"I think we're having about as much luck with airports today as Mr. Campbell had on his way back from Egypt," Peter muttered as he sat down next to Neal who was already staring out the window.
"Even though the flight has already been delayed, it sounds like we're going to be sitting here for a while before the plane takes off," Neal said.
"Are you going to be okay?" Peter asked. He was afraid that being grounded, surrounded by planes might bring up some traumatic memories.
"Yeah," Neal answered coolly, but the pallor of his skin suggested that that might not be completely true. "I'm going to compare the photo Mr. Campbell gave to us to the photos from the Met. The photos from the museum don't have the statues together so that could be something."
Peter watched Neal with some concern as he dug the photos out of his briefcase. Then he leaned back in his seat to review the case file. After they had been working quietly for some time, Neal set the photos aside and leaned his forehead against the glass in the window.
"Neal? Do you have something?"
"Nothing concrete. One of the statues might be taller than the other two, but I can't concentrate," Neal said sitting up with a frustrated sigh.
"I can get us off this plane if you need me to," Peter said reassuringly. However, upon saying that, the pilot announced that they were ready for take off, and the plane began taxi-ing towards the runway.
"Don't worry, Peter. It's not that. I'm just feeling a little under the weather."
"Now that you mention it, your eyes look kind of glassy," Peter said after looking Neal over. Then, as he started to place the palm of his hand over Neal's forehead, he received a resentful look from Neal. Peter gave an equally resentful look back and proceeded with his original plan. "You do feel feverish. Let me see if I can find some medicine in my briefcase. I know El put something in there."
After waiting for the plane to finish its ascent, Peter pulled a divider out of his briefcase and handed two small tablets to Neal.
"Thank you, Dr. Peter." Neal said with a hint of sarcasm. "Can we go back to working on the case now?"
"Wouldn't you rather try to sleep?"
"No," Neal answered shortly. Then seeing the worried look on Peter's face, added, "Planes make me anxious, you saw that on the way out here; I couldn't sleep if I tried."
"We'll just talk about the case then," Peter offered. Then after a thoughtful pause, "I'm curious. Do your stories usually convince people to buy artwork?"
"What makes you think I'd have an answer for that?"
"Come on, Neal." Peter rolled his eyes. But then relented "Have you told these kind of stories before?"
"If I had, they would have worked," Neal said with a grin. "I can give you an example if you want. It should make this plane ride less tedious."
"What kind of story would you have told Mr. Campbell?"
"Well, I most likely would have told him a love story involving the statues."
"Those statues all depict men. And I don't think Mr. Campbell would be interested in that kind of love story."
"Do you think the man who thinks the Egyptians speak Egyptian would be able to tell that? First rule of storytelling, know your audience," Neal said. "Also, I never said the statues represented the characters."
"Then how would the statues play into the story?"
"They're a special treasure to an Egyptian princess," Neal started.
"Special how?"
"They're part of a suitor competition."
"What kind of competition?"
"Would you like to ask questions or hear the story?"
"I'll stop interrupting."
"Good," Neal said. Then he rested his head against the seat and began "There was an Egyptian princess who did not want to marry for she wished to rule alone. In order to keep to fulfill this wish, she claimed that only a suitor capable of bringing her the kingdom's greatest treasure would be able to marry her. However, she believed that this was impossible.
In her eyes, the greatest treasure that her kingdom possessed was three small statues, which were not valuable merely for the marble they were made out of, but also for the priceless gems that covered their eyes. But more importantly for the princess, they had sentimental value because they had been sculpted for her by her younger brother before he had died. These statues had been concealed in a stone building that was attached to her palace by an architect that she considered a friend.
Unbeknownst to her, the architect had begun designing the building in such a way as to be able to easily lift the stones off and take the treasure, for he was in love with the princess. Since he realized the princess did not feel the same way and would easily see through his plan, he worked on the making the stone building seemingly more and more impenetrable so that he could continue to be involved in the princess' daily life.
However, a thief had begun watching the architect, and suspecting his charade, wondered if he would be able to break into the stone building. He began posing as a palace guard and worked on becoming friends with the architect so he could learn which stones could be loosened easily."
"You would con someone with a story about a con? Why am I not surprised?"
"Con-men are very useful for getting people to take things in stories. If it weren't for Odysseus, the Trojans never would have taken that horse."
"True," Peter agreed with a hint of annoyance. "So the thief was in love with the princess?"
"Why else would he want to break into the stone room?"
"Just to prove he could do it," Peter suggested with a knowing glance.
"I guess that's possible," Neal said after musing for moment. "But he was in love with the princess. And after a few days, he had seen the architect working on the seemingly impenetrable room enough times to know where to find the weak spots. Then under cover of night, he broke in without difficulty. The next morning he went to the princess.
"'Princess, I have brought to you what you believe is the kingdom's greatest treasure,'" the thief told her extending the statues out to her.
"'What I think is the greatest treasure? Do you mean to say that there is a greater treasure in the kingdom?'" she asked.
"'Indeed, Princess," the thief answered. "But I am unable to bring the greatest treasure to you."
"'And why is that?'"
""Because you are the greatest treasure in the kingdom,'" the thief explained." Then the princess and the thief lived happily ever after," Neal finished.
"Good story. It wouldn't have sold the pieces to me though because now I feel bad for the architect."
"I thought you might. Maybe the architect put a curse on the statues; it certainly would have interrupted their happily ever after" Neal laughed.
"Indeed. You would probably want to leave that part out when trying to sell the the art though."
"As Mr. Campbell's seller apparently did," Peter and Neal were both laughing at this thought.