out. The man was white-haired and frail, but his eyes were bright and interested when she approached him.
"I'm looking for..." Arabella began, and then remembered that other people preferred pleasantries, and were for some reason more willing to help when their time had been wasted with them. "Excuse me. Hello. Could you tell me where to find Iron Age electrum, preferably in significant quantities, such as in coins or figurines?"
The docent did not look unwilling to help, but also uncertain of the answer to her question. "Electrics, did you say, miss? There were no electrics used in the Iron Age, that's a long time past. Easy to mistake, I know, as we're just using it now for so much, but when the history-makers call something an 'age', it means a great many years all together, often a long time past. Or do you mean iron electrics?"
"Electrum," Arabella repeated. "An alloy of gold and silver, occasionally with small amounts of copper. A naturally-occurring alloy," she emphasized, in case she was about to be given a history lesson in smelting, which she did not need. "Is there anything from Anatolia here, particularly the kingdom of Lydia?"
"You're looking for someone named Lydia? Or was that Anatole? Sorry, my hearing's not what it used to be," the docent replied unhelpfully. "I can show you some things made of gold, if that's what you're after. You like the shiny treasures, do you? Women always do. My wife's a fine one for jewels, always looking even if we can't afford none. She'd like gold, as well, I'm sure."
Arabella, entirely lost by this monologue, blinked and said nothing. The docent didn't seem to mind at all.
"Now, if you head over to the 'Gyptians, they've a fine show for gold. They're opening a special exhibit soon, so you should come back for that, maybe in a month or so. Have you seen the mummies? Right down the hall, to your right."
"No," Arabella said, but then did not know quite how to express herself in a way that she hadn't already. "I don't want to see mummies," she settled on finally, which seemed the most salient point.
"No, I'm not surprised, a lot of women don't. 'Course, some like the thrill, all spooky-like, but you don't seem that sort. You want to look at some fancy crowns and necklaces, don't you? Let me see, I think there might be some from a hundred years past, still very fine. Do you like rubies?"
Arabella didn't know how to answer that question, so she didn't. She and the docent stared at one another in mutual incomprehension.
Mac observed the exchange with undisguised amusement and no little curiosity. Una had said the changeling was ignorant of her heritage but curious, it seemed the lass was still experimenting. After the docent quit badgering the poor girl Mac took pity on her and moved to intervene, as clearly there wouldn’t be any help from the mortal. From the looks of him Mac doubted he would remain among the living by decade’s end.
“Excuse me lass, I couldnae help but overhear. Ye were lookin’ fer electrum, aye?” He was firmly in his ‘harmless middle class innkeep’ persona at the moment and free to indulge in his preferred Scots dialect of English.
Arabella turned to study the man who'd spoken, and gave him a long, evaluating look before answering, "Yes, please. The older the better, although if there are some artifacts which have been exposed to certain elements for an extended time, such as air or water, those would be valuable to see as well." She paused for a moment before reciting awkwardly, "If you would be so kind."
Hoping she'd found someone who might truly help rather than send her to look at gold crowns, Arabella asked with more interest, "You know the metal? Are you a scholar of such things?"
“A scholar? Me?” Mac chuckled and shook his head. “Nae, lass. Just a curious soul who’s been around long enough tae pick things up here an’ there. I wouldnae claim tae be an expert in such matters, but I ken point out what ye want sure enough.”
Every word he spoke was true, even if it was grossly understating his knowledge. “Was there a reason ye were wantin’ Iron Age materials in particular then?”
He completely ignored the docent, who seeing Mac had Arabella’s attention huffed and wandered off in search of someone else to interest in mummies.
"Aren't all scholars those who are curious enough to learn?" Arabella asked, although she understood his distinction. It was a very particular label to apply to oneself, and not one she chose, either.
"I have a metal, or metal alloy, that is behaving in an unusual way," Arabella explained, assuming that would be circumspect enough for Mr Parkinson, and not particularly worried if it was not. "I thought perhaps older examples, refined, might show signs of similar decay. And electrum has no iron, nor steel." She paused briefly, then admitted, "I have a sensitivity to iron, which makes it unpleasant to be around."
“Och, we’ll ye wouldnae be th’ first tae have such a sensitivity sure enough.” Mac sympathised. “I ken a few others wi’ such a condition, that I do. A bother in this day and age fer certain, what wi’ trains, airships and what hae ye.” That he suffered from the condition wasn’t something he was prepared to reveal just yet, not that it particularly mattered. There was nothing to fear from this changeling even if she meant him harm.
“I ken th’ gallery fer th’ eastern Romans will have some o’ what ye’re after, coins and bits o’ sculpture. We could start there if ye were interested.” He gestured down the hall toward the door to the gallery in question.
“Ye can call me Mac, what should I call ye lass?”
"Arabella Ward. Thank you." She fell into step with him, keenly interested in his mention of others. "I'm doing a study on metal sensitivities. If anyone you know has such a condition, would you consider giving them my name? I would be grateful for the opportunity to research more. I hope to find a cure, or at least a way to lessen the affliction. Here, I have a card."
She paused only after she had retrieved said card and held it out. "Is that too forward? I'm sorry. I am, sometimes."
Tilting her head, Arabella asked, "Do you know much about metals? I would be interested to know your opinion on the one that's brought me here."
Mac didn’t bother hiding his amusement. “It’s fine, dinna fash.” He assured her, chuckling as he took the offered card. “I’ll make sure they know.” The card received a glance, then was tucked in the pocket of his waistcoat. There would be more questioning later, but for now he was content to let her choose the topic of conversation.
