Chapter 8
The following day, Theo sat beside the river reliving his meeting with Minnette. His “silly idea” began to solidify in his mind as a calling, a mission.
But who shall I do next?
Given that there were ninety-two portraits on the Chalice wall, he thought it might be helpful to devise some process for selecting which ones to give and in what order.
Maybe start at the front wall, right side, and work all the way around the room?
Or work oldest to youngest? Or close his eyes and choose whichever one he saw first when he opened them?
He finally decided to be led by two considerations: first, sheer intuition — which one felt right; which one seemed most colorful or interesting in some indefinable way; which one, at first glance, made him say to himself, “I think I would enjoy meeting that person.” Second, he would look for faces that had suffered loss, those who seemed to be weary or worried or troubled somehow.
Theo hoped that a gift to them might be particularly helpful or encouraging.
Both criteria were nebulous and subjective at best, but the method proved satisfactory.
Theo always began with the eyes. It was usually there that he found his purchase.
Part of Asher Glissen’s astonishing genius lay in his ability to capture not merely the physical qualities but also the personalities of his subjects.
Mood, temperament, and story were embedded in every face.
The pleasant reality about Theo’s selection process was this: It was impossible to make a wrong choice.