Dexter by Design | Page 8

o pposite , in
fa ct. A rt is , a fte r a ll, a ll a bout m akin g p atte rn s in o rd er to c re ate a m eanin g fu l im pact o n th e s e nse s. A nd is n't th is ju st e xa ctly w ha t D exte r d oes?
Of c o urs e , in m y c a se “ im pact” is a li ttle m ore li te ra l, b ut s till — I c a n a ppre cia te o th e r m edia .
So it w as w ith a t le ast a s m all in te re st th a t I fo llo w ed R ita a cro ss th e h ug e c o urty a rd o f th e L ouvre a nd d ow n th e s ta ir s in to th e g la ss p yra m id .
She h a d c ho se n to g o th is a lo ne a nd fo rs a ke th e to ur g ro up s — no t o ut o f a ny d is ta ste fo r th e g ru ng y m obs o f g apin g , d ro oli n g , w oefu lly ig no ra nt
she ep w ho s e em ed to c o ale sce a ro und e ach to ur g uid e, b ut b eca use R ita w as d ete rm in e d to p ro ve th a t s he w as a m atc h fo r a ny m use um , e ve n
a F re nch o ne .
She m arc he d u s r ig ht u p to th e tic ke t li n e , w he re w e w aite d fo r s e ve ra l m in ute s b efo re s he fin a lly b oug ht o ur tic ke ts , a nd th e n w e w ere o ff in to
th e w ond ers o f th e L ouvre .
The fir s t w ond er w as im media te ly o bvio us a s w e c li m bed o ut o f th e a dm is sio ns a re a a nd in to th e a ctu a l m use um . In o ne o f th e fir s t g alle rie s
we c a m e to , a h ug e c ro w d o f p erh a ps fiv e la rg e to ur g ro up s w as c lu ste re d a ro und a p erim ete r m ark e d b y a r e d v e lv e t r o pe. R ita m ade a n o is e
th a t s o und ed s o m eth in g li k e “ M rm ph,” a nd r e ache d fo r m y h a nd to d ra g m e p ast. A s w e w alk e d r a pid ly p ast th e c ro w d I tu rn e d fo r a lo ok; it w as
th e M ona L is a .
“It 's s o tin y,” I b lu rte d o ut.
“A nd v e ry o ve rra te d,” R ita s a id