sun¡¡rise£»¡¡and¡¡it¡¡was¡¡almost¡¡as¡¡though¡¡he¡¡was¡¡running¡¡to¡¡meet¡¡it£»¡¡as¡¡though¡¡dawn¡¡was¡¡for¡¡him¡¡and¡¡him¡¡alone£»¡¡a¡¡promise¡¡of¡¡light¡¡and¡¡warmth¡¡and¡¡life¡¡to¡¡e¡£
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¡¡¡¡There¡¡were¡¡other¡¡mysteries¡¡here£»¡¡besides¡¡Toy's¡¡decline¡£¡¡For¡¡one¡¡thing£»¡¡there¡¡was¡¡the¡¡collection£º¡¡the¡¡works¡¡of¡¡the¡¡great¡¡masters¡¡that¡¡lined¡¡the¡¡corridors¡¡of¡¡the¡¡sanctuary¡£¡¡They¡¡were¡¡neglected¡£¡¡Nobody¡¡had¡¡dusted¡¡their¡¡surfaces¡¡in¡¡months£»¡¡perhaps¡¡years£»¡¡and¡¡in¡¡addition¡¡to¡¡the¡¡yellowing¡¡varnish¡¡that¡¡dimmed¡¡their¡¡fineness¡¡they¡¡were¡¡further¡¡spoiled¡¡by¡¡a¡¡layer¡¡of¡¡grime¡£¡¡Marty¡¡had¡¡never¡¡had¡¡much¡¡taste¡¡for¡¡art£»¡¡but¡¡given¡¡time¡¡to¡¡look¡¡at¡¡these¡¡pictures£»¡¡he¡¡found¡¡his¡¡appetite¡¡for¡¡it¡¡good¡£¡¡Many¡¡of¡¡them£»¡¡the¡¡portraits¡¡and¡¡the¡¡religious¡¡works£»¡¡he¡¡didn't¡¡really¡¡like£º¡¡they¡¡weren't¡¡of¡¡people¡¡he¡¡knew¡¡or¡¡events¡¡he¡¡understood¡£¡¡But¡¡in¡¡a¡¡small¡¡hallway¡¡on¡¡the¡¡first¡¡floor¡¡that¡¡led¡¡to¡¡the¡¡extension¡¡that¡¡had¡¡been¡¡Evangeline's¡¡suite£»¡¡and¡¡was¡¡now¡¡the¡¡sauna¡¡and¡¡solarium£»¡¡he¡¡found¡¡two¡¡paintings¡¡that¡¡caught¡¡his¡¡imagination¡£¡¡They¡¡were¡¡both¡¡landscapes£»¡¡by¡¡the¡¡same¡¡anonymous¡¡hand£»¡¡and¡¡to¡¡judge¡¡by¡¡their¡¡poky¡¡location¡¡they¡¡were¡¡not¡¡great¡¡works¡£¡¡But¡¡their¡¡curious¡¡amalgam¡¡of¡¡real¡¡scenery¡trees¡¡and¡¡winding¡¡roads¡¡under¡¡blue¡¡and¡¡yellow¡¡skies¡with¡¡totally¡¡fanciful¡¡details¡a¡¡dragon¡¡with¡¡speckled¡¡wings¡¡devouring¡¡a¡¡man¡¡on¡¡that¡¡road£»¡¡a¡¡flight¡¡of¡¡women¡¡levitating¡¡above¡¡the¡¡forest£»¡¡a¡¡distant¡¡city£»¡¡burning¡this¡¡marriage¡¡of¡¡real¡¡and¡¡unreal¡¡was¡¡so¡¡persuasively¡¡painted¡¡that¡¡Marty¡¡found¡¡himself¡¡going¡¡back¡¡and¡¡back¡¡again¡¡to¡¡these¡¡two¡¡haunted¡¡canvases£»¡¡finding¡¡more¡¡fantastical¡¡detail¡¡hidden¡¡in¡¡thicket¡¡or¡¡heat¡haze¡¡each¡¡time¡¡he¡¡went¡£
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¡¡¡¡Systematically¡¡he¡¡began¡¡to¡¡put¡¡names¡¡to¡¡the¡¡faces¡¡that¡¡appeared¡¡most¡¡regularly¡¡at¡¡the¡¡house£»¡¡Whitehead's¡¡most¡¡trusted¡¡advisers¡£¡¡Toy£»¡¡of¡¡course£»¡¡was¡¡regularly¡¡in¡¡evidence¡£¡¡There¡¡was¡¡also¡¡a¡¡lawyer¡¡called¡¡Ottaway£»¡¡a¡¡thin£»¡¡well¡dressed¡¡man¡¡of¡¡forty¡¡of¡¡so£»¡¡whom¡¡Marty¡¡took¡¡a¡¡dislike¡¡to¡¡when¡¡he¡¡first¡¡overheard¡¡the¡¡man's¡¡conversation¡£¡¡Ottaway¡¡spoke¡¡with¡¡that¡¡air¡¡of¡¡the¡¡legal¡¡fan¡dancer£»¡¡all¡¡tease¡¡and¡¡cover¡ups£»¡¡that¡¡Marty¡¡had¡¡experienced¡¡first¡¡hand¡£¡¡It¡¡brought¡¡back¡¡sour¡¡memories¡£
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