"Well." "No." "Do it again." "US$ 1 million." "US$ 1,600 million." "US$ 1,600 million." "Bid to you all now." "US$ 1,650 million." "US$ 1,650 million." "US$ 1,675 million." "Is that a bid, Sir?" "Don't be shy." "All right, then I'll take it." "US$ 1,700 million." "US$ 1,725 million. 1,725." "US$ 1,750 million." "Thank you." "The bid is US$ 1,750 million." "US$ 1,775 million on my left." "Mr." "Morritz." "Please don't let me forget this." "Was that a bid, Sir?" "No?" "US$ 1,775 million on my left." "Against the telephone now." "Against you, Sir." "US$ 1,775 million." "US$ 1,810?" "US$ 1,810 million." "US$ 1,850." "US$ 1,875 on my left." "In the room." "US$ 1,900." "US$ 1,920." "In the room." "Yes, I got you, Sir." "US$ 1,940." "Not yours, ma'am." "Neither of yours." "US$ 1,940 million." "I'll take ten." "Do you want back in, Sir?" "Is that a yes?" "No?" "The Stradivarius now at US$ 1,940 million." "US$ 1,950 on my left." "Down to you two." "US$ 1,950." "Not yours, Sir?" "Not yours?" "US$ 1,950 million." "All done, then?" "Fair warning." "I'm selling now at US$ 1,950 million." "And... sold to the lady on my left." "The last sale of the evening, lot number 72 on the turntable there." "The star of the night, and..." "Where is she?" "The last violin of Nicolo Bussotti, 1681." "A masterpiece of the Golden Age." "And if she will give us the pleasure..." "Here she is now, lot 72..." "the so-called "Red Violin"." "And this time, the last order bid is at US$ 250,000." "A lot of interest here, of course." "Now let's open, and who will start us off?" "US$ 260,000." "Good evening, Mr. Ruselsky." "US$ 1,650 million." "US$ 1,675 million." "Is that a bid, Sir?" "Don't be shy." "alright, then I'll take it." "US$ 1,700 million." "Excuse me, Mr. Ruselsky." "The Stradivarius now at US$ 1,725 million." "Paul?" "US$ 1,750." "US$ 1,775 on the left." "Against the telephone now." "Against you, Sir." "US$ 1,775 million." "US$ 1,810." "US$ 1,810 million." "US$ 1,850." "US$ 1,850." "US$ 1,875." "US$ 1,900." "Son of a bitch!" "US$ 1,920 in the room." "Yes, Sir, I got you." "He knows nothing!" "Who?" "Morritz!" "US$ 1,940 million." "US$ 1,950 on the left." "He's cheated me." "All done, then?" "I'm selling now at US$ 1,950 million." "Sold to the lady on my left." "Now, ladies and gentleman, the last sale of the evening, lot number 72." "The star of the night." "Where is she?" "The last violin of Nicolo Bussotti, 1681." "A masterpiece of the Golden Age." "If she will give us the pleasure." "And there she is." "Now, lot number 72, the so-called "Red Violin"." "The last order bid is at US$ 250,000." "Who will start us off?" "US$ 260,000." "Good evening, Mr. Ruselsky." "Father Viktor, good morning." "Good morning." "This is Suzanne." "They're just closing lot 71." "Can you hear the auctioneer?" "Sold to the lady on my left." "Yes, I can hear him." "Suzanne, how do I tell you when I want to..." "Leave it to me, Sir." "Just tell me when you want to stop." "...a masterpiece of the Golden Age." "If she would give us the pleasure." "This time the last order bid is at US$ 250,000." "Let's open the floor." "Who will start us off?" "US$ 260,000." "Good evening, Mr. Ruselsky." "US$ 270,000." "Suzanne, on the telephone." "US$ 280,000." "Back to you, Sir." "US$ 300,000." "I see you, Suzanne." "What a marvelous violin!" "What do you want?" "I was lured by the music by the heath." "Oh, yes?" "Maybe you can go back the same way." "I'm your host." "This is my land." "Now I see." "My mistake." "We will not be a trouble." "We'll be leaving here by nightfall." "That won't be necessary." "I'm sure we can come to some arrangement." "Excuse me, Sir." "I must ask you to leave." "We have an invitation." "You can read?" "Personal invitation." "Come on in." "Evening, Percy." "Good evening, ma'am." "In the dressing room, warming up." "Not without me, I hope." "Victoria." "I need you." "I feel a composition coming on." "So do I." "Ladies and gentlemen, if I can have