Harmony 01 After Dark Read Online Free PDF

history that has been, shall we say, embellished by a long series of grandfathers and grandmothers." Lydia nodded. "You know how families are when it comes to that kind of thing."
    "Indeed." Bartholomew's eyes gleamed. "But if the particular family in question actually believes the item is of Old World manufacture—" He let the sentence trail off suggestively.
    Lydia got the point. "Rest assured, my client is convinced that the cabinet came from Earth, and he is prepared to pay well to get it back."
    "How well?" Bartholomew asked bluntly.
    "He has instructed me to put out the word that he will top any offer from a private collector."
    "What about an offer from a museum?"
    "My client says he can prove ownership of the cabinet and will go to court to get it back if necessary. No curator will touch it if he or she thinks the museum will lose it in a legal battle. What with the initial expense plus legal costs, it wouldn't be worth the price."
    "True. Not unless the artifact in question actually is a work of art from the home world."
    "As you said, highly unlikely. The thing to keep in mind is that my client believes it's from Earth. That means there will probably be some other collectors who can be persuaded to believe it too."
    "Hmm." Bartholomew pursed his lips. "So you need concern yourself only with the private market."
    "Not just the private collector market, Bart." Lydia gave him a meaningful look. "A very special segment of that market."
    He did not pretend to misunderstand. "The segment that does not ask too many questions."
    "Right. We both know that you would never get involved in questionable transactions, of course."
    "Absolutely not. I have my reputation to consider."
    "Naturally." Lydia was proud of the fact that she did not even blink at that statement. "But a dealer in your position sometimes hears things. I just want you to know that my client is prepared to compensate you for any information that leads to the recovery of his antique box."
    "Indeed." Bartholomew glanced around the cluttered interior of Greeley's Antiques with an air of satisfaction. "You're quite right, of course. A dealer in my position occasionally picks up rumors."
    Lydia followed his gaze. The display cabinets were crammed with odd bits and pieces of rusty metal and warped, faded plastic. She recognized some of the items in the cases, including what looked like the remains of an Old World weather forecasting instrument and the hilt of a knife. They were typical of the kind of basic tools the settlers had brought through the Curtain or crafted shortly after their arrival on Harmony.
    A torn, badly stained shirt with a round colonial-style collar was displayed in one of the glass-topped counters. Next to it was a pair of boots that looked as old as the shirt. Neither the shirt nor the boots bore any traces of artistic adornment. The colonists had tended to be an austere lot. They'd become even more focused on the basics of survival after the Curtain had closed.
    She took a step closer to the case that held the shirt and boots, widening her eyes at the neatly penned description and price.
    "You're selling these as genuine first-generation apparel?" she asked politely.
    "Both the shirt and the boots have been authenticated," Bartholomew said smoothly. "Excellent examples of early colonial-era work. There is every reason to believe that they were crafted within the first decade after the closing of the Curtain."
    "I'd say it's a lot more likely that they were made last year by a forger who didn't do enough research."
    Bartholomew scowled. "No offense, Lydia, but you're an expert in Harmonic antiquities, not colonial antiques."
    "Give me some credit, Bart." Lydia eyed him. "Just because I specialize in ruin work doesn't mean I don't know a fake human antique when I see one. I was trained to recognize all kinds of frauds."
    Bartholomew's wide face reddened in outrage. "What makes you think that shirt is not First generation?"
    "The color. That