Date: Tuesday 21st July, 3012
Time: 10:15 AM

Professor Wellington sat and read the morning paper. He was reading, but barely taking any information in. It was really just something to pass the time. There was a scuttling sound, as a small metal man skipped across the room with a cup of coffee.
"Thank you, Glink." Professor Wellington said.
"No thanks required, master. I am merely doing what I was created to do." Glink replied, in his grainy, electronic voice.
"Regardless, you have served me adequately for 50 years now. That is worthy of credit."
"Much oblidged." Glink replied, bowing graciously.

There was peaceful silence for a few minutes, but it was interrupted by a knock at the door. Professor Wellington looked up. He almost never had visitors. He didn't have any friends who would be calling round, all his bills were on a standing order, he had no servants other than Glink and he hadn't been contracted to a job in close to two years. He sat silent for a few seconds. The knock was repeated, and it echoed throughout the Professor's grand, old house.
"I shall get the door, master." Glink answered. Although Glink had never been programmed to have emotions, his eagerness to serve could almost have been mistaken for pride.
"No, no, Glink. That is fine. I'll get the door." Professor Wellington interrupted.
"Are you sure?" Glink asked.
"Yes. You can make some soup in the meantime."

Professor Wellington slowly opened the door. There was a girl standing in the front of the door. She was pretty, with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. She was about 5'6, and if were not for the professor's heeled boots (adding an extra 2 inches or so to his height) she would have been a tad taller than he. The girl looked to be in her late teens, and she had some visible tattoos, adding colour to her pale complexion.
"Hi." The girl said. "My name's Nina. I live a few streets away. I'm looking for Professor Wellington."
"I am Professor Wellington." He said, a little nervously. His voice was dark and bassy, but it sounded a little brighter when nervous.
"Are you ok?" Nina asked, tilting her head to one side. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."
"I'm fine." Professor Wellington said. "Good, actually."
Nina smiled. "Ok. I heard you'd be the one to talk to about repairing machinery."
"I'm afraid you heard wrong." Professor Wellington sighed.
"I don't think so. If you're Professor Wellington, and you live here then I think you repair machinery."
"Well, you may guess again."
Professor Wellington was about to close the door, and Nina would have turned and walked away had Glink (a functioning machine) not interrupted, informing the professor that the soup was ready.
"I think you'd best come inside." The professor said, admitting defeat.

Nina smiled as the professor led her through to the kitchen.
"Who exactly told you to come here?" Professor Wellington asked.
"My uncle, Harry. He said you fixed a sewing machine for my aunt a while ago."
"Yes, I think I know who you're talking about. I remember fixing a sewing machine, but that would have been close to a decade ago. I don't get many sewing machines, so it stands out in my memory. But I don't get much of anything to be honest. I've been trying to retire."
"Sorry." Nina said, still smiling a little.
"Not at all. It's nice to have a visitor. It will give me something to do as well, I suppose." The professor replied, a little apathetically.
"Soup!" Glink declared. The 4 foot metal servant poured a bowl of soup and set it on the table. "Would the lady like any soup?"
"I'm fine thanks." Nina politely passed up.
"Actually Glink, save the soup for later. I don't really feel like eating at the moment." The professor said. "What was it that you wanted repaired, Nina?"
"This." Nina answered, reaching into the bag on her shoulder. She produced a small, metal box. "It's a music box. It doesn't work any more though. I haven't heard it play in about 15 years." She laughed.
"Shouldn't be too tricky." The professor said, confidently. "If you'll just accompany me to the bedroom."
Nina blinked, looking a bit startled.
"No, not like that. I wouldn't dream of it." The professor backtracked. "That's just where I do most of my work. My workshop is currently taken up by a piece of machinery I was contracted to build it a long time ago. But then they pulled the funding on it and it's just sitting there now. Honestly, I wouldn't want to do anything with you."
Nina blushed a little, as the professor rambled.
"Not that you aren't lovely. You're the sort of woman that every man wants, except for me, even though I think you look very nice. What I'm trying to say is you're very pretty, but I don't want to do anything inappropriate."
"Ok then. But you can still fix the music box." Nina replied, finding the professor's lack of composure amusing.
"Absolutely."

