Ostiarium, Morning – Present Day - Nicolaus Cagliostro

Nicolaus opened the ornate valve and let more hot water out of the giant copper kettle. The aches and pains in his back from the long night faded as he soaked in the large wooden tub liberal sprinkled with camomile, breweswort, mallow and brown fennel. He ran a soft sponge over his body scouring it clean, finishing up by throwing a warm bucket of water over his head. He laid his head back against the edge of the tub and closed his eyes.

Arrival (Day 6, year 2)
Nicolaus shifted the straw in the crate and hefted the last glass apparatus to inspect for it for damage. Truth be told he was surprised. With all the cucurbits, alembics, receivers, pelicans, lenses, retorts, antenitors, condenser coils, vials, tiles, pouring-vessels, ampules, philosophic eggs and balls, he had expected more destruction from mishandling and the buffeting for more than a month at sea. He would need them all every day to compose and produce endless concotions (elixirs, potions, quintessences, salts, sulfurs, vitriols, mercuries, tinctures, elemental separations, any and all metallic things). Glass containers were perfection for aqua fortis and aqua regia, which were essential.

Now if only the latest ship from the old country would arrive with his books and his remaining supplies. He had arranged for a small shipment thereafter every two months until winter when I extra shipment would come. But already the shipment that was to come at his heels had not arrived. He sighed dejectedly and plucked a heavy pry bar from the floor, found a space and levered the last crate open. He swept the packing straw aside exposing the shiny copper drum and its iron wood burning base. Ahh, once again he would be civilized!