“As fer metals, I ken a fair bit. Tell me about yers and we’ll see.” Curiosity was a fae trait after all, there was a decent chance he’d know something.
Arabella lost something of what the man said in his thick accent, but the request to hear about metal soon captured her attention before she could ask him to repeat it. "It's silver in colour and density, but the percentage of the alloy listed does not match the unusual wear, which appears to begin turning to liquid when held in the hand for some time. The same process does not occur when another heat source is used to raise the temperature, so it may be an acidic or chemical reaction rather than heat alone. It..."
Arabella ran out of scientific explanations and words, and was left to say, less than specifically, "...smears."
Mac frowned at the description. There was no metal on the planet that reacted the way she described, or from off the planet as far as he knew. Certainly no star-metal the fae had ever encountered.
“What ye’re saying ought tae be impossible.” He told her flatly. “But obviously not, since it exists. But there isnae metal I ken that acts like that, alloy or no. How did ye come across it?”
"An accident," Arabella answered, frowning a little at his certainty. She was of the same mind, but that left her with few options to explore. "I discovered its properties after I held it and saw the beginnings of wear. Could it be another element, not considered a metal? It is not gallium," Arabella added. "Nor mercury. I have tested for both."
“If it is, then it isnae one I’ve ever encountered or read about. And it doesnae sound like it behaves normally even if it were tae case.” Mac shook his head. “‘Tis a puzzle, tae be sure. Have ye tried any official experts?” He would have to inform Dex about this, that sort of thing would be sure to interest the Dragon.
Arabella wondered if the man - Mac - wouldn't count her an 'official' expert because she wasn't a member of any colleges of science, or if she were being oversensitive. He didn't know her, nor her background, and obviously she hadn't been able to identify the substance, or she wouldn't be here now, speaking with him.
There were new elements being discovered, even now. Arabella wondered if she could truly somehow have managed to be the first to find this one.
"I've taken it to a banker for the official metal content of the alloy--it's a coin showing the wear," Arabella explained, "and he brought in an archaeologist. I've also been working with my own librarian to research the matter. So far, it hasn't gone beyond that."
Temporizing, Arabella hedged, "Given that it's a coin decaying, the bank has asked to keep this matter discreet until we understand the cause."
“Hmph.” Mac supposed that made as much sense as anything. It wasn’t any of his business after all, but he was curious. If she’d had access to more ‘official’ sources she wouldn’t be wandering around the museum getting help from a passing stranger that happened to offer it.
He wasn’t surprised the bank wanted it kept quiet. Humans and their love of coin.
“Out o’ curiosity is this coin tae only one acting in such a way?” He wanted to ask what banking house she was using but that would be out of character and might make her wary.
"The only one I've discovered," Arabella replied, hesitating over whether to say more before allowing, "It's an unusual issue, and the bank has found no others for comparison." That didn't necessarily make it counterfeit, only rare, so Arabella felt she was keeping to the spirit of Mr Parkinson's request.
"You haven't seen any others show such wear?" That wasn't surprising, but was mildly disappointing. Even if she had a small lead to go on, she might be able to make some progress.
Mac shook his head. “I’ve seen many, many coins over tae years. Coins wear down, how fast depends on how often they get handled. Just tae way it works ye ken. But even still, it doesnae happen as fast as ye describe. Whatever’s goin’ on, it isnae natural. I wish I could give ye somethin’ better tae go on, but I cannae.”
Arabella tilted her head to study the man before her. "What do you mean by unnatural? A man-made acid or alchemical elixir? A chemical compound?" 'As fast as you describe' made her consider something else for the first time. "What if the metal were repurposed?"
“It still wouldnae react tae way ye describe.” Mac replied flatly, “Coins will wear, aye? It’s just tae way o’ things. But nothing I’ve ever seen or been told about would act like ye describe.” Not without magic or some other method. “If it be of science then it wouldnae be verra new indeed. Is there a reason ye havenae approached a metallurgist then? I wouldnae think tae bank would object to a specialist in metals.”
Arabella took a moment to consider the appropriate reaction to this suggestion before deciding that insult and amusement were each unnecessary when there was a practical response. "I am a metallurgist."
Since he had her card already and had promised to spread word of her study to his friends, Arabella continued, "And an alchemist, but my studies are in metals. I do know how they behave. I simply know that this one is not behaving as it should, and am looking for explanations. Claiming that it's not possible for it to act as it is doing is illogical, so I'm searching for additional evidence."
“I see.” Mac didn’t bother hiding his surprise at her statement and imagined her existence put a bee in many of her male colleagues bonnets. He didn’t have any reason to disbelieve her or think she wasn’t qualified, it was just very rare. “Well ye willnae find any examples here that react in the way ye describe.” Not that the museum would let someone off the street handle their precious collection, no matter what their qualifications happened to be.
“But ye’ll see examples o’ electrum from antiquity through here.” He gestured toward the gallery entrance they’d walked to. “I wish I could be o’ more help, lass.”
"You have been a help." Since he hadn't spoken against her profession, Arabella was inclined to be charitable, and kinder than she might have bothered with otherwise. "Thank you for sharing your knowledge, Mr Mac. I hope you have better luck with your own pursuits."
“And I, ye, Miss Ward.” Mac gave a short bow. “If fer any reason ye would need tae find me, go tae the Lionhart an’ ask fer me there. They’ll know what tae do.” Not that she had any reason, yet to do so. But if the time ever came and she found knowledge of her true nature and had found what he was as well, it would be enough.