your attention." "Mr. Pope has asked me to announce he'll be performing this afternoon... on an antique instrument of the Italian school... which has revitalized his affections for the violin." "I hope that... whets your appetite somewhat." "Mr. Pope, Sir, whenever you're..." "Darling!" "...ready." "I'd like to play for you a new composition... which came to me recently... in a moment of... inspiration." ""How did it come to this?" "Saints in heaven." "How did it happen to him?" "An artist who could not be denied." "A poet, in fact." "But a murderer?" "No." "Yet the looking-glass image was hard to refute." "His fingers and cuffs were still ruddy ith gore, and as he watched... in horror... the speckles of blood seemed to multiply before his eyes... like maggots on a fetid corpse." "What would become of him now?" "Where would he run to... and where would he hide?" "The options then were depressingly few." "Indeed, his mind was already racing... east across the frozen continent..."" "Darling." ""...and over the frozen steppes... back to the refuge of his childhood estate."" "I have a theme I want to work out." ""To Russia, the Cossack call..."" "That needs to be addressed." "Can't you see I'm trying to work?" "You're so selfish." "I had mutual inspiration in mind." "Can't you see I don't need it?" "I was..." "My love, don't be angry." "Oh, please." "You've only yourself to blame." "It's your beauty that summons the music." "And when it comes..." "I must play." "Damn you." "Is this what you wanted?" "Is this what you wanted?" ""East, east, across the frozen continent... and over the frozen steppes back to the refuge of his childhood estate." "To Russia, to Russia, he heard the Cossack call."" "Frederick." "My darling." "My one inspiration." "I have something terrible to tell you." "terrible?" "The worst." "It must be most terrible... for you to tell me now and ruin this perfect moment." "Jack has killed the minister." "It was an accident." "I see." "He's now fled to Russia." "Self-imposed exile." "I see." "You're leaving me." "I've never been there." "I wouldn't know what to write." "I have to follow him." "I can't go." "I have concerts." "I know, darling." "Are you very angry?" "Why should I be?" "Dearest Frederick, I havejust passed the church where Jeffrey was baptized." "and I'm quickly approaching the Rutherford Bridge." "In other words... darling, we have parted for under ten minutes and already I'm lost." "I return to my writing in the hope that these few honest words might rejoin our lips..." ""Darling Victoria..."" ""..." "Bring back your hands to my shivering skin."" ""You trust in words and comfort of letters in a way that I simply do not." "And no matter what, no words can convince me that you are not gone."" ""Finally, my love, it's Moscow at last... and my very first night was unspeakably dreary." "Can one nation be so abysmal?" -"What is this nonsense?"" ""Or is it because you are not here?" -"I won't sigh for your woes." "If everything truly is as dismal as you say, then heed my simple remedy."" ""Frederick..." -"Return at once, betrothed love."" ""...darling, I long for your touch." "I still seek your scent on my clothes."" ""I should have pinned you to the mattress when last I had the chance." "Like you were the butterfly, I was the pin."" ""Embroidered together, heart against heart."" ""Victoria, listen." "Our moment is dying." "What is this nonsense?" "The music is gone." "Like you were the butterfly." "This impression is passing, my love." "Where everything I said to you... and everything I might ever say could be contained in these two words.:" "Come back, Victoria." "Come back."" "Do not write to me any more, love." "Ladies and gentlemen... thank you for your patience and understanding." "Unfortunately, I have just received notice... that Mr. Pope has been afflicted by an illness... and unfortunately cannot be with us today." "Of course, we will refund those who desire... but for those who