The Starry Sphinx by V. X. Lloyd
Author:V. X. Lloyd [Lloyd, V. X.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-01-18T22:00:00+00:00
*
The Bi-Weekly Whitecomb Art Fair began at nine the next day. A few bank customers came and went, glad to have the extended hours. Some patrons slowed their walk to that of a museum's pace to take in the paintings, occasionally taking a cookie as well.
The fish tank Mr. Perry Whitecomb had brought in for the occasion sat on an untrustworthy table designed by a Sod Hill tenant. It was five feet tall and had three legs. The artist comforted Perry by explaining that three legs formed a pyramid and would prove to be much more stable than a table with four legs. The more basic the shape, he said, the stronger the structure. But since the fish tank weighed more than either could guess and contained jellyfish, Perry was nervous it would collapse. Interesting note: the table was not designed to support any weight at all.
"I just love this piece," said Joanna, pointing at a mostly green painting. âIs it for sale?â
Moony wasnât a person who had what you would call an artistic sensibility. But seeing his mother regard the painting, he felt encouraged to try. After some dull moments spent deciphering it, he got the impression something canine lurked behind the canvas, an opaque green window. He didnât wonder why. He had the sense that if he stared at it, a three-dimensional scene would reveal itself to him the way magic eye paintings worked.
Perry had neglected to work out details of sale possibilities with the artists. No prices had been set. He mentioned this since he had nothing to hide. Joanna laughed, charmed. She offered to pay whatever the artist asked for the piece, "but don't you tell them I said that. Just find out what their price is, would you?"
Because Joanna was dressed in yellow and rust, colors which complimented the bankâs decor, many patrons assumed Joanna was an artist. They asked her which pieces were hers. Alas, she would say, none of them, not unless she could buy them. She released an enchanting laugh, its edges textured beautifully by the smoking she did.
The table, motivated by an unseen force, rumbled under the burden of the aquarium. Perhaps the helium balloons tied to it would help, thought Perry. They couldn't hurt.
Moony did a double-take as he watched the Gypsy exit the bank, alone. He moved a step or two toward the door to inquire about her presence, but no further. There were no security guards at the bank today. Then he surprised himself. Rather than shrinking away in fear, he made an effort to read her mind.
It yielded a single clear answer:
The Gypsy was thinking fondly of Celia.
The breath caught in Moonyâs throat. At once, Moony raced over to Perry. He grabbed his arm and asked him to text Celia to make sure everything was OK.
Her smiley-face heart-eyed reply came within seconds.
Moony sighed. Perry slapped him on the back and the two men rejoined the meandering crowd.
Why would the Gypsy be thinking of Celia? It didnât make sense.
Download
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.
Sita - Warrior of Mithila (Book 2 of the Ram Chandra Series) by Amish(53747)
The Crystal Crypt by Dick Philip K(36389)
Cat's cradle by Kurt Vonnegut(14721)
Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han(14433)
Ready Player One by Cline Ernest(13926)
The Last by Hanna Jameson(9774)
Year One by Nora Roberts(9274)
Persepolis Rising by James S. A. Corey(8919)
The remains of the day by Kazuo Ishiguro(8349)
Never let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro(8262)
Red Rising by Pierce Brown(8216)
Dark Space: The Second Trilogy (Books 4-6) (Dark Space Trilogies Book 2) by Jasper T. Scott(7883)
The handmaid's tale by Margaret Atwood(7414)
The Circle by Dave Eggers(6814)
Frank Herbert's Dune Saga Collection: Books 1 - 6 by Frank Herbert(6670)
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood(6450)
Legacy by Ellery Kane(6371)
Pandemic (The Extinction Files Book 1) by A.G. Riddle(6156)
Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty(5791)
