The retrieval of Jupiter’s heart – In the box

Eric removes the last of the packing material from the crate. The crate is large and tall. Now with the packing out of the way, it appears the crate is full of items. Stacked and arranged. However, Eric is looking at everything from the top. The items are obviously valuable. He examines everything, looking for the best place to begin.

He looks at Emma with raised eyebrows. Emma gives him a small, slightly nervous smile. Then a small nod. Eric gives a small wink in return, and begins with the paintings. They are lined up along the right side of the crate. As he slides them up, and then out of the crate, it is obvious they are antique. It is also evident they are oil paintings.

The people and places depicted in the paintings, are strange and foreign to Eric. However, it is possible to see the paintings were created by a master. There are seven of them and as Eric frees each one, he hands it to Emma. She has been placing them against the back wall of the garage. The last one is of a small family. A mom and dad with two small children.

The Retrieval of Jupiter’s Heart – In the box

A striking young gentleman with determined eyes, and a beautiful young woman with a captivating smile and loving eyes. Emma is carefully studying the details of one of the paintings, as she sets it aside. It is titled Jupiter’s heart. Additionally, she notices the two children are painted to resemble the two adults. However, it is unclear to Emma if this is intentional. It is abundantly clear they are a family.

Each of the paintings has these same people featured in one way or another. As Emma walks past them, the works of art on display feel warm despite their age. As she returns to Eric, and the crate, she accepts a satchel full of old books. However, these appear to be family oriented books of record. There are also old photographs. Emma can make out these details from the first couple of books in the satchel.

There are a few more of these satchels with old books, and albums of record. Then they find the locked metal boxes. There are seven of them the size of the average briefcase. As Eric hands each one to Emma, she can feel the weight of the box. They obviously contain more than papers or photographs. There are several more cartons of official looking papers. And then they find it.

In the Box

He has been working his way toward the bottom of the crate. It is about half way empty when he comes to the seven metal boxes. They are heavily armored boxes. Built to protect whatever was within. However they are not impervious, Eric thinks, as he hands the last one to Emma.

Then they find the safe. It is enormous and fills the bottom half of the crate. Eric can just barely make out the dial and latch, along the inside edge of the crate. Therefore, he begins taking the wooden shipping crate apart. With Emma’s help it takes almost an hour to get the crate disassembled. When they are done the formidable, and antique safe, sits silently before them.

Eric feels chills race up his spine as he gets a look at the door to the safe. He looks at Emma and knows she sees it too. Of course she would. Who would expect a thousand pound safe, here? Furthermore, one with a name plate attached to its door. Eric places his hand on the nameplate and feels the texture of the etching. It is real. However he still cannot make sense of it. But it clearly reads, “The Property of Emma and Eric”.

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Jupiter’s heart

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