AnAcquisitiveEyeFelix’s recent string of acquisitions, both for various galleries and museums, and his own extra-curricular activities, has brought him to New York City. New York City does have the finest museums and galleries in the Western Hemisphere, or at least lays claims to having them. On the other hand, legal gambling is awfully thin on the ground, with the only real options worth Felix’s time an interminable limo ride away down to Atlantic City and its boardwalk. Thus, on a rainy April day that just makes Felix twitch with anxiety from being cooped up in the apartment he is renting, a ring on his cell phone breaks him out of his rut, decisively. “Mr. Tycho,” the voice on the phone says, once Felix answers. “My name is Jonah Jones. I understand that you have a singular talent for acquiring pieces for art institutions. There is a piece from Libya that recently came to these shores that the Gilman Gallery would dearly love to add to its collection of Mediterranean art, and so we are seeking a professional to negotiate its purchase on our behalf.” “Are you interested?” "Gilman Gallery, huh?" Felix hadn't heard of it, but there were thousands of galleries. Why, oh why, didn't he bite the bullet and get a full-time secretary? One of these days ... well, if they got this number, they were on the ball. Which meant that this wouldn't be an easy acquisition. "Yes, I'm interested," Felix says, hoping that his degree of interest isn't that obvious. Looks like Atlantic City will have to wait. "Though, I have a rather long list of clients waiting ..." "I am sure someone with your skills and talents would have a full schedule," Jones responds smoothly. "I am equally sure Miss Gilman would authorize me to make you a competitive offer for your assistance in this matter. "Thus, on her behalf, I am prepared to pay you the standard buyer's premium at Sotheby's. I am sure you know, Mr. Tycho, that means 25% on the first 50,000 us dollars, 20% on the exceeding amount up to 1,000,000 us dollars, and 12% if the purchase price should exceed one million dollars U.S. We are prepared to pay up to 3 million dollars US for the piece, before your fee, to acquire this item." Felix smiles. It's not the biggest buy he's ever made, but it's certainly not the smallest. "I am ... interested," he says over the phone. "I take it that we shouldn't waste time mailing me a packet with all the details. Do you want to transmit the information and the signatures back and forth? Or would you like to meet? I'm in New York right now. I would especially be interested in seeing a picture of this piece, considering the bargaining price." "Meeting in person would be advantageous for both of us," Jonah replies. "I firmly believe that we should meet so that we can determine if a business arrangement between us will be possible." "It is fortuitous that you are already in New York. Our information had said otherwise." There is a pause. "Let us meet tomorrow, at noon, at the Oyster Bar at Grand Central Terminal. I will be wearing a garish yellow tie and bring the information, including a photograph of the piece." "Sounds good." Grand Central Station? Sounded anything but good. Ah, well. "I'll have a paperback with me, that bio on Magritte." Always meant to finish that. "I'll see you then." "Very good, Mr. Tycho. I look forward to it." He pauses a moment "I will see you then," Jonah adds. And the phone call ends, leaving only the sound of the rain outside. After sitting back a moment to relax and think and plan, Felix directs his driver away from the planned trip across the state line and back to his apartment. Once there, he'll dive into some computer searches: anything on a Gilman Gallery, a Jonas that would work for them, and recent art pieces that might have found their way to New York from that part of the world. No sign of a Jonas, but he does come up with a hit for the Gilman Gallery. It looks like a tiny gallery, created by Annie Gilman, a fantasy writer who decided to marry her passion for writing with her passion for collecting art. From what the website explains, each of the pieces is paired with stories or fictions Annie writes for it. Where a fantasy writer not named Stephen King is getting the money to do this is not clear from the website. Also less clear is how this tiny gallery would be large enough to have the extensive and varied collections of art that Jonas implied. Felix is far less effective when looking for new and interesting art pieces that might have come across the sea recently. His searches do not come up with anything public and legal, although there are rumors that Mid-east unrest is threatening to unleash stolen, real and not stolen, fake pieces to flood the market. That flood has not yet occurred. Otherwise, he'll make sure his power suit is cleaned and pressed and be at the meeting place a half hour early. The oyster bar sits on an upper level of the extremely public and chaotic Grand Central Station. If Jonah Jones wanted a more open spot to meet him, it would have taken some work to come up with one. Showing up a half hour early, though, is a good way for Felix to get a table and stake out a place to spot people coming up to the bar. Six minutes before noon, Felix can see a short man, maybe five and a half feet tall, wearing a very garish yellow tie, and carrying a briefcase. His eyes dart around, nervously. Knowing the human eye is drawn to movement, Felix waves his book-laden hand a bit until he gets the man's attention. He tries not to be so obvious about it that he disturbs everyone else doing it; when he knows he's snagged his fish, he signals to one of the waiters. That nervous, jumpy feel to the man moderates, somewhat, when he sees the waving book. He gives a nod and starts to make his way through the tables toward Felix, giving Felix the opportunity to summon a waiter. "Mr Tycho." The man offers a hand. "I'm Jonah Jones of the Gilman Gallery. A pleasure to meet you." The waiter arrives just a few moments after Jones sits down. With a hand motion, he waves off a menu for himself and directs the waiter to only give one to Felix. This does not appear to surprise the waiter at all. Jonah's nervousness has, for the moment, evaporated. "I'll have a Sixpoint Righteous Rye to drink, the Manhattan Clam chowder, and the fried Long Island blue points," Jonah rattles off from memory to the