I’m completely dumbfounded by the price. I just sit there in silence.
How much is a million Ads, anyway? I seriously need to get a handle on the local economy.
“That was a most advantageous acquisition,” Wilfred comments. “Such complete hides of this exceptional quality are exceedingly rare, particularly from a creature believed extinct for nearly a millennium.”
Extinct?! Well, well, well… talk about hitting the jackpot. Maybe some benevolent deity is smiling down on me after all.
The last of my lot is a couple of bones. If I’d known they were worth that much, I would have kept the entire carcass. The bones end up auctioning for a million Ads each, netting me a cool couple of million.
Not bad. Not bad at all. I might even be able to afford a decent place to stay after this.
The woman continues with the auction, but nothing catches my attention. I’m just here for the laughs now. Until…
“And now, ladies and gentlemen,” the auctioneer announces, her voice dropping to a dramatic whisper once again, “the moment you’ve all been waiting for. The grand finale. The last item of tonight’s extraordinary auction.” The lights dim, focusing solely on the rising platform. Upon it rests a single, unassuming book.
An item that I am all too familiar with—Dr. Keyser’s notebook from his lab! I have no doubt it’s the same one. I recognize the burn mark on the cover!
"Behold," she proclaims, her voice ringing with excitement, "a book of forbidden secrets! But there's a catch… it must be deciphered." She pauses for effect, letting the weight of her words sink in. "Authentically written by… Dr. Kurtis Keyser!"
A collective gasp ripples through the crowd. Murmurs erupt.
"Yes!" the auctioneer confirms, her voice rising above the din. "Dr. Kurtis Keyser himself! The infamous fugitive! The brilliant mind who dared to challenge the Harbingers! The man who was hunted relentlessly… and escaped! Two hundred years ago!" She lets the name hang in the air, savoring the moment. "This book, ladies and gentlemen, is not just an artifact; it's a piece of history. A testament to defiance. A key, perhaps, to unlocking secrets the Harbingers desperately wanted to keep buried." She gestures towards the book. "Imagine the knowledge contained within these pages! But remember… it must be deciphered. Are you up to the challenge?"
Two hundred years?! How old is that old man?! And he actually went up against the Harbingers?!
I sit there, stunned. My brain scrambles to catch up. They haven’t cracked the code yet, huh? But they’re betting whatever’s inside is worth as much as a shiny new Harbinger scroll—untapped knowledge that could push humanity forward again.
Did Bailey put this up for auction? That doesn't sound like him. He idolized Keyser. Either he's been lying to me all along, or something terrible must have happened to him.
Stolen novel; please report.
“Who is selling this?!” I asked Wilfred, my voice a low rumble.
Wilfred bowed slightly. “With respect to client confidentiality, I am unable to divulge information regarding the seller, just as we shall maintain discretion regarding your own involvement. Auction House regulations stipulate no inquiry into an item’s provenance, provided it is presented legally and in good order.”
The auctioneer's voice echoed through the hall, a mix of excitement and anticipation. "The bidding is open, ladies and gentlemen! What am I bid for this extraordinary piece of history? This key to forbidden knowledge?" The price began to climb, but at a more measured pace than previous items. A sense of caution hung in the air.
“Three million… four million… five million…” The numbers ticked upward, but the pauses between bids stretched longer, each tick a drawn-out breath in the tense atmosphere.
“If I win,” I murmured to Wilfred, breaking the strained silence, “any chance of a post-auction meet-and-greet with the seller?”
“If the seller consents,” Wilfred replied, his face a mask of professional neutrality, “then such an arrangement may be possible.” He sounded like he was reciting auction house policy straight from a dusty manual.
The auctioneer's voice continued, "Six million! Going once… going twice…"
“Seven million!” I yelled out, injecting a sudden burst of energy into the bidding.
A cool, familiar voice drifted from the VIP room. “Eight million.”
“Nine million!” I countered without hesitation.
“Ten million.” The voice from the VIP room remained calm, but there was an edge to it now.
The bidding war intensified. “Eleven million!” “Twelve million!” The numbers climbed rapidly, the tension in the room growing thicker with each bid.
“Say, Wilfred,” I asked, lowering my voice conspiratorially, “hypothetically speaking, is it possible to, you know, get a little… loan from the auction house? Don’t have quite so much cash on me at the moment,” I added with a casual shrug, as if forgetting a few million was an everyday occurrence.
Wilfred's lips curved into a subtle grin. “Our Mistress has graciously offered a line of credit up to ten million, with the most favorable terms available.”
“Excellent!” I exclaimed, my confidence surging. “15 million!”
“16 million,” the voice from the VIP room responded, now laced with a distinct note of annoyance.
“18 million!” I countered, my voice ringing through the hall. Let’s see how deep their pockets really are.
Suddenly, a loud CRACK echoes through the room—the distinct sound of a table being overturned.
“N-Nineteen million!” The voice from the VIP room sounds strained, almost panicked.
“Twenty million,” I announce calmly, my voice steady and unwavering.
The sound of a door slamming open echoes from the VIP area, followed by a torrent of furious, albeit muffled, curses. Wilfred excuses himself briefly, disappearing towards the commotion. The room falls into an uneasy silence until he returns a moment later, his expression carefully neutral.
The silence hung heavy in the air after the outburst from the VIP room. All eyes were fixed on the VIP room, a palpable tension gripping the auction hall. The auctioneer, however, remained professional.
“Twenty million! We have twenty million! A truly remarkable bid for such a unique and… intriguing item. Twenty million… going once…” She paused, her gaze sweeping across the room, lingering for a moment on the VIP room. “Going twice…” The tension in the room reached its peak. Every breath seemed to hold.
Then, with a sharp rap of her gavel, she declared, “SOLD! For twenty million Ads! To the… esteemed bidder!” She didn’t specify who, perhaps out of tact given the earlier outburst. A ripple of murmurs went through the crowd, a mix of awe, disbelief, and a lingering sense of unease.