Making of a Masterpiece

Forensic Science Laboratory

General Examination Sheet

Laboratory Notes                          

Item Number: DF/01                     

Case number:  6-0599/27 OC

Description of Article: US passport of one Willard Pendersen, US$100 in 5 X US$20

Where found: Bedroom of the Ormerod house used by a person identified as Gary Ingerton.

Packaging of item: Tamperproof plastic bag: X Paperbag/sack/envelope:_  Other:

Comments:

The passport photograph is recognisably that of body five found on Walmgate Stray. Blood from the station was found to be a match for body five. When examined under the Visual Spectral Comparator, no indication of forgery was detected. The US dollars also found in the room show the characteristic security threads, indicating they are real.

Examiner: KCG                                                                                      

Checked by: RLL

Making of a Masterpiece

The heat burned the back of Caroline’s neck. She was starting to regret taking this summer course in archaeology, before starting her MA in English and History. However, she was here now. She tugged up the neck of her tee shirt and, using a delicate paint brush, removed a little more of the lime plaster from the wall of this ruined abbey.

“How’s it going?”

Caroline jumped, as her MA supervisor, Anne Shelby, had crept up behind her. The brush dug into the wall, sending rotting lime plaster tumbling to the floor.

“Fine, I think.” Caroline stared at the mess on the exposed tiles, which had almost lost all their patterns because of exposure and weathering.

“You need to keep covered. Did you at least put sunscreen on the back of your neck?” Anne paused at Caroline’s squirming. “No, I can see you didn’t.”

She tossed Caroline a bottle from her pocket.

Caroline caught the sunscreen and turned away from her supervisor’s gaze before applying the lotion. Then she bent to the wall.

“What’s that?” she asked.

Anne leaned in. “It looks like paper or parchment. Get that sunscreen on, then wash your hands. I’ll get the dig director.”

***

With three sons for Harald, the birth of a daughter,

Five summers after the twins’ astonishing arrival,

Filled their Hall with great feasting.

Yet more delight when a cunning woman

Delivered a woven prophecy. The babe’s future foretold.

A tapestry filled with tales of fame and fear.

***

Caroline’s parents were working on an acrimonious divorce, so the children were farmed out to relatives. Dad’s mum, Gran was working at a loom when 12-year-old Caroline went to stay that summer.

“What’s that?” Caroline asked as she set her suitcase down. She’d travelled on the train, and then caught a bus on her own. Her parents were too busy fighting to take her and her brother to their holidays with relatives. Mum’s brother had picked up Sebastian, but Caroline was forced to make the journey to Dad’s family on her own.

“It will be a new altar cloth for the church,” Gran said. “See here, I’m working on the Star for this Nativity scene.”

Caroline crept closer. Light rays shone on the stable and all the animals. She stroked the empty manger.

“Why isn’t there a baby Jesus here?”

“Because that only gets added at the Midnight Service,” Gran said. “I embroidered that one and it will be velcro’d on at Midnight.”

The shuttles clicked as Gran continued working as she explained. Caroline watched, mesmerised by the way Gran’s hands plucked the correct threads and the shuttle flicked back and forth through the warp. Using the pointed end of the shuttle, she firmed the weft in place.

“Where did you learn to do that?” Caroline asked.

“It’s been passed down the women of our family for generations. Mother to daughter.”

“Oh,” Caroline said, disappointed. “So, Dad won’t be able to teach me. And Aunt Mabel will only teach Sarah and Kate, not me.”

“No.” Gran laid down her shuttle. “But if you wanted to learn, I could teach you.”

***

A lady, woven large in consequence, with celestial sun-gold hair,

And eyes brighter than diamonds set in the heavenly, nocturnal tapestry.

Gripping a spindle in her right hand. Three fates feed thread into her work.

One line of linen so long, it coiled thrice times around the feet of the fates.

Myriad minor maids sat enslaved by the lady’s learning.

Left hand extended to a warrior, woven of equal worth with the woman,

His spear raised to strike a sly and savage serpent.

***

The accidentally preserved parchment was a nine days wonder at the dig. Caroline moved from working on the dig site to learning conservation techniques.

“Well, what do you think of it?” Anne asked.

Wearing white cotton gloves, Caroline traced an unusually clear line for a document of this age. “It’s marvellous how the ink is preserved.”

“So, how about you, as the finder of this document, translate it for your MA?”

Caroline’s mouth dropped open. She gazed at her supervisor in astonishment. “But…”

“But?”

“Surely, they’re going to want a real document specialist to work on this?”

Anne gave a wry smile. “Document specialists cost money. MA Students are free labour. So how about it?”

“Yes!” Caroline glowed with excitement. Her very own document to translate that no one else had seen. “I’ll start right away.”

***

At the high table, Thegn Eainraig dined on unbroken meat

And golden mead slid down his throat like sunlight.

Sharing the lush bear skin, draping the Thegn’s bench

In warmth and luxury, was Tasgall, Smith

Second to none in all Deira’s surrounds.

Ensconced at his side was apprentice, young Donovan.

Seated, with no complaint, upon bare boards.

***

Professor Shelby?” Caroline ran to catch up with her supervisor.

“Oh hi, Caro, what d’you need?” The woman stopped and made an encouraging noise at her current master's student.

“It’s this whole section,” Caroline said. “There’s no way it fits in with the style of the rest. The Christianity is forced, I mean, descended from Woden, but takes his mother’s religion? And the parchment is rough. Do you think I might book some time on the VSC?”

“You think it will show something?” Anne asked. “It’s more likely changed when it was copied, than scraped and rewritten.”

“Could I at least try?” Caroline asked. “It’s non-invasive. I won’t have to dowse the parchment in chemicals if I used the VSC.”

“’kay. Book an hour to give you a feel for it. If there’s something there, then I can budget for more time.”

“Thanks, Professor Shelby.”

Caroline laid out the section of her parchment in the black box and closed the hatch. She cycled through the pre-programmed light changes and squinted at the TV screen. Something was hidden under the visible ink. It was faint. She took the VSC into ultraviolet. The top ink faded and the ink underneath showed up more strongly. She scribbled the words which came visible under the special light.

***

Caroline traced the border of Gran’s work. “What do these designs mean?”

“Do they have to mean anything?” Gran asked. “They’re pretty, aren’t they?”

“I suppose.” Caroline frowned as she stared at them.

“They are just so old.” Gran showed Caroline how to set up the loom. “We’ve used them for so long, that any meaning has long since been forgotten.”

Caroline continued to study the patterns. They had to mean something.

***

With sixteen summers, Donovan’s firm physique

Carried fame beyond his unfledged years.

Himself born atheling to Elmet’s king, Magne,

And Consort Fiadh, Princess from Ireland.

Of divine descent, when Woden last walked the world,

A second son, strong in battle, sage at council,

Brave beyond a lion. Many spoke of King Donovan.

***

And there he was, the Smith. Man and boy, his whole story told.

Caroline imagined what he would look like. It wouldn’t be the over-exaggerated muscles of body builders. He’d be strong, from working at the forge, and from before that, as a fighter on the battlefield.

Absently, Caroline sketched a picture. It would make a wonderful tapestry. What a shame that the ending of the poem was lost.