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.The second screener had the same reaction and called over another appraiser to confer."I think we might get on the show," his grandmother whispered."Now I wish I'd had my hair done." Nan patted her head self-consciously."How do I look?""Perfect.""And you're lying, but I love you for it." Nan stiffened as the two experts broke apart."Here they come.""This is a very interesting piece," one of the men said."We'd like to put it on the show.""You mean it's worth something?" Nan asked."Definitely," the man replied with a gleam in his eyes."Our Asian art expert will be able to tell you much more, but we feel this piece may date back to an ancient dynasty.""A dynasty?" Nan murmured in wonder."Imagine that.Riley, did you hear him? Our dragon came from a dynasty.""Yeah, I heard him, but I don't believe it.Where did you get that statue, anyway?""I have no idea.Your grandpa must have picked it up somewhere," she said as they made their way across the arena."This is exciting.I'm so glad you came with me.""Just don't get your heart broken," he cautioned in the face of her growing enthusiasm."It could still be worth nothing.""Or maybe it's worth a million dollars.Maybe they'll want to put it in a museum.""Well, it is ugly enough for a museum.""We're ready for you, Mrs.Delaney," a smiling young woman said as she ushered them onto the set, which was cluttered with lights and cameras.An older man of Asian descent greeted them.After inspecting the dragon, he told them the statue had probably been crafted during the Zhou dynasty."A rare find," he added, launching into a detailed explanation of the materials used, including the jade that made up the eyes, and the twenty-four karat gold strip that encircled the dragon's neck.Riley wondered if he could possibly be hearing the man correctly.It appeared that this very odd-looking dragon had some important place in Chinese history and quite possibly had belonged in the private collection of an emperor.The expert estimated that the dragon might be worth thousands of dollars, maybe hundreds of thousands.When their segment ended and they were escorted off the set, they were immediately swamped by appraisers and other experts, who handed them business cards and shook their hands.Riley kept a tight grip on the dragon as well as his grandmother's arm.The dragon was like a prime steak tossed into a pack of hungry wolves.He'd never seen such covetous looks, such outright greed and hunger.His grandmother wanted to stop and chat, but he forcibly propelled her through the crowd, not relaxing until they were in his car with the doors locked.He let out a breath."That was insane.Those people are crazy.""Just excited, I think," Nan said, looking at the statue in his hands."Can you believe this thing is thousands of years old?"For a brief second he almost could.There seemed to be an intense heat radiating from the dragon, burning his hands.Oh, hell, it was probably just his imagination.Whether it was a year old or several thousand years old, it was still just a piece of bronze, nothing to get worked up over.He set the statue on the console between them, more relieved than he cared to admit to have it out of his hands."And it was in our attic," Nan continued, a dreamy note in her voice."Imagine that.It's like a fairy tale.""Or a nightmare."Nan ignored him as she flipped through the pile of business cards she'd received."Oh, my goodness.The House of Hathaway.Look." She held up the simple, engraved card naming San Francisco's most famous and elegant store."They want me to call as soon as possible.I have a very good feeling about this.""Do you? Because I have a very bad feeling.""You worry too much.Don't think about the problems -- think about the possibilities.This could be the beginning of something amazing."* * *"Is it possible that this dragon was actually crafted during the Zhou dynasty?" Paige Hathaway asked her father, David, as she froze the frame on the videotape one of their scouts had sent over from Antiques on the Road.If anyone could date the piece, it was her father, the head buyer for the House of Hathaway and their resident expert on Chinese art."It's possible," he said, a note of excitement in his voice and a glitter of anticipation in his eyes as he moved closer to the screen."I wish I could see it better.That man keeps getting in my way.They really should make the object clearly visible to the camera."The man her father was referring to was a tall, ruggedly built guy in a black leather jacket, who had started out looking uncomfortable in front of the camera and now appeared completely amazed and very, very skeptical.He was a striking contrast to the sweet, sparkling old lady he called Grandma, who seemed more than a little thrilled at the thought of her good fortune.And it might be incredibly good fortune if her father was right about the age of the object."Why hasn't she called us?" her father asked in irritation."Are you sure you told her it was imperative we speak with her today?""On both messages that I left," Paige reassured him."I'm sure she'll call back." Although, as Paige checked her watch, she realized it was almost six o'clock."Maybe not until tomorrow.""This can't wait until tomorrow.I must have that dragon."David paced restlessly around Paige's fifth-floor office.The room was decorated with simple, beautiful Chinese furnishings that were meant to relax and inspire.The calming atmosphere was obviously having no such effect on her father."Do you realize what a find this could be?" he continued."The Zhou dynasty is estimated to have begun around the year 1050 B.C.This could be a very early bronze.That dragon must have an incredible story to tell.""I can't wait to hear you tell it," she murmured.She liked her father the most at moments like these, when there was passion in his eyes, in his voice, in his heart."I can't tell the story until I see that dragon, until I hold it in my hand, measure its weight, listen to its voice, feel its magic." David walked over to the window that overlooked Union Square.Paige doubted he was looking at the city lights.He was caught up in the pursuit of a new acquisition.When that happened, nothing else mattered to him.He was completely focused on his goal.And, for the first time, he'd included her.Usually, acquisitions went through preliminary calls made by his assistant buyers, depending on the type of piece and area of expertise
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