The Spherical Astrolabe

By Michael Banister

A group of retired history and geography professors at the University of Hawaii discover an ancient maritime navigational device, a spherical astrolabe, in a trunk in the attic of a dilapidated mansion one of them is renovating. Accompanying the astrolabe is a 500-year-old memoir that includes detailed instructions for turning the astrolabe into a time machine. The group follows the instructions and ends up in 15th century Mogadishu, Somalia. Things go wrong very quickly, and they have to return to their own time. All of them except one--Professor Horacio Fuente.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael Banister
• Release date: Mar 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005986421

Book preview

The Spherical Astrolabe

by

Michael Ellis Banister

Table of Contents

Germ of an Idea

Discovery

Motley Crew

Starlight Commune

Time Travel 101

Building a Time Machine

Curiosity Wins the Day

At the Workbench

Packing for an Expedition

Departure

Mogadishu Market

Trapped

New Life

Decision Time

About the Author

Germ of an Idea

Professor João da Gama sat in his office in the history department at the University of Hawaii, Mãnoa campus. It was the end of his day, the end of office hours. No more students today asking questions, or worse, arguing about their grades on their final term paper. It was also his last day after a 30-year career teaching not only in the history department but also in the geography department. A distinguished career, he reminded himself. But I’m not going to talk myself out of retiring. I deserve some down time, but more importantly time to work on a personal project with my friends.

João hadn’t quite worked out all the details of the project that had taken root in his mind a month ago. Something to do with the history of the Horn of Africa, the horn-shaped land formation that forms the easternmost point of the African continent, projecting into the Indian Ocean south of the Arabian Peninsula. He and several of his colleagues in the history, anthropology and political science departments had long studied and written about East Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries. Looking back on his career he was amazed at how well he and those colleagues—Sandra Bevilacqua, Yuen Ho Wan, Abbas Amir, Horacio Fuente and Makelle Ringhiera—had worked together. Over the past few months, they had been discussing doing some joint research into that region during that era, in particular the Horn of Africa. The only problem was the logistics of getting together or working separately; they all lived in different parts of Oahu, but had fantasized spending a month or two together somewhere, like a retreat where they could devote themselves full time and without distraction to their dream project.

João had also been studying marine navigation during that time period, especially navigation using the so-called spherical astrolabe. That device had been continually improved since Arab navigators began using them in the 10th century. The Portuguese mariners used them to great advantage in their maritime explorations. For at least the past 10 years João had been collecting different versions of the device, gradually hunting specifically for the more advanced ones. He was hoping to fold his obsession with the devices into his as yet undeveloped idea for a research project into 15th century Horn of Africa.

But João’s immediate project was to purchase a home. A bigger home than the one he and his late wife had owned for the past 25 years. It wasn’t just the size of his home that motivated him to move. There were just too many memories, especially the memory of his wife’s long illness leading to her death. Plus, his twin sons had left the nest and were attending college at UCLA. He was hoping to move away from Oahu and find something in a more rural environment, such as the island of Molokai. He had a real estate agent, Margaret Kahale, working for him, scouring the island.

When João arrived home from the university he checked his messages. There was one from Margaret, who sounded excited. She was suggesting he might want to take a look at a long-deserted mansion on Molokai. He listened to her message again: João, Margaret. You won’t believe what I found—a 19th century mansion, unoccupied for the past couple of years. It’s on Molokai. I definitely think you should check it out. I suggest we fly to Molokai from Honolulu. From the airport we’ll head north on Highway 460, then onto Highway 470. We pass Kualapu’u and continue on Highway 470 to Kalaupapa. I’m sure you’ve heard of that tongue of land extending into the Pacific below the sea cliffs; maybe you’ve been there. That little peninsula is where I found this ancient mansion that practically backs up to parkland—no nosy neighbors! It dates back to the 1870s. Some eccentric old gentleman owns it. His agent tells me it’s mostly empty, but not dilapidated. I think you should check it out.

João called Margaret back and agreed to meet her at the airport and fly there. He was excited and looking forward to seeing the property.

Discovery

I thought you said it wasn’t dilapidated. João and Margaret were sitting at a card table in the parlor and examining the ancient, yellowed floor plan for all three floors and the basement.

I’m sorry, João. My counterpart described it as problem free. But really, other than the leak in the roof and several broken windows, I don’t see anything that couldn’t be dealt with cheaply. And it recently passed a structural examination by an architectural firm.

João looked skeptical. I don’t know. The plans show six attics, two at each end of the building, one above the room labeled `staff quarters,’ and one directly above the master bedroom. I wouldn’t be surprised if the roof was leaking into one of them, maybe all of them. Rolling up the plans he said, "Let’s walk around the grounds before I