Chapter 72

“There's an excellent piece you really must see. Expensive, but worthy of investment.” He riffled

through the catalog pages and brought the item to David's notice, then made his excuses as

someone else demanded his attention.

“I happen to like Zhang Hongtu,” Anna protested as David's amused gaze rested on her expressive features.

“So do I,” he assured her, and, placing an arm around her waist, he directed her towards a display.

“Shall we begin viewing?”

Some paintings verged on the bizarre, others resembled caricatures of design over brilliant slashes of color. One, in particular, looked as if a very young child had indulged in a wild battle with numerous pots of multicolored paint.

“What do you think?”

Anna turned towards David and tried to present a considered viewpoint. After several

seconds she voiced with restraint, “I'd prefer not to answer on the grounds that anything I say

could be overheard, taken into account, and held against me.”

“A remarkable nonconformist piece,” David d