Masterpiece

Marvin sleeps late, recovering from his adventures. When he wakes, Mama informs him that the beetles are planning a fun day at the solarium, which is a glassed-in porch on the far side of the Pompadays’ living room. The solarium is warm and full of beautiful plants and flowers; it’s the only place where the beetles get to experience nature, and it’s especially pleasant in the winter months when everything else is dreary. The beetles like to visit on Tuesdays because that’s when the maids come, and the beetles can hitch a ride on the vacuum cleaner from the kitchen to the solarium.

Marvin is usually excited about the solarium, but today he is still preoccupied with his concerns about James and the drawing. Mama, Papa, Aunt Edith, Uncle Albert, Marvin, and Elaine all board the vacuum. They bring along a picnic basket, which is just the tip of a rubber glove filled with food. It’s a bit dangerous, and Mama almost falls, but they manage to make it to the solarium. Marvin and Elaine go off alone, promising to meet up with the adults for lunch at noon.

Marvin and Elaine spend time playing on Mrs. Pompaday’s spade, which, when shoved into the dirt of one of the potted plants, resembles a playground slide. When they grow tired of sliding, they decide to sneak over and check on the turtle, which lives in a tank in the solarium. They aren’t supposed to go near the tank, but the turtle is usually very docile and inactive. Elaine perches on the edge of the glass, despite Marvin’s warnings. Marvin clings to the outside of the tank, watching. Elaine yells at the turtle, but it doesn’t budge, which is typical. Without warning, the turtle lunges at Marvin, ramming the side of the tank and shaking the glass. Marvin is thankful he stayed on the outside where the turtle couldn’t get him. He looks around but doesn’t see Elaine. When he checks the tank, he sees she’s fallen in and is now floating on her back near the turtle, not moving.

Marvin cries out and tells Elaine not to move. She’s lucky she landed on her back because Elaine can’t swim like Marvin can, and her shell keeps her afloat. The turtle, seemingly unaware of Elaine, continues swimming around the tank. Keeping an eye on Elaine, Marvin circles around the rim of the tank and slides down the back wall. He sees the turtle moving toward Elaine and dives in, calling to Elaine to grab his hands when he reaches out.

Marvin dives below the surface, then comes back up and grabs Elaine, pulling her under with him. The turtle snaps at them, but they dodge it just in time. Marvin realizes he can’t swim well while holding onto Elaine; he brings them back to the surface and helps Elaine onto a rock. Marvin swims away quickly, hoping the turtle will follow him; it does.

Marvin reaches the other side of the tank and tries to climb the wall, but the glass is too slippery. The turtle reaches Marvin and snaps at him again, but Marvin dodges and ends up grabbing the turtle’s neck. The turtle tries to shake Marvin off, then heads toward the rock where Elaine waits. As the turtle approaches the rock, Marvin leaps off, and Elaine catches his legs and pulls him up. They scramble for the back wall, managing to climb up and escape.

Once they are safely outside the tank, Elaine says how close it was and how she saved Marvin’s life. He rebuts with how he saved her when she fell into the tank. Elaine, unwilling to admit to it, says how scary the situation was and how they’ll be more careful next time. The two head back to their parents, who are setting up the picnic. They apologize for being late, lying that they were having too much fun.

The beetles settle in and enjoy their picnic among the flowers and herbs.

Marvin tries to think of a solution to not being able to return to the museum and help James. His parents assure him that James will figure things out on his own. Marvin asks if he can visit James’s room to see what happens when he doesn’t show. Papa is reluctant, but Marvin begs Mama, telling her that he and James are friends. She relents but insists on coming with him.

As they head toward James’s room, they hear an irritated Mrs. Pompaday speaking to Karl. Karl has shown up early because he finished his work early, and James calls from his bedroom that he just needs five more minutes.

