Chapter 25

“As you can see, this painting is a corrected version of the original Eagle on a Tree,” said the auctioneer. “That's because the red mark in the earlier piece was a mistake. Not wishing to be so half-hearted in his work, Mr. Aurelius painted a new one.”

The bidders felt much more at ease upon hearing that explanation.

“See, I told you. Westbrook Auctions has a strong sense of integrity and doesn't