He paused for a moment as if to let this grave fact sink in, then resumed cheerfully and somewhat tongue-in-cheek: “But thanks to them, we now have more information about it. A case in point: recently someone found a new clue hidden by the creator of the sculpture ...”
The old man at once fell into a reverie and lost all sense of what was around him. He slumped back in his chair, fast asleep, and started counting: “11, 18, 25, 42, 46, 67, 71 ...”
Gelio touched his finger to his forehead and gave a knowing wink, then with a sharp inclination of his head, indicated it was time for them to leave.