The Collector's Curse

【04】Hard Worker

My phone buzzed next to me, and a glimpse at its screen told me it was Ian calling. The gloves prevented me from picking up, so I frustratedly removed one.

"Hey, boss man," I greeted him once I'd managed.

"Oi, lass. I just saw yer email. Ye're not coming back on Monday, then?"

"Oh... Uh, yeah. Ul—Mr. Westergaard insisted that I stayed a little longer, since I didn't get to finish up."

"Just how big is that collection of him? Or are ye not working that hard, Mila?"

"I am working fourteen hours a day, you ass." It wasn't a lie. Not really. Admittedly, the past twenty-four hours or so had been rather unproductive, but the days before had been filled with work and nothing else. I dismissed my guilty conscience to add, "It's just that big. You should see the room I'm in right now. You should see the book I'm reading."

"Wait, I'll call ye back with the video thing."

Before I could say anything else, he hung up. Well, it wasn't that I didn't want to talk to him, but I would rather get back to reading... The phone buzzed in my hand again, so I picked up his video call.

It was good to see his bearded face, so the smile I offered him was genuine. Behind him, I recognized his living room, easily recognizable given the peculiar interior design tastes of his wife—bright colors and overwhelming patterns. I was reminded then that it was Saturday, but thankfully, I'd taken the time to dress professionally. Ian might have gotten suspicious if he'd found me working in my pajamas.

"Hey there, Scotsman."

"Hi, American girl. How are things going for ye?"

"Quite well. I've finally entered the paper archive room."

"And?"

"It's even better than I imagined. I picked a random book, which is probably far from the best one here, but it's insanely good. Look." I switched to the back camera so he could see what was before me and showed him the ancient codex.

"What's it about?"

"It's a detailed log of the events that occurred in Norwich, from 854 to 1283."

"Ye're shitting me." His utter shock was amusing, betraying just how passionate he was about his job—meaning almost as much as I was.

"I'm really not. I've barely scratched the surface, but there are so many mentions of the Dane settlement north of the River Wensum. There's also been a couple of mentions of the settlement that's growing south of the bank. It talks about the agreements between the Norfolks and the locals, how they make it work... It's fascinating."

"It sounds like it. Mind smuggling that one back over here, so I can get a look as well?"

His mischievous tone made me laugh. "Mullins would have my head if I stole anything from Mr. Westergaard. I can't lose my job, man. I have the best boss ever."

"Right, it's not worth losing ye, lass."

"I'll give you a full report, though," I offered. "And I'm also taking pictures of the most interesting pages. So far, it's been this one priest logging everything, and a lot of it isn't that interesting Viking-wise. I'm saving the parts that are, though."

"See, that's why I canny lose ye..."

"I know it's your day off, but do you want me to read you some bits?"

"Aye. The wife is out shopping with the bairns—I got time for it."

Settling my phone to the side, I began reading aloud. The call lasted for a little over an hour, during which we excitedly discussed some of the most fascinating details. This codex was precious in many ways, as it not only gave us a chronologically accurate recount of the events, but it also showcased the way East Anglians had become accustomed to the Scandinavian invaders. Vikings had brought their own knowledge and culture to the table, like the smoking of meats or fish, and both parties had benefited from the settlements.