The Seventh Most Important Thing

An hour later, Arthur and Squeak meet the reporter and a photographer at the garage. The photographer seems impressed by the art, but the reporter doesn’t. The reporter asks for Arthur and Squeak’s names. Arthur is hesitant about having his name appear with the article, and Squeak saves him by saying they’d “like our volunteer work on this project to remain anonymous” (241).

The article doesn’t gain as much interest as Arthur hoped. Donations don’t add up to $50, and after viewing the artwork, a minister goes so far to say that “no church is going to want a sculpture of heaven made of trash” (245). When Officer Billie calls to say some people from an art museum want to see the piece, Arthur agrees to show them, even though he isn’t feeling optimistic.

Arthur takes an immediate dislike to the people from the art museum, who look like “they had come straight from a country club” (247). The group debates whether the piece has artistic value. Annoyed, Arthur tells them the piece is The Third Throne of Heaven. He shows them the first box Mr. Hampton made during World War II.