do stay, we are pleased to play my arrangement... of favorite English madrigals." ""Darling Frederick, I have seen the truth at last." "Eternity has passed since we parted." "One full week without your letters... and I am shriveling here like a flower in the desert." "I will not suffer more." "Are you not reading as well as not writing?" "Then you'll miss this crucial report." "I'm coming back, my love... by any means I can, tomorrow morning if I'm able." "Will you then forgive me, my love?" "The wasted time, my selfish folly." "Will you take me in your arms again... and with one kiss eradicate each hour apart from your embrace?" "I long for your love." "I long for your touch." "We can't stay apart." "Victoria."" "Savage." "Extreme, rude cruel, not to trust!" "Victoria Your sIuttish muse." "Who is she?" "Quiet!" "Victoria, please." "Don't try to explain." "It's not your fault." "Or yours." "Victoria, listen..." ""Do not despair, Victoria." "This is the last page of our correspondence." "I am only writing to let you know of my plans for suicide... by poison or drowning, I've yet to decide." "All my estate I'm leaving to you." "I have some personal debts to honor, but everything else will be yours." "Do with it what you will." "It matters little to me." "Regretfully yours, Frederick."" "I'm dying." "Dying." "Do you know anything about music?" "Have you heard of Frederick Pope?" "Composer, genius." "The only virtuoso... the nation of England ever came up with." "In a few minutes, his violin is going to be sold... and if I don't get there because of your driving or this goddamned traffic..." "I'm going to lose my precious testicles." "I'm going to be castrated." "Please hurry." "It's there." "Duval's." "That's it?" "Yeah." "Why didn't you tell me?" "I need a receipt." "Hello." "Nicholas OIsberg." "I'm late." "Yes, you are." "Please don't let me forget this." "OIsberg, Nicholas." "I registered by telephone." "Check again under "Pope Foundation"." "Pope?" "Last violin of Nicolo Bussotti..." "There we are." "Please sign." "There you are." "...72, the so-called "Red Violin"." "Last order bid is at US$ 250,000." "So we'll open the floor." "And who will start us off?" "US$ 260,000." "Good evening, Mr. Ruselsky." "US$ 270,000." "Suzanne, on the phone." "US$ 280,000." "Back to you, Sir." "Here." "US$ 300,000 at the back of the room." "Thank you." "US$ 320,000." "Suzanne, I see you." "US$ 400,000 at the back of the hall." "US$ 400,000." "US$ 1,950 million." "And... sold to the lady on the left." "The last sale of the evening, lot number 72 on the turntable there... and star of the night..." "Where is she?" "The last violin of Nicolo Bussotti, 1681." "A masterpiece of the Golden Age." "Do you see it?" "No, not yet." "If she will give us the pleasure." "And here she is now, lot number 72, the so-called "Red Violin"." "It's not how I remember it." "They've cleaned it up." "It's better." "US$ 260,000." "Good evening, Mr. Ruselsky." "US$ 270,000." "Suzanne on the phone." "Maybe if I heard it again." "US$ 280,000." "Back to you, Sir." "US$ 300,000 at the back of the hall." "US$ 320,000." "Suzanne, I see you." "340, I have you. 380, Mr. Ruselsky." "And how was your flight?" "Very good." "On time." "Sorry to cut your holiday short, but..." "It's all right." "I'm excited, actually." "Like Christmas." "Won't take too long." "We've already assessed them." "Right." "Ballpark." "And I only want you to confirm it." "I got it." "A second opinion." "I've done this sort of thing before." "Can't wait to see it, actually." "This is Mr. Morritz, you know..." "Bon jour." "So, you're the expert?" "From New York." "You know what you're doing?" "Yes, New York." "You know what you're doing?" "Why, yes." "I certainly hope so." "These people from Duval's have given us some figures... as the government of China." "So, what we need now is..." "A professional opinion." "No, a signed affidavit." "That's what I'm here for." "Show me to the Strad." "They all look the same to me." "Ah, but they're not." "Please don't let me forget this." "Over there." "Ah, here she is." "It's a beautiful specimen." "I'd say about... 