City of the Dead by Lieberman Herbert

Author:Lieberman, Herbert [Lieberman, Herbert]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction.Horror, Fiction.Mystery/Detective, Fiction.Thriller/Suspense
ISBN: 9780380699766
Google: utFlAAAAMAAJ
Amazon: 0380699761
Publisher: Avon Books
Published: 1976-06-01T00:00:00+00:00

»33«

“Who did you say is the artist?”

“Emily Winslow. Name’s right there in the corner.”

“Oh, yes, of course... Winslow.”

“Not terribly well known yet. But she will be.”

1:00 p.m. The Fenimore Gallery,

Madison Avenue and 67th Street.

“Greatly talented,” says Konig.

“Yes, she is.”

“Greatly talented,” he murmurs again a little foolishly. “Greatly talented.”

And for a while the two men stand there, Konig and Mr. Anthony Redding, gazing at the three little gouaches.

“And you just have the three?” Konig asks finally.

“’Fraid so.” Redding glances somewhat disapprovingly at the rumpled figure with tie askew and slightly demented eyes. “We’ve sold quite a bit of her painting though. This is all we have left. Unfortunately,” he goes on apologetically, “these are not the most appealing of her works.”

“Not appealing?” Konig’s brow arches. “On the contrary, I find them very appealing. Oh, I s’pose there is a certain air of morbidity about them. I quite agree. But still I find they say something to me.”

“You do?”

“Yes, I do,” Konig goes on, fiercely protective, warming to his subject. “Something universal. I’m profoundly touched by them.”

“You are?” An expression of puzzlement and suspicion mingles on Mr. Redding’s sallow features. “Well,” he goes on agreeably, “she is a superb draftsman. Unusual to see that kind of discipline in one so young.”

“Is she young?” Konig asks slyly, enjoying in some odd way this utterly bogus role he plays.

“Yes, quite young. Early twenties, I should judge. I’m not sure. And utterly different from the other young painters of her generation, opportunists all trying to look chic and trendy. Winslow’s not trendy at all. Not voguish. Not afraid to be conventional. A little old-fashioned. Not hung up on style for style’s sake, and absolutely determined to master the tools of her craft. Yes, she has something to say. She is very good.”

“Yes.” Konig swells a bit with pride. Oddly enough, he’s moved. At a loss for words. Once again his eyes pore hungrily over the three little canvases. Displayed rather prominently as they are in this sleekly elegant gallery, exuding opulence and taste, they seem to take on a curious air of importance. Oddly enough, he’s impressed. But still, the paintings are profoundly sad. That woeful little shack in the burned-out field—so desolate, so forlorn. And even more disturbing, the study of broken glass, lethal little shards. And then the soiled underpants moldering in the fetid shadows of some tenement gloom. Something like a shiver courses through him.

“I’ll take the three,” says Konig suddenly.

“You will?”

“Yes, of course.” Konig is a little shocked at the sound of his own voice. As if someone else had spoken those rash words. “I said so, didn’t I?”

A look of something like wariness comes into Redding’s eyes. This man in his tatty suit—hardly the sort of person he’s accustomed to selling paintings to.

“They’re not inexpensive,” Redding says rather grandly. “I hardly imagined they would be,” Konig snaps, matching the grandeur.

The gallery owner is baffled. Somewhat at a loss. Not certain whether the man is a wealthy eccentric or merely a crackpot in off the street.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.