12
I
Montreal is truly a beautiful city. Its downtown has a European flavor mixed with a high tech, modern urban landscape. Jim and Eve were intrigued with the city and anxious to do a little exploring, but first things first, they headed directly to the University. Bill had warned them of the rather odd positioning of the University. It ran along the length of the north side of two extremely large cemeteries, the Cimetire Notre-Dame-des-Neiges and the Mt. Royal cemetery. As they passed the first Jim said, “Ya gotta love a cemetery called Our Lady of the Snow”. Eve smiled and said, “We don’t live in Oklahoma anymore.” Referring to Jim’s last assignment at Tinker Air Force Base outside Oklahoma City and the oppressive heat of an Oklahoma summer. Using the cemeteries as a landmark, Jim circled the campus until they found their destination.
Dr. Somme was a member of the graduate school. Her office located in the Édouard-Montpetit Pavillon, took a bit of finding. Eventually Jim and Eve found their target and parked the Jeep. Soon they were at her closed door. Jim eyed Eve and asked, “Why do I feel like I’m going to see my professor with a late paper?” She smiled, “I don’t know but I sure wish you’d knock, this hallway is cold.” At that the door opened and a young man squeezed past looking none too happy. Jim pushed through the open door to stand face to face with a woman in her early forties, with an attractive figure and long dark hair matching her dark brown eyes. “Dr. Somme?” he asked.
She looked at him for a moment. His thin hair and gray temples ensuring he wasn’t mistaken as a student. “Yes? Oh! You must be Mr. Crenshaw?” she said in flawless English. “Your wife did not come?” At that, Eve pushed the door completely open and said hello. Dr. Somme smiled and welcomed them both. Closing the door she escorted them though an outer office which was apparently shared with three other professors and into her comfortable personal office. She asked them to sit and then completed the more formal introductions. Jean, as she preferred to be called, quickly came to the point.
“So you believe you have a French Royal Patent and you want me to examine it? Royal Patents are very rare, none exist of the immediate royal family; only one is available to us of the second tier, that one being in Germany.”
Jim nodded at this. “We’ve heard of it.”
“There are several examples of lessor nobles from that period so we do have a good idea of the format and techniques for the fabrication of a Patent. But, now tell me the story of how you obtained this item,” Jean said as she made herself comfortable in her office chair.
For the next thirty minutes she sat transfixed absorbing their story. Finally she asked for the tube, completed the white gloves ceremony and withdrew the Patent. Taking a large glass from her desk she moved it slowly in and out, focusing it and began to carefully examine the leather document. After several minutes she murmured, “This is amazing, if true this is the Patent of Louis-Joseph.” Finally looking up at Jim and Eve she announced that it appeared to be correct, but she would need to run some fairly specific tests.
She then picked up the tube. She examined it carefully, paying particular attention to the engraving. After several moments she announced the tube would need further examination also. All told, she would need the objects for the next ten days.
Jim’s surprise was evident. “You can’t authenticate these today?”
“No, certainly not. The tests take several days to run. And, we’ll need to schedule time on the machines. They’re not here solely for my use you know,” she patiently explained.
Jim and Eve were uncomfortable with letting the Patent out of their hands, but didn’t see any choice and agreed to the loan of the
I
Montreal is truly a beautiful city. Its downtown has a European flavor mixed with a high tech, modern urban landscape. Jim and Eve were intrigued with the city and anxious to do a little exploring, but first things first, they headed directly to the University. Bill had warned them of the rather odd positioning of the University. It ran along the length of the north side of two extremely large cemeteries, the Cimetire Notre-Dame-des-Neiges and the Mt. Royal cemetery. As they passed the first Jim said, “Ya gotta love a cemetery called Our Lady of the Snow”. Eve smiled and said, “We don’t live in Oklahoma anymore.” Referring to Jim’s last assignment at Tinker Air Force Base outside Oklahoma City and the oppressive heat of an Oklahoma summer. Using the cemeteries as a landmark, Jim circled the campus until they found their destination.
Dr. Somme was a member of the graduate school. Her office located in the Édouard-Montpetit Pavillon, took a bit of finding. Eventually Jim and Eve found their target and parked the Jeep. Soon they were at her closed door. Jim eyed Eve and asked, “Why do I feel like I’m going to see my professor with a late paper?” She smiled, “I don’t know but I sure wish you’d knock, this hallway is cold.” At that the door opened and a young man squeezed past looking none too happy. Jim pushed through the open door to stand face to face with a woman in her early forties, with an attractive figure and long dark hair matching her dark brown eyes. “Dr. Somme?” he asked.
She looked at him for a moment. His thin hair and gray temples ensuring he wasn’t mistaken as a student. “Yes? Oh! You must be Mr. Crenshaw?” she said in flawless English. “Your wife did not come?” At that, Eve pushed the door completely open and said hello. Dr. Somme smiled and welcomed them both. Closing the door she escorted them though an outer office which was apparently shared with three other professors and into her comfortable personal office. She asked them to sit and then completed the more formal introductions. Jean, as she preferred to be called, quickly came to the point.
“So you believe you have a French Royal Patent and you want me to examine it? Royal Patents are very rare, none exist of the immediate royal family; only one is available to us of the second tier, that one being in Germany.”
Jim nodded at this. “We’ve heard of it.”
“There are several examples of lessor nobles from that period so we do have a good idea of the format and techniques for the fabrication of a Patent. But, now tell me the story of how you obtained this item,” Jean said as she made herself comfortable in her office chair.
For the next thirty minutes she sat transfixed absorbing their story. Finally she asked for the tube, completed the white gloves ceremony and withdrew the Patent. Taking a large glass from her desk she moved it slowly in and out, focusing it and began to carefully examine the leather document. After several minutes she murmured, “This is amazing, if true this is the Patent of Louis-Joseph.” Finally looking up at Jim and Eve she announced that it appeared to be correct, but she would need to run some fairly specific tests.
She then picked up the tube. She examined it carefully, paying particular attention to the engraving. After several moments she announced the tube would need further examination also. All told, she would need the objects for the next ten days.
Jim’s surprise was evident. “You can’t authenticate these today?”
“No, certainly not. The tests take several days to run. And, we’ll need to schedule time on the machines. They’re not here solely for my use you know,” she patiently explained.
Jim and Eve were uncomfortable with letting the Patent out of their hands, but didn’t see any choice and agreed to the loan of the
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