Page 8

The only thing she understood now was why the bottle had pinged the ORI with a UF-7. Because how could a note written by a twenty-first century witch, found amongst sealed wreckage from the first century BCE, be expected to return any kind of normal value?

The craziest part is that I haven’t written this yet, she thought.

She rolled the note back up and put it back into the bottle. She had a decision to make, and she had to make it quickly, and decisively. As the director, she should have already been on the phone with the AITA. They’d send out a squad with more equipment and possibly put her in a temporal quarantine while they sorted out answers. She had no doubt that they’d be thorough. So thorough that even though she was the director, she might not ever see the light of day again.

Calling AITA was the right thing to do. But Amrita had served the Society for over thirty-seven years. She’d already given up so much of her life in service. And for what? To potentially spend the next three decades in the limbo of agency lockdown?

Amrita reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out one of the empty vials that she always kept there for collecting specimens in the field. She laid it on the table beside the Ptolemaic glass vessel.

First, she rubbed the tip of her wand all over the ancient bottle, almost as if she were trying to generate static electricity. When she felt she’d rubbed enough to gather a lasting glamor, she tapped the tip of the wand against the plain glass vial and whispered the words to set the spell.

“Antiqua Facia.”

The two vials were indistinguishable now. Hopefully it would hold for at least another century.

“You’ve done such a wonderful job with everything,” Amrita phoned Violetta a half an hour later, from the comfort of her office. “I see no reason not to open the exhibit to the public next month. I’m sure it’ll be popular with the Ordinaries as well as our magical visitors.”

“Thank you, Director.” Violetta sounded relieved. “Your opinion means so much to me. You don’t think the lightning is too much? I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable…”

“It’s just right,” Amrita reassured her. “Don’t change a thing.”

“And that artifact? What was the story there?” Violetta asked nervously.

“Oh, it was nothing. An empty bottle. I think the incandescent glass and accumulated minerals must have thrown the instrumentation off,” Amrita fudged.

“You opened it up?” Violetta gasped.

“Of course. And then I put it back in the display. All is well. You’re good to go.” Amrita wished she was having this conversation in person. This was right about the time she would have offered Violetta a brevity mint, to ensure the conversation didn’t drag on.

“Will I see you at the opening, Director?”

“I’m not sure,” Amrita said. “I’ve got a pretty full calendar next month.” Amrita’s heart beat a little faster and harder as she turned the ancient glass bottle over in her pocket. She’d left the facsimile in the museum’s display. “I can’t make any promises, but I’ll try and make it.”

She knew the odds were slim that she’d be there, because according to the note in her pocket, she’d already made other plans.

THREE SURE SIGNS THAT COMPANY IS COMING

A fork fallen to the floor means a visitor draws near.

A spoon dropped from your hand?

She is already here.

Find a thing of worth abandoned on your way,

Good fortune walks beside you now.

Let’s hope she means to stay.

Read your name in print, in a book you did not write?

Take heart, dear one, for the fates themselves

have kept you in their sight.

FROM THE LITTLE GLASS OWL’S BOOK OF LUCKY CHARMS AND AUSPICIOUS OMENS, COMPILED BY ELECTRA GLASS

FOUR