The Trouble With Looking Like God

Karl Marx is resigned to his task.

He is searching Melbourne's churches for Terence.

Here's one, on Little Lonsdale Street. The CrossCulture.

He pokes his head in.

The singing stops. Several young people rush over.

Ah! cry the young people.

This is the trouble with looking exactly like God.

.......

Terence is still in Fitzroy, in the pub known as Labour in Vain.

He is hatless, and his little cement curls are showing.

He is just hitting his stride.

The second type of alienation, says Terence, is The Worker From Working.

I have that one, says Boz. Every day of my life.

Then I'll skip it, says Terence. The third type is the Worker From Himself.

How does that work? asks Lorna. Like sleeping?

No, says Terence. It's when he loses his essence.

Drugs? asks Lorna's partner, Tommy Zoom.

No, says Terence. Grandpa calls it Gattungswesen.

Holy shit, are you German? says Lorna. I would never have picked it.

Yeah, says Tommy Zoom. He could be. They wear those hats.

This isn't a German hat, says Terence. I mean, it wasn't. Where is it?

Scheise! Where is the hat? Grandpa bought it for him. And it was useful for explaining production.

.........

Belle is having a lovely evening at the Workshop, ostensibly looking for Terence.

She chats up some hipsters, who look suitably vague.

Oh yaar, says Regan. I might have seen him. What does he look like?

Little, says Belle et Bonne. Made of cement. Wearing a knitted hat with side flaps.

On the counter, says Jem. There's a tiny cement mixer.

That's not a cement mixer, Jem. It's a dump truck, says Regan.

Oh sorry, says Jem. I'm so bad at these things.

Har har! laugh the trio. That includes Belle, who is not trying very hard to find Terence.

......

Karl Marx has finally escaped from CrossCulture, by pretending not to speak English.

But he is being tailed by two dark haired young ladies, Bai and Guang.

They wish to give him a flyer with the times of the Mandarin service, and a list of what everyone wants.