jade carving

John and Anna ,long standing friends, with whom I am staying for a couple of days in Argyll are,like most of us nowdays,having to budget and watch the pennies on a daily basis. Their house,nice enough,with a bigish garden is nevertheless modest and his car is not in the first flush of youth. I have known John for 20 years, but in all that time it has never been clear (not that it matters anyway) how he made a living. Every so often he and Anna would jet off to Indonesia ,the Philloppines, Dubai ,Shjanghai or some such exotic location always travelling first class and staying at the ritzyest hotels and always paid for by a chinese Mr Big! Guessed he was either James Bond (still at 67 has a cold shower every morning---prep school habits die hard!!) or shady arms dealing: on his mantel is a recent photo with Imelda Marcos; enough in itself to set warning bells! When chivvied for an explanation simply shrugged and said "oh ,we were having breakfast with her'----and that was all we got!!
Finally ,today a chink has opened, and something has emerged. In China, during the cultural revolution , Mr Big hid many artifacts ,thus saving them from the excesses of the red guard. Included were 8 jade sculptures of which this is one. The heaviest is 85 tons,the lightest 7tons!! They are ,as can be imagined, not cheap! and are to become the centrepiece of some huge new exhibition.
Somewhere in all this is John!!