[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
."Finn snickered."Is this what you meant by 'duckingthe question'?""Yes." Diego smiled, the tight band around his hearteasing."I'm not an artist or an art historian, so I'm probablynot qualified to answer your question.I mean, some art'ssymbolic, or satirical, or provocative instead of beautiful.Ithink maybe it's something about helping the viewer seethings in a different way.In a way you hadn't thought ofbefore.Art evokes an emotional response.Maybe not theone the artist intended.But some kind of gut reaction."Finn traced over the lines of David's marble face."Idon't understand.The words, yes, but I can't grasp it.""Like holding water in your hand.""No, that I can do." Finn cocked his head to theside."Ah.You jest.I wasn't certain you knew how.""I'm a little out of practice." Diego finished his beerand started to clear the table."Maybe we should go seesome in person.Art, that is.It's hard to feel the real impactfrom pictures in a book."Finn's head rested on his arms, his eyelids slidingshut."I don't think I would survive a trip to Italy.""We don't have to go that far." Explanations could67 Finn Angel Martinezwait until morning, or the next afternoon, or whenever Finncould manage the stairs better.After he put Finn to bed, Diego realized he'd nevercalled social services about placement for him."Don'tsuppose they have a Fairy Support Division anyway," hemuttered to his computer."I can't believe I just said that."* * * *Finn turned the corner into yet another room andsighed.More blasted odd things on the walls he couldn'tfathom.In the crush of humans, he had lost Diego manyrooms before.A large group had come between them, alltagging behind and hanging on the words of a strident-voiced woman who pointed at the things on the walls andsaid incomprehensible things about them.When he hadextricated himself from the herd, Diego was nowhere to beseen.His absence was like standing on a cliff in ahurricane.Nothing to lean against.No shelter to be seen.They had stood in a grand hall at one point, onewith lovely, ceiling-high windows looking out on trees andwith interesting representations of naked or near-nakedhumans every few feet.Diego had waved a hand to thechairs by the wall and told him the name of the room."Come back here if we get separated or if you get tired.Just68 Finn Angel Martinezsit down and wait for me.No one will bother you if youdon't touch the statues.""European Sculpture Court," Finn repeated underhis breath.He knew he wasn't anywhere near the place.Diego had also said to ask one of the people in the jacketswith the shiny buttons to help him if he became lost.Butthey all looked so forbidding and stern, he'd been ratheranxious about approaching any of them.The last personhe'd talked to in a jacket with shiny buttons had locked himin an iron cage.Lovely buttons, though.Made his fingers itch totouch.He sat down on a stone bench in front of a man-high, painted canvas.As a representation of something, itmade no sense, but the colors shone bold and bright.Notfor the first time that day, he wished he could decipher thelines and circles humans used to label everything.Perhapsit held a clue as to what he was supposed to see.A small boy flopped down beside him, legsswinging."Are you tired, too?"The boy glanced sideways at him with a frown.Gods of night, the children here are all so suspicious.For amoment, he thought the boy might run away."I guess." The boy shrugged.69 Finn Angel Martinez"Don't you like this place?""It's OK.I like the armor and swords and stuff.Therest is boring." He peered at Finn more closely."You talkfunny.""I'm from far away.""No, I mean like you can't breathe right."Finn rubbed at his chest and coughed.Observantchild."It, ah, gives me trouble sometimes."The boy nodded."I have asthma, too.You probablyforgot your inhaler, didn't you? My mom yells at me whenI forget mine.""Yes, exactly
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]