The professor took Nina to the work table in his room. He tried to play the music box, but no sound came out.
"I'll have to open it up." The professor said. Looking all over the box, there appeared to be no way of opening it, other than the keyhole on the front of the box. "Hmmm. Do you have the key?"
"Yup." Nina answered, producing the key from the pocket of her trousers.
The professor tried opening it, but it wouldn't turn.
"Are you sure this is the key?"
"Positive."
"Well it won't turn. The locked might be jammed. I'll have to dismantle it more carefully. Could take a little longer. Couldn't you just buy another music box?"
"I want to hear this one play again. I can still remember the song." Nina said, reminiscently
"A little sentimental then?" The professor said, with a touch of sympathy.
"I'll see what I can do. Come back tomorrow, and if I haven't got it working I'll buy you a new music box."

Date: Tuesday 21st July, 3012
Time: 10:35 AM

After Nina had left, the Professor returned immediately to the music box. It was a grand looking box. It was made of tin, but had been painted a deep purple. The edges of the box had been plated in gold. On the top were goald plated letters, reading 'Swan Tears'. Professor Wellington turned the box over, looking again for some screws he may have missed. He didn't find any alternative way in, but he did find something else. Pressed into the tin was a manufacturer's name, 'Vincenzo'.
"Vincenzo." The Professor thought to himself. "I have a book on many of his pieces. There could be diagrams in it."
The Professor's book were all organised alphabetically. He wouldn't have it any other way, and with little to do in his old age, he often organised things to keep him sane.
"There it is." The Professor declared outloud, though no-one was in earshot.
He flipped through the pages, eventually finding a section on Vincenzo's music boxes. He learned that this was one of a very limited edition. Only 6 were ever made, and hand made at that, by Vincenzo himself. It was deemed at a very high price in the book, and could only have increased in value since then. But although the history was very interesting, the real promise lay in the diagrams. The diagrams showed the inner workings of the music box, as well as the process behind its assembly. The box seemed very familiar, almost like he had seen it before. The Professor had repaired a number of music boxes over the years, and even a couple of Vincenzo music boxes. However, this was the only one he had ever seen from that particular series. Vincenzo's last series.

Date: Wednesday 22nd July, 3012
Time: 9:45 AM

Nina returned the next day.
"Hello, Nina." The Professor said, a little uneasily.
"Hey." Nina said, with a smile. "Any progress?"
"I'll explain upstairs. Please come in." Despite his uninspiring tone, Nina did not lose the optimistic demeanour she had arrived with. They went up the stairs, and returned to Professor Wellington's work table.
"Paolo Vincenzo." The Professor announced.
"Who?" Nina asked.
"Paolo Vincenzo. Are you familiar with him?" Professor Wellington said this almost like he knew him personally.
"No. I don't think so." Nina answered, shaking her head. "Should I?"
"Well, he built this." The Professor said, holding up the music box. "If you look underneath, you can see his branding."
"Is that good?"
"That would depend on your definition of 'good'. Vincenzo was a master craftsman. He made a massive amount of pieces of the course of his life. He began with pottery in his early teens, but moved to more intricate work as he grew older. In his early 60s he started producing music boxes."
"Like my one?"
"Exactly. He created a line of 6 music boxes, which are believed by many to be his best work. Each of those 6 contained a song composed by Vincezo. If we look at the bottom, it not only has Vincezo's manufacturing marks, but also the words 'The Frost Queen'. That was the series to which this belonged. Beside that we see the numbers '6/6'. This is the 6th model Vincenzo made in his 'Frost Queen' series of music boxes."
"So this was the last in his best series." Nina interrupted, as she now understood.
"Indeed. But 'Frost Queen' was in fact the final line that Vincezo ever produced."
Nina looked taken aback. "So this is the last one he made."
"What you are holding there is the last piece ever created by one of the most respected craftsmen of the last century. Now would you care to read the title on the top of the box?"
"'Swan Tears.'" Nina said, getting a little tearful herself.
"That is the title of the piece of music contained in this box and this box only."
"That's amazing. Why is it called 'Swan Tears'."
"I'm not sure anyone knows that. Funny how 'Swan Tears' was his swansong."
"Do you think he knew he was going to die?"
"I think not. He died of a sudden heart attack. But all the pieces of music were written in memory of his late daughter."
"That's beautiful." Nina answered, again a little overwhelmed.
"Now, I can't estimate a price. However, it was worth a fortune when it was made. Everything increases in price after the artist has died, and Vincezo has been dead for nearly 50 years. The fact that it was his final piece only adds to the significance. Given the circumstances, I would say the working box is more valuable than the house we're standing in."
"And is it working?"
"It was never broken." The Professor replied. "It isn't supposed to open or play. Vincezo built these boxes so that they would play when opened. However, he built the mechanism so that it could only be opened by destroying the box. It works but no one can use it. No one can open the box and no one can hear the song."
"But I've heard it before. When I was 4 years old. I opened the box with the key."
"Quite impossible. It's all in this diagram." The Professor said, pointing to a page in the book.
"It's not impossible." Nina replied, getting frustrated. "I know how the song goes." Nina sang a haunting melody in a soft voice.
"You must be confusing events, my dear. If it was fifteen years ago you think you heard the box, confusion could easily be the cause of all this. Time has a way of distorting the facts."
Nina's head fell. She looked very disheartened now. "I'm not going to give up."
"That may be so, but I can't help you any further."
"How much do I owe you?"
"Nothing. I have more than enough money to see me through my sunset years. Besides, having a chance to examine Vincenzo's last work is an experience that money can't buy."
"Ok. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Why?" The professor asked, confused.
"So I can say 'I told you so' when I figure out how to get this music box to play."
The professor smiled at Nina's optimism. "I'd have probably said something similar when I was your age. But be careful with it. I'll never sleep again if any harm comes to that piece."

