CHARACTER

In the Loggia Virgil learnt of the paralyzed son’s trade as an arms dealer selling for British Aerospace and other similar companies. A tetraplegic promoting missiles, guidance systems, smart bombs etc. He made himself very wealthy; bought himself time. He is now selling his paintings (at first just a hobby) through a small gallery in Bonn. At the opening night of the exhibition there, his 'other' profession is kept quiet (as it is at all social functions, large or small) and is referred to simply as ‘engineer’. Virgil feels sick. He is also told that the son will not eat meat unless he knows from where it has been sourced and if it has been humanely treated and slaughtered. So Virgil takes the website address of the gallery where some of the paintings can be viewed. There is a pair of views of the Loggia itself painted from different angles and under opposing weather conditions; there is also a painting of a Holocaust memorial in Budapest containing thousands of shoes of Jews and gypsies killed. Virgil wants to speak to this man and ask him questions, ask him whether he feels he is paying back some regret through these ironies and hypocrisies?