Nicolas Brassard eyed the crowd surrounding him and sipped his wine. Tolerable: a rather ubiquitous cabernet sauvignon, unremarkable, but pleasant. Tolerable: a rather ubiquitous cabernet sauvignon, unremarkable, but pleasantWomen in black dresses and men in suits with tails circulated around the gallery, chatting. Some eyed the paintings. Others eyed each other. See the art or be seen with it? Typical muddy motivations. Nothing unusual there. See the art or be seen with it? Typical muddy motivations. Nothing unusual there.He regarded a man in brown khakis who stared intently at the people. There’s the artist. I can see the drab, olive paint under his fingernails. What a strange color. There’s the artist. I can see the drab, olive paint under his fingernails. What a strange color.A woma