1683." "Reminds me of the Cobbitt." "These are the best quality pieces." "Over here, if you'd like to take a look... are the less promising entries, some of them are pretty bad." "So I see." "So, I guess I'll leave it to you then." "I've taken care of the luggage." "I have a driver waiting." "All right." "I shouldn't be long." "Bon jour." "Bon jour, Monsieur Morritz." "Everything is ready as you asked for." "Same room as always?" "Same room, but one story down." "Then it's not the same room, is it?" "No, Sir, but it's the same as the other one." "Sir, I have a message from your wife." "Merci." "Room 2.703." "New York City, please." "316-2799." "Carrie?" "charles Morritz here." "I have a little gumshoe work for you." "Cremona." "Bussotti." "Get a pen." "Made a cast of this after we set the table." "Swiss." "So, here we are." "Here's the before picture." "Take a look at the corners." "Not so bad." "I don't think we have to touch them." "Some really nice perfling here." "Lot of work to get it this far." "Turn-of-the-century hackjob with some horse glue and a patch... so I had to reset the neck." "That was the big job." "Sound post, taiI piece." "New bridge, of course." "But the body itself is remarkably good, so I'll strip back some varnish here..." "No, no, no." "No what?" "I told you before." "Don't touch the varnish." "Well, that's not gonna be easy." "If there's a problem, I'll do it." "Look, the auction's in two weeks." "I have 16 other instruments." "Leroux is all over my ass." "I still have a Stein I haven't even touched..." "I want complete L.I.G.'s, a resonance test, mass specs... and let's get some varnish samples off to the lab, okay?" "This instrument is not a priority." "Every minute of my day is full." "That's fine." "We'll do this after hours, all right?" "These are the estimates?" "No, the reserves." "That we proposed to the Chinese?" "Right." "And what about these?" "Those are some contentious items you might not want to put on the block." "They're badly preserved and hard to attribute." "What about that red one?" "Red one?" "Leroux seemed to think it might be a Bussotti." "Yes." "It might be, but the label's obscured and the varnish is odd... it's slightly opaque." "And I'm afraid as it stands, with no documentation..." "That's all you expect?" ""With all my heart"." "You ever heard of the Red Violin?" "Sure." "The Frederick Pope Bussotti?" "Sure, I have, stories." "How about copies?" "One in London, the only one I know of." "Supposed to be a copy commissioned by Pope." "You know who has it?" "Some private collection." "You think I could buy it without tipping them off?" "Tipping them off to what?" "Well, we know for sure we have a Bussotti." "I can date it within the year." "We still have this varnish that doesn't configure, but... but we can run comparison tests and see if this is the source of the copy." "You know I should probably tell my employer." "If what you're saying is any way true, people could get a little... excited." "I could lose my job over this." "Yes, I know." "You can go if you want to." "I can finish this myself." "Madame Leroux says that she has to have the catalog proofs for today." "Are you finished?" "Yes, they're back at my hotel." "I've been working at night." "Is there something else?" "Your wife called again." "Close the door, please." "Yes, is this the University of Montreal?" "Well, may I have the Archaeology department, please?" "Hi." "This is charles Morritz over at Duval's." "I sent you some varnish samples on Tuesday." "Yeah, I wanted you to isolate an organic compound." "I'm sorry." "Can I have the manager, please?" "Yes, the manager." "Well, fine, put him on." "Yes, this is Mr. Morritz in 2.703." "Listen, I want to make something absolutely clear." "I don't want anyone coming to my room." "You