Free The Amber Knight by Katherine John

Elizbieta supplied swiftly.
    ‘Don’t tell me you’re hooked on the legend as well?’
    Elizbieta looked Adam coolly in the eye. ‘Of course. Haven’t you noticed heroes are an extinct breed? Every girl needs a man she can look up to, one who’s handsome, brave, chivalrous…’
    ‘And heading for eight hundred years old?’ Adam interrupted dryly.
    ‘If this is a copy, it could have been made with artificial amber.’ Feliks dropped one photograph in favour of another.
    ‘I didn’t know there was such a thing.’
    ‘Take a good look at the exhibits in some of the smaller museums next time you pass through them. It’s been around for centuries. A mixture of copal, camphor and turpentine.’
    ‘Can you tell if that’s artificial amber from the photographs?’
    ‘There are only two certain methods of differentiating between real and artificial amber. One is by heating. Artificial amber has a lower melting point. It also softens in cold ether. I couldn’t tell whether this is real or not without handling it.’
    ‘What he’s trying to say,’ Elizbieta interrupted, ‘is that it’s impossible to authenticate a piece from photographs.’
    ‘It has occurred to me that all you’d need to reproduce the knight is an outfit of medieval clothes and armour – not impossible given the number of museums in difficulties,’ Adam said, ‘and a stone coffin, a body and enough amber to cover it.’
    ‘Carbon dating the amber wouldn’t be any help. Most of the amber in circulation is a few million years old,’ Feliks pronounced authoritatively. ‘And a stone coffin?’ He opened his hands and turned down his mouth. ‘How do you go about authenticating one of those?’
    ‘But there are ways of distinguishing between a modern corpse and one that’s almost eight hundred years old.’ Adam thought about it and realised he wasn’t sure.
    ‘After it’s been in amber? I wouldn’t know, I’ve never seen a human corpse in amber.’ Feliks squinted at the photograph he was holding. ‘But I agree it could be difficult to spot a forgery. Unscrupulous amber-smiths have been putting insects into amber for centuries, so why not a body? Amber’s the easiest thing in the world to mould. All you have to do is heat a pile of shavings and crumbs, melt them and pour them into a mould. You wouldn’t believe what can be done these days with microwaves and dyes. Double or treble the size of a nugget at the push of a button. Name your colour and you can have it in amber.’
    ‘And sell it off to unsuspecting tourists as a rare and perfect piece,’ Adam suggested mischievously.
    ‘Tourists should research before they buy.’ Elizbieta opened a drawer. ‘Here.’ She handed Adam a bracelet set with a paperweight-sized polished nugget of amber. ‘Tell me what’s wrong with that?’
    ‘It’s hallmarked silver.’
    ‘Any fool can imprint a hallmark. It’s pewter, can’t you tell by the sheen?’
    ‘I’m no silversmith.’
    ‘And you’re in charge of the Institute’s budget?’ She shook her head in dismay. ‘Now look at the amber.’
    ‘It’s a large piece, which it makes it more valuable.’
    ‘It’s made of three pieces which have been heated and welded together, can’t you see the lines?’
    ‘Can’t those occur naturally?’
    ‘In that irregular pattern? Now turn it over.’
    ‘There’s indentations in the back.’
    ‘Caused by shrinkage after it was heated. There’s also a rough join in the middle. The edges are splintering.’
    ‘You make this with anyone in mind?’ Adam frowned.
    ‘I keep it to show tourists what to avoid.’
    ‘You’re all heart.’
    ‘We sell top quality goods at a fair price,’ Feliks declared. ‘I like people to go away happy. Give me the Amber Knight for a couple of days and I’ll give you an opinion on whether it’s genuine or not, but it will only be an opinion. Amber-smiths, like art experts, can be fooled.’
    ‘Then what chance do poor devils like me