It was done. One persistent bidder did give them a run for their money, but the Mask was clinched.
A call was made to inform about the purchased items- the ‘Tower of Babylon’ painting and the ‘Yen Mask’. Mr. Murdoch had sounded happy. He would see the art pieces in his personal gallery within two days. He had always been interested in tales around the art and both these pieces had captured his interest. The painting was handed down from five generations, which made it a priceless addition to his collection. The Mask had a lore which, in short, stated that the original wearer’s sacrifice had given it powers to fulfil honest and passionate desires of its owner.
The day Mr.Murdoch first inspected the mask and tried it on for the fun of it, he had had a lovely coincidence. He often brought this up for laughs at his official parties. He would tell anyone who would lend an ear, about how he kept craving smoked salmon pie for a couple of days but had always missed informing the kitchen about it, and how that was served for lunch on the day he had tried the mask for the first time.
The next time he tried the mask on, he focused on his more passionate desire- fame. Not like the reports about his net worth or his takeovers that were in news now and then, but of a more wide-spread coverage, which would help bring in more investors and garner praise on his success.
He slept with the same longing that night, completely unaware of how his wish would be fulfilled; but in ways that he would never have dreamed of.
To be continued… – Yen Mask – Part 2
