Chapter 25Chuck Pavel had been seen less often in the Barrel Bar recently, and his friends wondered why. The reason was innocent enough, though it turned out to be a milestone in his personal life. An intern in the White House research department was talking about an evening class at the Art Institute of Washington, just across the river in Arlington, Virginia. Two things caught Chuck’s interest. Mostly, it was the title: Explorations in metallic model work. For as long as he could remember, he had been fascinated by his father’s garage workshop and everything that went on there. He had inherited Pavel Senior’s love for the mechanics of engines and vehicles, and he would watch mesmerised as Georg welded wheel hubs, ground out piston rings, and refashioned damaged gear boxes. Outside of wor