understand?" "Not the maid, not to check the minibar, no chocolates on the pillow." "I'm giving the staff sort of a break." "Understand?" "No one is to come in my room unless I request it." "Thank you." "Yes?" "I got it." "It's coming." "I just talked to London." "Well, a little bit of smooth talking, a little bit more money." "Your money." "You better make those phone calls." "Yeah, yeah." "Me too." "Well, actually, I had some ideas." "Wonderful." "Yes." "I have the recording." "Pretty good Strad, don't you think?" "I feel it is a bit tight on the top." "A little bit strangled over the break." "To me it's very clean and precise." "Of course, it would have to be played by a master." "What do you guess?" "US$ 1,7... 1,8 million." "Not bad." "Trust me on this." "What else do you have?" "That's about it." "Thanks for coming." "I hope you don't have an orchestra waiting." "Well, they can wait." "No problem." "What about this here?" "No, not that one." "Nice little piece." "But not for you." "I will try it." "No, no, no." "Don't play it." "Why not?" "Yes, why not?" "I just repaired it." "It's still fragile." "I don't even know why it's here." "I'll be very gentle." "Don't worry." "Yes, I see what you mean." "Nothing special." "How's it going?" "What do you want me to do with that one... the Pope copy?" "I'll take it back to the hotel with me." "Well, you got your money's worth." "That is a very good copy." "Nice violin." "But nothing like this one." "This is the single most perfect acoustic machine..." "I have ever seen." "Amazing." "Guess I never thought I'd find it." "The ultimate... thing, as I see it." "The perfect marriage of science and beauty." "impossible thing." "Now what?" "What do you do when the thing you've most wanted, so... perfect... just comes?" "Do you have children?" "What?" "children." "Do you have any?" "No, but I know what you mean." "I would love to have this baby for myself." "Really?" "What would you do?" "Take it apart, find out how it works." "Take some Eigenbaud readings on the individual plates..." "I don't think you get it." "Yes, I do." "Take a look at this." "This is mode 1.06 kHz." "Watch the response curve here." "I'll ease it up slowly for you." "Mode 2..." "Stop it!" "Bon jour, Monsieur Morritz." "Bon jour." "Oh, and I have an envelope for you from University of Montreal." "This says this arrived at 7 o'clock." "I was in my room." "Yes, Sir." "Well, why wasn't I notified?" "Sir, you told us not to disturb you." "Not for a courier." "I didn't know, Sir." "If a courier comes, you call me." "If a fax comes, you call me." "Yes." "It's important." "You get it?" "You knock on my door and you put it in my hand!" "I need you to acknowledge." "Yes." "This is my business!" "Mr. Morritz, I'm sorry." "You'd better come up." "They're waiting for you." "All right." "So nice of you to join us." "I hope you don't mind us starting without you... but there was the question of unusual expenses, both here in the office... and at the hotel." "Did you check my mini-bar too?" "It is our card." "We are paying." "You made me wonder, so we decided to come down and have a look." "And my... you have been busy." "With the courier bills and DNA tests..." "Very curious procedures." "Leroux has a theory." "Tell me if she's wrong." "Is our little red violin the Red Violin?" "Yes." "I just wanted to be sure before I told you." "This is very good news." "I'll send off the press release." "Good work." "Thank you." "Why don't you take these last few days off... before you go home?" "No." "I won't forget!" "He lied!" "He lied to me!" "And I knew it as soon as I saw it." "And I said it." "This instrument should be mine." "Son of a bitch!" "63... 56... 