musicians of old

Chapter 810 Black Material
Master? What, a master?!
Fanning sat down on the bench, but the title only made him more uneasy: "Father Squierben, by the Father, how could I possibly accept the title of Master? I am so sorry, I have completely missed the noon appointment, this is truly..."

“Hehehe, it’s okay, I’ve only been here a short time myself.” Squia’s words left Fanning completely bewildered.

"You've only been here a short time!? How could that be? It's almost midnight already. I arranged to meet you at noon. Did you arrive earlier?"

"There's not much difference, Master Fanning."

"What? What do you mean? Also, I really am unworthy of the title of Master."

“Everything is preparing for noon, and everything will come to a standstill at noon; it makes no difference, child.” Squier had changed his form of address, but his words remained meaningful. “So, what are you hesitating about?”

Suppressing his confusion, Fan Ning sighed, "Father, my soul is trapped by thorns."

"Some sacred music, which is clearly a spear aimed at the future, is repeatedly embroiled in foolish debates because its program contains so-called taboos of the present."

“If someone burns them tomorrow at dawn, are they burning the fruit of the Holy Spirit?”

“Deuteronomy 12:32 does indeed warn, ‘Nothing I have commanded you, neither add to it nor take away from it.’” Squiaben’s mustache twitched, and he smiled wryly. “But 2 Samuel 6:14 also records, ‘David, dressed in a linen ephod, danced vigorously in the sight of the Lord.’”

"Isn't the key to this principle whether one's actions are in accordance with the Way of the Lord?"

“In accordance with the Way of the Lord,” Fan Ning murmured to himself.

Not only in 2 Samuel, but it seems that there are also many such expressions in the Book of Acts.

It seems that this old priest, Squierben, not only skillfully uses scripture to elucidate doctrines, but also seems to understand the power of analogy and insight. But why did that initial conversation feel so strange? The timing of their meeting was also completely out of sync with expectations.
The Book of Acts.
“But the court declared that the spontaneous combustion of the stake was irrefutable proof of divine judgment.” Fanning took a deep breath and asked again, “Even if it was a wrongful conviction of an innocent person, does going against them violate the commandment in Acts 5:29, ‘Obey God, not men’?”

“My child, Proverbs 31:8 instructs you to speak up for the mute and to seek justice for all the lonely—the key is whose cry reaches the Most High.”

Fanning fell into deep thought.

What this person said seemed very reasonable and truly in line with the meaning of the scriptures.

"Whose cry reaches the Most Higher?"—this is quite similar to Vincent's statement that "it all comes down to who can better invoke or control the power of the Sun God."

So, could we offer Vincent some suggestions to help him coordinate with his "March and Chorus in A minor"?
However, Vincent didn't know exactly how to do it.
Squiaben further inspired: “In 1 Kings 18:37, Elijah cried out, ‘Lord, answer me!’ and heavenly fire immediately consumed the burnt offering. Is this not more powerful than the spectacle of the Inquisition’s spotlight? If you can harmonize those murals and sing in faith before the pyre,…”

His fingers traced lines on the mahogany tabletop, and Fan Ning stared intently at them: "Do you remember the angel playing a harp on the west side of the mural 'The Day of Wrath'?"

"I have an impression."

"The bow in the angel's hand is truly the pivot of light. If you were to paint flames on its tip, turning it into a torch, you would naturally feel the extraordinary power of spirituality. Hehe, that's what you'll find at the scene of the public trial."

"An angel on the west side? A bow? A torch?" Fanning's eyes brightened, but she was also puzzled. "How do you know?"

He looked up to ask, but suddenly realized that Father Squiaben was gone!
A soft, ambiguous creaking sound of ropes came from above.

Inside the crowded Van der Schaaf Collection, the salon hammock where Fanning was sitting was once again being kicked and swayed by Miss McAdam.

"What did you say? Scandals?" Fan Ning lowered her voice to a whisper as she scrutinized the editor-in-chief of the Vienna Art Review.

