The Scratch on the Ming Vase by Caroline Stellings Read Free Book Online Page A

didn’t open it. “Mac, are you coming to the dance tonight?”
    Still nothing.
    â€œDance?” asked Nicki. “You mean that disco—retro—whatever dance?”
    â€œYeah, that’s it.” He leaned against the wall. “I haven’t exactly been in the mood for fun lately, but it might get my mind off things for a while. Why don’t you come?” He raised his voice. “I’ll be back for you later, Mac.”
    Nicki looked at Byron. He was listening to every word they said. Then his cell phone rang.
    â€œGotta take this,” he said. “Sorry I wasn’t much help.” He turned his back to them and moved aside to talk to his caller. He took a small pad out of one pocket and a pen out of the other.
    Nicki watched him write something down and underline i t.
    He had a pen all along.

Chapter Eleven

    â€œOkay, so you’re right. There’s no way that Byron is a professor of Chinese history,” said T’ai. “But how did you know he’d get tripped up on dynasties like that?”
    â€œJust a hunch,” she said.
    â€œA hunch? Come on.”
    â€œHe seemed distracted.”
    â€œThat’s true,” said T’ai.
    â€œHow long has Dr. Byron been taking you and Mac out for lunch?” Nicki asked.
    â€œI don’t know, a month maybe.”
    â€œYou mentioned last night that Mac hasn’t been himself lately. How long has that been going on?”
    T’ai thought for a second.
    â€œI get your point. But why?”
    â€œI’m not sure.” Nicki kept her duffel bag planted firmly on her lap during the subway ride. When it was time to exit near the ROM, she and T’ai waited for everyone else to push through the doors first and then made their way off the train.
    A museum administrator gave them permission to speak with an expert in Chinese porcelain. They found Dr. Wong on the second floor putting together an exhibit of ceramic dishes from Northern China.
    â€œHello, sir,” said T’ai. “We were wondering if you could spare a few minutes.”
    â€œCertainly.” He removed the gloves he’d been using to handle the pieces and invited the two of them to sit down at his workbench.
    Nicki placed her bag in front of Dr. Wong.
    â€œSo, what do we have here?”
    â€œA Ming vase,” said Nicki.
    Dr. Wong looked over the top of his glasses at her.
    â€œShe’s not kidding, sir.” T’ai lifted out the vase and removed the wrap.
    Dr. Wong said nothing. He turned the vase around several times, felt the thickness of the walls, and examined the bottom. He held it up to the light, then gently ran his finger along the rim.
    â€œExcuse me a minute,” he said, while he went to get a magnifying glass.
    T’ai looked at Nicki and raised his eyebrows.
    She shrugged her shoulders.
    When the expert returned, T’ai had questions.
    â€œHow old is this vase? Do you think it was made at the imperial factory at Ching-te-Chen?”
    â€œIt is true that the finest pieces came out of the factories of that great porcelain town,” agreed Dr. Wong, continuing his inspection with the magnifying glass. “Everything they needed was right there in the hills—the kaolin clay, the materials for glazes, the cobalt—everything.”
    Nicki spoke up. “I researched these markings on the bottom, and I think they are a signature. My book said this is the six-character mark of Wan Li.”
    Dr. Wong smiled and nodded.
    Then she made a remark about the design on the vase, and Dr. Wong continued.
    â€œYes, the five-clawed dragon is wonderful, isn’t it?”
    â€œIs this a valuable vase?” asked T’ai. “I read on the Internet that one like it sold at auction for almost seven million dollars.”
    â€œI don’t doubt it,” said Dr. Wong. “You don’t often see an underglaze of this color.” He pointed to the deep red background.