51..." "Ladies and gentlemen, Duval's... would like to welcome you to this awaited evening." "Our thanks to the government of China... for entrusting us with this marvelous collection." "Thanks too to Madame Leroux... who organized and made possible this auction." "Let me remind you that the conditions of sale... are listed in the catalog." "Before we begin, it is my duty to direct you to the conditions of sale... that you'll find at the front of the catalog." "I will not read them out loud at this point but consider yourselves warned." "Now, we'll begin with lot number one, showing on the turntable on my right... a fine French cello." "And we'll start with US$ 10,000." "US$ 10,000." "Anything else?" "No." "Which airport, Sir?" "Dorval." "There is one stop we have to make." "US$ 400,000 at the back of the room." "The Stradivarius now at US$ 400,000." "Against the telephone US$ 420." "US$ 450,000." "Against you, Sir, US$ 500 back to the front." "US$ 500." "Wait here." "I'll just be a minute." "I might have to go around the block." "All right, if you have to." "US$ 1,100 million." "US$ 1,100..." "US$ 1,200 million." "Is that a bid, Sir?" "Don't be shy." "All right, then I'll take it." "US$ 1,300 million." "US$ 1,400... 1,500." "Yes, Sir, I've got you." "US$ 1,600 million." "US$ 1,600 million." "Not you, Sir?" "US$ 1,650 million." "US$ 1,675 million." "M." "Morritz." "Please don't let me forget this." "Against the telephone now." "Against you, Sir." "US$ 1,810 million." "US$ 1,850." "US$ 1,875 million in the room." "US$ 1,900?" "US$ 1,900 million." "US$ 1,900 million on the telephone." "US$ 1,920 in the room." "I've got you, Sir." "Thank you." "US$ 1,940 million." "Not yours, ma'am." "Neither of yours." "US$ 1,940 million." "Son of a bitch." "I'll take ten." "Do you want back in, Sir?" "Is that a yes?" "No?" "The Stradivarius now at US$ 1,940 million." "Not yours, ma'am." "Neither of yours." "US$ 1,940 million." "Against you all in the room." "Is that all, then?" "Fair warning." "US$ 1,950 million on my left." "Down to you two now." "US$ 1,950 million." "Not yours, Sir." "Not yours, Paul." "The bid is US$ 1,950 million..." "Did you clean this?" "Who's responsible for...?" "Excuse me, I have to get the last lot now." "What's going on?" "Sorry, but we're going to have to..." "And... sold to the lady on my left." "The last sale of the evening..." "Turn it on." "Wait." "Where is she?" "The tag!" "...Nicolo Bussotti, 1681." "I put the tag on myself!" "If she would give us the pleasure." "Too late." "And here she is now, lot 72, the so-called "Red Violin"." "Here we go now." "Call security." "So we'll open the floor, and who'll start us off?" "US$ 260,000!" "Good evening, Mr. Ruselsky." "US$ 270,000." "Suzanne on the telephone." "US$ 280,000." "Back to you, Sir." "US$ 300,000 at the back of the hall." "US$ 320,000." "I see you, Suzanne." "US$ 340." "US$ 340 now in the front." "US$ 400 at the back of the hall. 420... 500." "US$ 500,000." "Against the telephone now." "500?" "Stop it." "No?" "Against you, Sir?" "US$ 600,000." "US$ 700,000." "US$ 800,000." "US$ 900,000!" "One million dollars, Mr. Ruselsky!" "US$ 1,100 million." "US$ 1,200 million." "Not you, Sir?" "Ma'am?" "Are you sure?" "US$ 1,300 million. 1,400." "US$ 1,400 million." "500." "US$ 1,600 million." "Mr." "Morritz?" "Down to you two now." "US$ 2 million, Mr. Ruselsky!" "Mr. Morritz?" "Mr. Morritz!" "US$ 2,100 million." "US$ 2,200 million." "Mr. Morritz!" "Excuse me." "Is this what you're looking for?" "Down to you two." "US$ 2,200 million." "Yes." "Your coat." "US$ 2,200 million." "US$ 2,300 million!" "US$ 2,400 million." "Merci." "US$ 2,400 million." "Is that all, then?" "US$ 2,400 million." "You may have it." "All done, then." "Are you okay, Sir?" "Yes." "Take me home." "Right away." "Fair warning." "I'm selling now at US$ 2,400 million." "And... sold to Mr. Ruselsky!" "Congratulations." "Hey, baby, it's me." "Yeah." "I'm sorry." "Yes." "Yes." "Yes, I wanted to, every day, but..." "Well, something came up, but it's over now, and I'm coming home." "Oh, yeah." "May I speak to her?" "Hi, honey." "It's Daddy." "How are you?" "I miss you too." "I'm coming home." "And honey?" "I'm bringing you something very special."