It seemed kind of humorous. You were the only bidder left, and yet the announcer seemed determined to treat this as a normal auction. He made a show of scanning the empty area for invisible bidders.
Eyeing the pearl, you raised your sign.
"$1,000 from the young gentleman at the centre. Anyone else?" The announcer paused again to awkward silence. "Any bids?"
At this point, the owner standing at the back cleared his throat with annoyance. Taking the hint, the announcer nodded and finished up. "Going-once-twice-SOLD! Congratulations, my boy, on your purchase! Tell me, why did you bid on this item?"
Another speech? Shrugging, you decided to indulge them. "My father's yacht business has recently become hugely successful since the rediscovery of Atlantis. It seems a lot of people have taken an interest in the ocean, myself included. Anyway, my dad always said that Atlantis was his lucky charm. So, I was planning to install this pearl in his office as a birthday gift."
Walking up to the pearl, you study it carefully. "Of course, that was my plan before seeing what these artifacts actually do. I guess that's out the window, now."
The owner stepped forward. "Oh, don't worry about that, Mr. Manderine. I'm sure your father will be receiving a gift every bit as valuable. Plus, I assure you Atlantis will remain your family's lucky charm."
"How so?" You asked, curious at the owner's odd words.
The owner smiled at you.