It's So Beautiful

The Word Count, including this line, is 1,413.

On the painting you are looking up, from the bottom of the cave and see a lady diver and thee dolphins swimming in the most beautiful and clear water, that you have ever seen.

It’s So Beautiful

 

     Yeanin couldn’t stop staring at that painting. He first looked at it from the front. Then both sides of this large painting. The largest painting he had ever seen. But that wasn’t why he couldn’t stop staring at it.

     After looking at it from both sides he looked at from left to right. Then from right to left. Yeanin also looked at it from a distance as well as close up. When he was looking at the painting close up it looked like he was examining it. Which he was.

     Pointing to the painting Yeanin said, “Those are fish – aren’t they? What kind of a fish are they?

     Bonam was standing right next to Yeanin. He was the current owner of that painting. He’s also the owner of that Painting Display Shop. Bonam was Yeanin’s friend. Since Yeanin was an expert in paintings Bonam contacted him when he got that painting. He wanted to know if that painting was Illegal. Bonam had heard that it was Illegal.

     “They are fish,” said Bonam. “But I don’t know what kind of fish they are.”

     “What about the female in the painting. It is a female isn’t it. I think it’s a female. But I haven’t seen her Race before.”

     “Yes, that is a female. I don’t know that Race either,” Bonam said. Then he said, “What does all these questions have to do with if this painting is Illegal or not?”

     “I need all the information I can on this painting if I am going to find an answer to,” said Yeanin. “All I can tell you so far is what it was painted with. We call it Aiona. But I don’t know what it’s called from wherever originated from.”

     “Isn’t Aiona an oil. There aren’t too many planets out there that us Aiona,” said Bonam.

     “That’s why I need to know what Race that female is a part of. And what kind of fish those fish are,” replied Yeanin. “The sooner I find that out the faster I will learn if that painting is Illegal or not.”

     “What do you think?” Bonam was very nervous about something. He was looking everywhere but that painting. “Is that painting Illegal or not?”

     “I don’t know yet. But I don’t think that it’s Illegal,” said Yeanin. Then he added, “If you really think it’s Illegal then why do you have on display.”

     “By the time I found out it might be Illegal it was too late,” said Bonam. “Now I am in danger of losing everything,”

     “What does that mean? Why would one Illegal painting make you lose everything?”

     Bonam looked around. When he was sure no one could overhear them he said, “It wouldn’t be the first Illegal painting I have gotten.”

     “How many Illegal paintings have you gotten before? And was it from the same person?”

     “Why do you need to know how many painting I might have gotten Illegally? As for who gave me these paintings I get them from a lot of people.”

     “I need to know because it will help me to figure out if this painting is Illegal or not. Have you gotten any Illegal paintings from the one who gave you this painting?”

     Once again Bonam looked around to be sure no one could hear them before he said, “That’s that problem. Remember me telling you I heard this painting was Illegal. What I heard is that the one who gave it to me is under Galactic Investigation.”

     “If that’s true what are you going to do about it. Why didn’t you get rid of it as soon as you found out it might be Illegal?”

     “Because not all that the person who gave me this painting was Illegal. Besides, everyone already knew I had it. If it suddenly disappears that would make me look involved.”

     Yeanin had to think about that for a minute. But he did it while looking at that painting. Finally, he said, “The only way I am going to find out if this painting is Illegal or not is finding out who that female is. And the best, and fastest way, to do that is to find out what kind of fish those are.”

*******

     It took Yeanin almost three months but he finally found something about that painting. He still didn’t know where it was from – or if it was Illegal or not. But now he knew how old it was. Yeanin also knew that it had been passed around that part of the galaxy for over eight hundred years.

     “The painting is about a thousand years old. And it was originally sold, given, to someone legally. But it has been so long, and passed around from one person to another, it could have been become Illegal along the way. When a painting is that old, that this beautiful, it probably did become Illegal.”

     “Are you telling me this painting is Illegal? I have just lost everything,” said Bonam.

     “No, I not saying it’s Illegal now. But that it has been in the past. And it might be now. There may never be a way to know for sure. I tried to find out what Race that female was a part of. But I couldn’t. And I tried to find out what kind of fish those fish were. Once again I couldn’t.”

     “What am I going to do? If you can’t figure out if it’s Illegal or not no one can. You are the best.”

     “I don’t think I am the best. But if I am then you have nothing to worry about. The Galactic Government won’t be coming after you for being involved.”

     “Believe me, I want to take your word for it. But I still might become involved. The one who gave me this painting was just Detained for Life. An I am going to be next – if not worse.”

     “Has the Galactic Government questioned you about this painting?” Yeanin and Bonam was stand in front of the painting in question. And it wasn’t the first time. They had been staring at that painting a lot in the last three months.

     “No, they haven’t. But it’s only a matter of time before they do. If that was my only problem I would go to the Galactic Government and turned myself in – but it isn’t.

     “What could be worse than the Galactic Government? Tell me what is really going on here,” said Yeanin.

     Bonam looked around - again. The Shop was as very busy. But it wasn’t as busy as it usually is when Yeanin was there. “When I saw that painting, it’s so beautiful, I had to have it. But my Shop hasn’t been too good lately. I’m barely get enough Credits to get by each month. And if I didn’t live above my Shop I would really be in trouble.”

     After taking a few deep breaths, and calming down a little, Bonam continued, “I wanted this painting. But in order to get it I had to go to a Lender to get it.”

     “And you are still involved with this Lender. How involved are you with this Lender?”

     “It’s a lot – around seventy thousand now. My Shop hasn’t been doing too good for years. And with me maybe getting involved because of Illegal paintings even if I don’t get involved my reputation is ruined. Once you are seen as an Illegal Painting Displayer you are always seen as an Illegal Painting Displayer – even if you aren’t involved in it.”

     Bonam finally took a breath. In fact, he took several. But before he could go on Yeanin said, “I have a solution to all of your problems. I’ve been thinking about getting into the Painting Display Shop business for a long time now. Sure, I would still examine painting. But I could also help you run this business. Even if you do end up being involved with Illegal paintings and end up Detained for Life I will be here to keep the Painting Display Shop going.”

     This time it was Yeanin who had to take a few breaths, and calm down a little, before he continued. “How does one hundred thousand sound to you – partner?”

The End?