Page 36 of The Prize

I placed my hands on my hips. “You really believe you can create a painting as magnificent as Leonardo’s?”

“He knew science and transferred that awareness into what he created. I’m relighting his consciousness in a way.”

I drew in a breath of disbelief.

Tobias focused back on me. “How else would we paint her?”

“I’m not sure you’d get his blessing.”

“Perhaps when the work is done...”

I wasn’t in the mood for existential conversations. “I know you admire him.”

“He inspired me to become an inventor.”

“How old were you when you saw your first da Vinci?”

“He seemed like he was always there.” Tobias sighed with wonder. “Great tea, Zara. How about you? When did you first see da Vinci’s work?” He reached for his jacket and stepped forward to wrap it around my shoulders.

“Thank you.” I pulled it around me to ward off the chill. “The Virgin of the Rocks, mydad hung her in the drawing room.” I shook my head as I tried to fathom she was still out there somewhere.

Tobias finished his biscuit and reached for another. “How long does it take for the auction houses to train its specialists in the old masters?”

“About six years.”

“Yet you’re the consummate expert.”

“That’s very flattering.”

“We both know you have an uncanny knack.”

“I had a head start with my dad.”

“You have a unique gift. You’re an endangered species, Zara. The collectors are turning away from the old masters and are focusing instead on contemporary art.”

“They’re wrong to turn away from the true masters.”

“I agree.” He gave a warm smile. “We had over 150 thousand visitors to The Wilder last year. Attendance remains at an all-time high with the public. The people see the value in our past. They get it. There’s no greed with them. No selfishness.” He stared past me. “Back at The Wilder, I like to walk among the guests and see their faces when they stroll through the museum. They have no idea who I am. And they don’t need to say anything at all because their expressions of wonder restore my faith in humanity.”

Damn him and his romanticism that wooed me. I tried not to get sucked into the version of Wilder I’d fallen for. “How will it work?” I pointed to the three-dimensional printer.

“I’ll break down the components of a canvas—” He walked over to a microscope and stared down at the slide beneath. “Then I’ll create a blueprint that adds in what we’d expect to find in the aging process of a painting from the sixteenth century. Paint pigments change over time and they’re sensitive to ultraviolet. As you know.”

“So you’ll factor in the scientists’ ability to break down a paint sample?”

“Yes, I’m obviously aware there should be no modern colors.”

“Where would we obtain the paints?”

He gave a crooked smile.

“You, I meant you.”

“I have my sources.” He pointed to a tall chrome machine. “The data will be analyzed by the printer and then I’ll utilize this to create our masterpiece. Pretty simple, really.”

It didn’t sound simple and I again wondered at the ease of which Tobias jumped from the science side of his brain to the arty side just like his hero Leonardo da Vinci.

Tobias carried his mug over to the printer. “I’ve developed an improved system that integrates oxygen. It’s a fine balance. Oxygen can be an issue as it hardens the resin, so I have to keep it away from the chemicals.”