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"It belonged to King Henry VIII See? It says so on the card"

"And what’s the proof of that," Jelove and put a card next to it saying it belonged to King Solomon himself Besides, Poppy, did you know that Henry VIII never bathed? He didn’t like water next to his skin, apparently My uncle told ’s skin was as sine the inside of that glove!"

It was a s cherry red Everywhere Poppy looked were boxes topped with glass, glass shelves, even glass pedestals with precious objects on top

"Ladies," aforward "You do me too much honor" He was tall and thin with a wild shock of white hair that e for his body, like a puppet at Barthlo? Perhaps the glove of Henry VIII that you ad at him "I’m interested in scientific curiosities, if you please"

"I have a lanhado fro span, of course, and beautifully stuffed I have to keep it in another location, but I could have it delivered to you to"

"Not stuffed animals, but curiosities," Poppy explained "I intend to develop my own curiosity cabinet I saw your advertisement for the horn of a Sisfreyan beast"

"A notable piece," Mr Grudner said "A true miracle, that I sold it for three hundred pounds"

"Three hundred pounds!" Jee!"

"The only one of its kind," Mr Grudner retorted "It orth far e is one of my best customers"

"He is?" Jereat naturalist," Mr Grudner reported "And, of course, he is able to indulge his curiosity He has one of the best collections in En gland, and most of it purchased from this very shop"

"Oh," Poppy said, obviously entranced "I’et to see the horn of the beast before it was purchased"

"The store is full of wonderful objects…Every lady should have her own curiosity cabinet Can I show you the hand of a mermaid, perhaps?"

Je over Mr Grudner’s unsavory collection She found a s to decide whether it depicted aup the back of a ht of stairs or perhaps a cow next to a tree, when she saw a chess piece, sitting by itself on a small pedestal

It was the white queen, carved froal frown, her body shadowed by the enormous crown that bloomed on her head The croas a hollow sphere, exquisitely carved with open work, and when Jemma peered inside she saw inside another sphere, also open, and inside that, yet another

"Exquisite, is it not?" Mr Grudner said, popping up at her shoulder "I’s to Lord Strange and I have not been able to convince him to part with it"

"Then why on earth did he part with the queen?"

"I’m sure I couldn’t say for certain," Mr Grudner said

"A chess set," Je without its queen Useless Why on earth would Strange give you the queen?"

"He sold it to et to be the richestaway pieces of artwork like this"

"Why would he sell it to you?"

"I suppose he iven up chess," Mr Grudner said "However it may be, Your Grace, I assure you that this piece is quite lovely on its own There are five nested spheres inside the crown, ending with the smallest ivory marble I’ve ever seen"