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“Do I hear 10,000?” asked the auctioneer, looking around the room He nodded at so tried to follow the different bids, although he wasn’t quite sure where they were co from, and when Lot Seventeen eventually sold for 45,000 francs, he had no idea who the purchaser was It caht the haone”

By the ti felt a little ht he could even spot the occasional bidder By Lot Thirty-five he felt he was an expert, but by Lot Forty, the Winter Egg of 1913, he had begun to feel nervous again

“I shall start this lot at 20,000 francs,” declared the auctioneer Ar cli down at 120,000 francs, to a custo on the other end of a telephone line

Arin to shen Lot Forty-one, the Chanticleer Egg of 1896, encrusted in pearls and rubies, went for 280,000 francs During the sale of Lot Forty-two, the Yuberov Yellow Egg, he began to fidget, continually looking up at the auctioneer and then down at the open page of his catalog

When the auctioneer called Lot Forty-three, Sharon squeezed his hand and he ed a nervous smile A buzz of conversation struck up around the room

“Lot Forty-three,” repeated the auctioneer, “the Fourteenth I This unique piece was cos were executed by Vasily Zulev, and the crafts the finest exaé’s work There has already been considerable interest shown in this lot, so I shall start the bidding at 100,000 francs”

Everyone in the room fell silent except for the auctioneer The head of his haht hand as he stared down into the audience, trying to place the bidders

Ar, and the exact price at which he should come in But he could still feel his pulse rate rise when the auctioneer pronounced “One hundred and fifty thousand,” then, turning to his left, said, “The bid is now on the telephone at 150,000 francs, 150,000,” he repeated He looked intently around the audience, then a smile crossed his lips “Two hundred thousand in the center of the room” He paused and looked toward the assistant on the end phone Ar watched her whisper into the receiver, and then she nodded in the direction of the auctioneer, who immediately responded with “Two hundred and fifty thousand” He turned his attention back to those seated in the room, where there must have been another bid because he iaze back to the assistant on the phone and said, “I have a bid of 300,000 francs”

The woman informed her client of the latest bid and, after a fewback to the auctioneer as if they atching a tennis match in slowat the center of the room

Ar He kneas not yet ti, but that didn’t stop hiet

“Four hundred thousand,” said the auctioneer, nodding to the woman on the end phone “Four hundred and fifty thousand in the center of the room” The woman on the phone responded immediately “Five hundred thousand Six hundred thousand,” said the auctioneer, his eyes now fixed on the center aisle With that one bid Ar had learned another of the auctioneer’s skills

Ar craned his neck until he finally spotted who it was bidding from the floor His eyes ain “Seven hundred thousand,” said the auctioneer calmly

A ht hundred thousand,” declared the auctioneer “A new bidder toward the back” He turned to the wo her custoested, as if he was trying to woo her Suddenly she consented “I have a bid of 900,000 on the phone,” he said, and looked toward the man at the back of the room “Nine hundred thousand,” the auctioneer repeated But this time he received no response

“Are there anythis ite the ha to let…”

When Ar, it looked to