“Yes, things are bad, please, help me.” Miss McAdam gracefully tossed her hair, still leaning close to Fanning’s ear affectionately.

In those few short seconds, nearly a hundred images flashed through Fanning's mind, including those of the curator Ivo Lerich and the strange chief appraiser Nikolaevich Squiaben.

Thinking of the shady dealings and suspicious points he had witnessed before, Fan Ning immediately realized that the matter was probably not unfounded. However, the incident happened suddenly, and in a public place under the watchful eyes of many, so he had no choice but to repeatedly ask questions in a low voice:

"What dirt on you?" "What were you planning to do? Expose someone? Why did you come here?"

How can you be so sure they're targeting you?

“I…I feel like there are people in this venue watching me,” Miss McAdam explained anxiously. “What’s the reason? I can’t quite put my finger on it. Maybe during the first half of the event, when some items that might be related to scandals were displayed, did my micro-expressions change? Did that attract the attention of those secretly watching me? I can’t say for sure, but it’s definitely not just idle speculation! Leridge has many methods out there, and after so many years of investigation, even if I’m careful, some clues will inevitably be left behind! But I feel that it might not be entirely certain about me. Certain individuals are receiving extra attention, and perhaps they are still narrowing down the search. Also…maybe someone will rush up and demand to check my bag at any moment! In short, I am definitely…”

Fanning instinctively wanted to frown, but immediately realized that her expression should be "relaxed".

He stared into Miss McAdam's blue eyes, as if trying to glean something more specific from them.

But the reality is that even if the other party's statement is only one side of the story, or if they have other motives, this is not the place to keep asking for details. Fan Ning didn't have time to think it over carefully, and finally took a deep breath and stood up from the hammock.

What can I do? Where should I go? There's no time to carefully consider the options available.

Fanning quickly started walking, turning from south to east.

Miss McAdam followed closely behind.

As Fan Ning walked, he pulled out a work key, a special key that was shiny and had extremely complex teeth, with what appeared to be a groove for the Arabic numeral "0" on the back.

The crowds on the east side gradually thinned out, but there were still some guests strolling around. On a high viewing platform above, two gentlemen were smoking cigars together, their eyes following the figure in a light red trench coat.

"The collection restoration room, suspicious target number 4 has headed in the direction of the collection restoration room."

"It is a special collection restoration room."

"This female reporter followed the young and handsome artifact technician all the way there. A man and a woman, sneaking around—could it be just...?"

A gentleman with his hat pulled low into deep thought began to ponder.

The special collection restoration room is indeed very "special". Compared with the regular restoration rooms, it has higher requirements for dust prevention, mold removal, light protection, and sound insulation. The temperature, humidity, and air pressure parameters are subject to strict control standards, so it is not easy to enter. Even ordinary skilled technicians are not allowed to enter on their own.

Moreover, given its sensitive position in the entire art auction chain, such as the risk of being criticized for "behind-the-scenes manipulation," even senior management with the authority to oversee the auction, or the curator, Leridge, will consider the influence from numerous notary offices and external oversight systems in their specific operations, and at least on the surface, they must act in a standardized manner.

"Let's wait and see, keep an eye on what's going on at the door."

"Suspicious target number 5, you go and keep an eye on target number 5."

"Boss, there's been a little trouble with Target Number 2. They're arguing with a noble employer backstage."

"Reassign another person to keep an eye on that place."

These guards and sentries, based on the actual situation, once again adjusted the guarding strategy.

"Bang bang bang click".

The heavy triple-locking door was pulled down by Fanning. The impact of the cast iron explosion-proof door should have caused a huge earthquake, but at the last moment, a clever mechanical device dissipated most of the force.

The air inside the repair room was cold, dry, and odorless. Fanning, having closed the door, immediately turned around, gazed at the editor-in-chief before her, and spoke:
“Miss McAdam, I had every reason to refuse your request, but I didn’t.”

"It's just the two of us now, but time is running out. I hope you can explain this clearly, and I hope you're not making some ridiculous joke!"

(End of this chapter)