For years, Roman had been obsessed with the ancient spice routes. He believed that the modern world had lost its flavor, trading the rich, intoxicating aromas of the past for sterile, pre-packaged lives. He spent his nights reading about the Roman Empire's insatiable hunger for pepper, the Dutch wars over nutmeg, and the secret maps drawn by Arab traders to protect their sources of cinnamon.
As Roman read the flowing Spanish script, the words seemed to lift off the page. When he read the chapter on saffron, his small shop was suddenly bathed in a golden, sunlit glow, and he could taste the metallic, hay-like threads on his tongue. When he turned to the section on cloves, the damp Barcelona cold vanished, replaced by the crushing, humid heat of the Moluccas. Historia De Las Especias Roman Hereter epub
Roman reached out to touch the screen, and his fingers didn't hit glass. They sank into warm, coarse sand. He looked at his monitor and saw not a file, but a window looking out onto a bustling, sun-baked market in Alexandria, two thousand years in the past. For years, Roman had been obsessed with the
The next morning, a customer entered the shop finding it completely empty. The only thing out of place was Roman’s computer. On the screen, a digital book was open, its pages turning by themselves. And if the customer had leaned in close enough, they would have smelled the distinct, unmistakable aroma of fresh cloves and sea salt. As Roman read the flowing Spanish script, the