waiter. Felix raises an eyebrow. "No stranger, I see," he says. "I'm feeling adventurous. I'll have the same." When the waiter moves away, he says to his companion, "Well. You had my curiosity up, but ultimately, I have no idea what it is that your gallery wants." "No?" Jones says, regarding Felix for a long moment. "No matter. That can be remedied in short order. Before the seafood comes and ruins these photographs." Jones reaches down into his briefcase, opens it, and soon produces a couple of photographs. These are laid out in front of Felix. It's a bust, from the torso up, in sculpted and polished marble. A beautiful necklace, definitely not marble, is elegantly hanging around its neck. "With the troubles in Libya, there is danger and opportunity in acquiring art from that nation," Jonah says. "This is a bust of Venus Cyrenica, and it was considered lost for centuries, until the colonel displayed it thirty years ago in a feature for Life Magazine. "I'm not asking you to go to Libya, thankfully," he says. "No, some enterprising soul has brought it to a far darker place ..." He pauses a beat. "Connecticut. A Libyan-American insurance apparatchik owns it now. "Ms. Gilman wants this piece for the gallery and is, ah, certain that you can acquire it for her. On the terms we previously agreed." Felix snerks politely at the mention of Deepest Darkest Connecticut, but otherwise his attention stays on the picture. "Nice, very nice. Yes, I'm in. If anything ... unforeseen happens, whom should I contact?" "Ah, that." Jonah seems ready to answer, but the waiter places a bowl of Manhattan clam chowder, and a plate of fried oysters, in front of each of them, and then backs away. Jonah takes a spoonful of the red soup before answering. "Miss Gilman retains the services of Bussel, Tyler and Roche." He stops eating to fish out a card from his wallet and places it on top of the picture of the bust. "If that sort of unforeseen event should happen. Or were you referring to some other sort of calamity?" He then starts to alternate the fried oysters and the soup. "Just seeing if there was anyone to watch my back, really, or if I was flying completely solo. Thanks," Felix says politely between bites. "Ms. Gilman should have a prominent spot dusted off for her new piece. I'll contact you when I have it in hand. I can take these photos with me to study, yes?" “Of course,” Jonah says. “Your discretion and reputation are well known,” he adds, after a discreet slurp of soup. “Miss Gilman prefers that you have as much autonomy as possible, but not, ah, be left out to dry. It tends to reduce repeat business.” "As you say." Felix gives Jonah one of his patented cheshire smiles. "Anything else I should know before I head off to Connecticut?" He pauses, then: "This necklace, for example ... is it part of the piece, or did someone add to it?" "The necklace is something that appears to have been added to the piece for reasons we cannot fathom," Jonah says. "Certainly, the information on the piece we had from decades ago has no pictures or information that the necklace is associated with the Venus from antiquity. "If the necklace can be obtained reasonably along with the Venus, then that is all well and good, but it is the statuary that is Miss Gilman's true interest. Ancient mythology YA fiction is still a hot commodity in this market, even if the Percy Jackson movie did not fare well." "Percy ... yes, that. To be perfectly candid, I don't watch films much." Felix shrugs. "I'm usually busy. Busy enough not to immerse myself in mythology, and it doesn't really matter 'why' someone wants a piece. I'm more concerned with the acquisition, you understand. Out of curiosity, is there some special story that goes with this statue?" "A story that might be dull for someone who is too busy to immerse himself in mythology," Jonah says with a grin. "The story goes, and it is a myth, of course, is that the Venus Cyrenica was carved by a sculptor who reputedly was working from a live model. The live model, if you get my meaning, Mr.Tycho. That's the story. I think it was some sort of corruption or reverse of the old Pygmalion and Galatea myth, myself." He returns to eating his soup and watching Felix. "As in, a girl turned to stone? That's a terrible way to treat your models." Felix frowns a little, turns back to his food, and pretends to forget the last exchange ... at least, until his curiosity gets the better of him. "Um, who was the model supposed to be? For that matter, who was the sculptor?" "I guess I wasn't clear," Jonah says, looking up from the scant remnants of the fried clams on his plate. "The story goes, and it has to be a story, is that the creator of this sculpted it using a model who he claimed to be the goddess Venus incarnate. Our records of the names of Roman sculptors are scant at best, and we don't know who it was who did this, or who would make such a ludicrous claim." "I don't expect that kissing the statue would bring her to life, either," Jonah says. "Ohh, I see. Well, okay, I'll try not to smooch the statue," Felix says, drily. "Even if I get excited over getting it. Is there anything else I need to know about it? Otherwise, I'll keep you informed when I contact the owner and again when I have the item." "No, I have all of the pertinent details on its weight and composition in a file," he says, packing up the photos and producing a manila envelope which he slides over to Felix. "The dry and dull stuff, rather than the historical mythological mumbo jumbo. A copy of the article it first appeared in. Consider it," Jonah smiles widely, "bedtime reading. "Oh," he adds. "I am not certain if a man like you wants to sign a formal contract, or not. I do have one, if that's the way you want to handle this." Felix shakes his head, already somehow sure that this is going to be a 'special' case. "We can keep this one to a gentleman's agreement," he says. "I won't be charging you until I have the item in hand, anyway." Jonah points his right index finger at Felix. "I like the way you do business," he says with a grin. "And I think Miss Gilman will feel the same." He offers Felix his hand, and a warm but not overpowering handshake. "I think we have a bargain." He releases Felix's hand. "You be careful up there," Jonah adds. "I shall," Felix says. "I'll get back to you as soon as I can." (Continued in Nutmeg State Blues) |