Marvin and Mama enter James’s room to find him crying at his desk. He asks aloud where Marvin is, saying he hasn’t seen Marvin in days and wondering what he’ll do without Marvin. Marvin and Mama hide under the fringe of James’s rug. Marvin points out to Mama that James is crying, but she says he’ll figure it out. Karl calls to James, asking if he’s ready, and James calls back that he just needs a second. James wonders aloud why Marvin didn’t return. Marvin pleads with Mama to let him join James, arguing that friends don’t abandon each other. Mama says that they can’t be friends because they can’t even communicate. Marvin argues that they do communicate in their own ways.

James puts on his jacket and looks around his room, remarking that he knows Marvin would be here if he could and that he hopes nothing happened to Marvin. James picks up his ink set, studying the case and saying he can’t draw like Marvin can. Marvin thinks about James’s birthday and how Mrs. Pompaday treats him. He’s upset because James is about to “lose the one thing that had finally given him the attention he deserved” (143).

Marvin decides he can’t let James do this alone, so he tells Mama that he has to go, reminding her that she and Papa always tell him to be a good friend. Marvin argues that good friends are there for each other no matter what. He rushes out from under the rug and climbs the door to the knob where James can see him.

James sees Marvin and excitedly exclaims that Marvin is there. Mrs. Pompaday swings the door open and asks who James is talking to. James tells her he’s talking to nobody and touches the knob gently so Marvin can climb on his hand. Marvin hides just inside James’s sleeve. Karl asks if James is ready to go, and James confirms he is.

Mama calls up to Marvin to be careful, and Marvin pokes out of the sleeve to wave to her as they leave.

Christina greets James and Karl excitedly. James is bashful in the face of her attention. Christina relates his reaction to her own nieces’ embarrassment. Karl looks at Christina’s desk and asks if the girls in the photo are her nieces. Christina looks affectionately at the picture and confirms they are. Marvin climbs up to James’s collar to get a better look at the photo. He approves of Christina when she isn’t putting on a proper face to run the museum. Karl and Christina talk briefly about kids and genetics before Christina shifts her focus to James.

Christina presents the paper James is supposed to work on. It’s blank, sixteenth century manuscript paper. James needs to use these pages because they resemble the original paper used in Fortitude. Christina wants to cover any obvious signs of forgery, even if the fake isn’t going to be seen by actual art collectors. Christina explains they’ll use old paper and brown ink to match the look of the original piece.

Christina says that the museum will close soon, and then Denny will bring the real Fortitude for James to reference. Karl is surprised that Denny can just take the work off the wall, but Christina assures him that they move the works all the time. James is worried about being so close to the real work. Christina tells him it will still be protected in glass.

Christina leaves to find Denny and retrieve the ink for James to use. James tells Karl he’s worried he’ll spill ink on the Dürer. Karl reassures him that the piece will be protected in a frame. James is still concerned because it’s a masterpiece, which provokes a discussion between Karl and James about what a masterpiece truly is. Karl talks about the Sistine Chapel and the Mona Lisa and decides that Fortitude is a masterpiece, albeit a tiny one. Marvin wonders how it will feel to copy a masterpiece.

Christina and Denny return with the ink and Fortitude. Denny presents the piece to the group. James asks if it’s worth a lot of money. Christina tells him that the museum paid almost seven hundred thousand dollars for Justice, and the Dürer Virtues are valuable because they were drawn in the early 1500s. Denny explains that the Virtues are a class of their own among surviving Dürer works because of their meaning.

Karl, Christina, and Denny relay the historical context of the virtues, along with several quotes from philosophers about the relationship between the virtues. Marvin relates the philosophies to his own experiences, deciding that while it wasn’t necessarily wise to reveal himself to James, it was brave. Marvin thinks that it’s impossible to decide which virtue is most important, but that each situation in life requires different virtues.

Denny, Karl, James, and Christina gaze at Fortitude for a moment longer. James confirms he’s ready and the adults leave the room to let him work.