Chapter 63
The illustration was unlike any other in the man's portfolio. Whereas the others were bold and simple, this one was considerably more nuanced, both in composition and the application of charcoal. To one side, a cluster of delicate trees surrounded three simple structures, while to the other, the scene slowly faded to an impressionistic depiction. Trees, hills, and animals transformed to little more than suggestions. If the artist had drawn the others in an hour or less, the landscape must have taken days. But what really caught Sparr's eye was the lower half of the image. Familiar, pastel swirls twisted, joined, and parted ways again, their paths dotted with grey, elongated shapes. "This drawing-" "One of my earlier works," the man interrupted. He glanced nervously around the square. "I
- Writer