Date: Wednesday 22nd July, 3012
Time: 10:15 AM

Professor Wellington was emmersed in a book when he heard a knock at the door.
"Glink." He called. "Fetch the door."
From where the Professor sat, he heard the clanking footsteps of his metal servant, as they scampered towards the front door. From his armchair in his study, he couldn't tell who was at the door, though Glink's harsh voice was more than audible. A few seconds later, Glink escorted a familiar dark haired girl into the study.
"Nina?" The Professor asked. "What brings you here at this time." He looked at his watch, feeling silly at how early it was.
Nina said nothing, but handed Professor Wellington a piece of paper. The Professor put on his reading glasses, before bringing the paper close to his face.
"'Enigma'." He read allowed. "Travelling carnival. Performing one night only is Rocourt Meadows. Don't miss wonderous amusements, breathtaking illusions and fabulous fun of the Enigma Carnival."
"So?" Nina asked.
"So what?"
"Its tomorrow. It says at the bottom of the page." Nina answered, pointing to the date at the foot of the page.
"And watch some kids in costumes tie balloons? I think not. No, I shall remain here, as usual, tomorrow night. It will take a lot more than a carnival to get me to abandon my usual routine." The Professor replied, almost sounding proud of his apathy.
"But there's an antique auction." Nina replied, with glee.
"Oh, well someone knows how to sway a man..." He answered, sarcastically.
Nina scowled back at him, narrowing her dark brown eyes. She did not like to be spoken to sarcastically, though often loved using sarcasm herself. Her tone became friendlier again, as she spoke again.
"I thought I could bring the music box."
"Dear lord, I hope you're careful selling it. I don't think there's a person in the whole city with enough spending money to buy something like that."
"No, no." She laughed, shaking her head. "I meant there might be an expert, who could look at the box."
"Nina, I'm an expert. I've been working with stuff like this since I was a child. It's impossible to open it. It even said so in the book."
"Yes. The book said so because Vincenzo said so. I think he wanted someone to open it, but he needed to make it difficult for some reason."
"Nina, if you risk taking the box out to Rocourt Meadows at night and walking back even later, then you could lose the box altogether."
"Most people won't know what it's worth though. If my stepmother knew, she would keep it for herself. Besides, we don't need to stay long. I just want to get an opinion. Then we can go somewhere else."
"Somewhere else? Where else?" The Professor asked, skeptically.
Nina shrugged. "Rocourt may not be the biggest city, but there's quite a lot to it. If we're done at the carnival by 9, then we could get some dinner."
"So you want me to abandon my evening so you can have what I told you already confirmed, and then so I can buy you something to eat?"
"Well it doesn't sound good when you put it that way, but I promise you'll have fun. And I could pay for dinner, or some of it. I bought a black dress which I haven't had a chance to wear yet." Nina said, eyes falling to the floor and smiling a little.
"You're not going to go away unless I come with you, are you?" The Professor answered, appearing to accept defeat.
Nina didn't say anything, but stared back with hope.
"Fine." The Professor said. "Just don't spend half the night pretending to be amazed at someone pulling a toy rabbit out of a hat."
"Thank you." Nina said, throwing her arms around the Professor, who remained in his chair. "I get out of work at 6, tomorrow. It'll take me about an hour to go home and get ready, and then about twenty minutes to walk here. Actually, make it half an hour. I'll be wearing heels."
With that she walked out of the study, letting herself out the front door.
The Professor turned to Glink, who was still standing beside his chair. "Stop staring at me." He shouted at his metal servant.