Page 4 of Mercury Rising
They approached the first canvas. It was brilliant white with a thin blue line down the centre.
“This is calledOrgasm,”Mercury said.
He and Lotty stared.
“I don’t get it,” Lotty said immediately.
An impossibly chic woman in Chanel glided past. She glanced at them. “Is there any food?”
“I think so,” Lotty replied.
“Might as well make the trip worthwhile.”
She left them to it. In fact, the tunnel of focus had become one of emptiness. Most people had aborted mission.
“I’m following her,” Lotty said. “That crowd will strip the buffet in minutes. You coming?”
Mercury shook his head. “I’ll catch you up. I want to get a few shots.”
Lotty grinned. “Play nice.”
“Always.”
He wandered farther into the tunnel. Each canvas was a variation on a theme, brilliant white with a different coloured line daubed down the centre.
Love
War
Net Zero
Mercury snapped away.
Who the fuck is going to buy these?
His mother had an art collection to rival a minor royal’s, meaning Mercury had grown up around true talent. Somehow he didn’t think Madeline and her cronies would be scrambling to buy this utter crap anytime soon.
At the end hungPoverty.This time a brown line bisected the white.
“I hope that’s paint,” Mercury muttered to himself.
Perhaps it was time to check out the food. It was evident the “art” wouldn’t get any better.
He turned to see the hulking figure of Grim standing between him and the exit. Alarmingly, it appeared they were the only ones in the tunnel. And Grim certainly had his focus on Mercury.
“What are you going to do?” Mercury asked. “Beat me up because I said something nasty?”
“You’ve made everyone think I’m a right twat,” Grim said, approaching Mercury, who involuntarily took another step away.
“I’ve done nothing of the sort. If you hadn’t pounced literally seconds after I posted it, you wouldn’t have looked so ridiculous.”
Grim clenched and unclenched his fists.
For a split second, Mercury feared he was going to be murdered in the Tate Modern.
Typical of my luck that they’d find my body next to some really terrible art.
People were standing close to the tunnel entrance and evidently unaware or unconcerned that Mercury was trapped.
