John Henry
Part Eight
Accountability...
in the antiquarian world... is of little bother... because... ‘it’s about the stuff’. Accountability... of an antiquarian...
to an ‘employer’ is... ‘Like what are you talking about?’.
It’s
about the stuff; the antiquarian world is ABOUT THE STUFF. Antiquarians, in their pure expression,
‘don’t care’ about anything else because ...there is NOT anything else ‘in the
world’ except THE STUFF.
Accountability...for
the stuff...; ABOUT THE STUFF... is a different matter. BEYOND the duties of job (being an
antiquarian)... it (‘about the stuff’) is the purist expression of
‘accountability’ for an antiquarian.
‘About the stuff’ to an antiquarian... THEY BANK IT... in both senses; a
‘take it to the bank’ AND ...rake its (‘about the stuff’) embers together into
a compact nestle of monstrous radiant heat before thee. And they... present BOTH, when queried,
WITH PRIDE and the mindful ...monstrous radiant heat... that ‘they are
right’. THAT becomes traditional
type accountability that ...an employer... may BANK (in both senses) while the
antiquarian is TOO caught up in their ‘purist expression’ to notice or care. They are ‘cloud nine’ in the middle of
the ‘just the facts please’ ‘stuff-less’ “yuck” that is the ‘outside world’.
I
was seated in the stuffy office.
With the paralegal. And her
yellow legal pad. Her cup of
coffee. Her pass-off glance at
me. Her new shoes. Her ‘in an hour I can go to
lunch’. Her cell phone on. Her... waiting silently as I was (“with
me”) for the lawyer to “step in” (her words). Two worlds collide?
Stepping
in... he stepped. No coffee. No jacket. Shuffled shirt and tie (BB-OCBD and crisp BB ‘all silk’)
looking like he just left a floor trade of Pacific Rim currency at a global
connected inter-office brokerage work station that was just keeping ahead of
‘sunset’ ‘in Europe’. He...
cared... ‘about the stuff’?
“Just
the facts please.”
I
did that; the five word mantra of this estate’s third property content’s
description; “Upper Middleclass Baby Boom Child Rearing” with a “Nothing to
worry about or bother with.” landing at the end.
“Good.”
He said ...and looked at his watch.
“Except”.
He
looked up.
“I
found a good painting”
He
looked at me
“in
there.” I said.
Up
comes the ‘bulleted list’ (Part Six).
The woman was writing something on her legal pad. I told the story of ‘finding’ the
painting.
Then
I said “At first I was sure I discovered the painting but now I am sure one of
the heirs has been aware of the painting for a while”.
That’s
what I was hired to do; find the painting and report the discovery.
Skipping
to nearly the end of the bullet list, the lawyer said “How much is it worth?”
I
go to the very end of the bullet list and say “There are variables; actual
problems, that effect realizing the full worth of the painting.”
“What
IS the full WORTH of the painting?”
“It
depends on managing the variables”
“What
are they?
Returning
to the bullet list I step down it backwards; “The value of the painting as
art... but also the heritage of the painting and the history of the painting”.
“Determine its worth?”
“Effect
realizing the full worth”.
“That
is?”
“Quite
a spread if done right.”
“Done right?”
“Done right?”
“All
the ducks in a row: Great art,
great heritage, great history. The
painting is in fantastic original condition.”
“So
its worth more?”
“To
the market. Original frame
too. That’s real good.”
See
what’s happening here? I ...ME..
am... well... slipping away INTO the antiquarian’s ‘purist expression’ ‘about
the stuff’... so as I become a verbalized gush of enthusiasm about the painting
I... ‘loose him’ (the lawyer and ‘worth’).
The
woman is writing this down? She
is.
“SO
what IS IT WORTH?”
“Ah,
well... right now... with what you know?
Like. How about twenty-five
K.”
“What
do I know?”
“Nothing. That’s a variable.”
“Variable?”
“The
more you know that HIGHER that number could go.”
“Worth
more?”
“Right;
properly done”
“Done?”
“Sold...
MARKETED; properly presented to
the market.”
“Oh....
you can do that?”
“Me? I do that? No: It’s not my
painting.”
“Oh. Right. THEY do it.”
“Right...”
“Right
WHAT?”
“Well...
they don’t know what I know.”
“What
do you know?”
“About
the (art) value of the painting. They
can find that out.”
“The
value? It’s worth?”
“No;
VALUE. The better it’s VALUE as
art the more its WORTH.”
“Oh. Right... right. That means?”
“It’s
heritage. In the family. And the history. OF the painting.
“Effects
the...; how much it’s worth?
“A
lot.”
“A
lot?”
“On
this one; this painting.”
“How
much is a lot?”
“Well...
how about a hundred K.”
“A
hundred K? One hundred thousand.”
“Maybe
more. Depends.”
“More? Depends?” he says and looks at the
woman writing. “Who knows about
this?”
“This? The painting or its art value?”
“Worth...
Its art value?”
“I
think the heir thinks she knows its got the twenty K plus value. She doesn’t get it at all past that.”
“Past
that?”
“The
depends; the history... proper preparation for the market. She doesn’t know about any of
that. I think she plans to take
the painting out of there.”
“Out
of there? She can’t do that.”
“Want
to make a bet?”
“Well...
WHO knows about this?”
“Me...
you... and then her... sort of. I
know it best. You I just told.”
The
lawyer looks at me.
“Face
it; you don’t know about this.
Even if I tell you twice.”
“I
don’t?”
“It’s
an art thing.”
“You
and your art things.”
“It’s
about the painting: This is about
the STUFF. It’s not about me.”
And
I was done.
And
left the office.
And
did not hear from the lawyer about this (the estates, the properties and the
painting)... ‘ever again’.
I
sent my bill... and was paid... promptly... with that bill including
photocopies of the expense receipts... with those including the one for the
club sandwich and....
And....
‘Zero’
happened.
But
I knew ...that... was not... ‘what was happening’ to ...the estates, the
properties and... the painting.
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