Today is the day of the time trials. It's still very windy.
Tom Dumoulin thinks he can win.
His suit is the slickest, his socks are the longest. Inside them, he rides like a seal through the water, on wheels.
Terence waits at the start with Arthur, whose time trial begins in a minute.
Terence: You've got chocolate all over your face.
Arthur: I've been eating chocolate pastries.
Terence: Will they make you ride faster?
Arthur: You bet.
Terence: Do you know the end of my story?
Arthur: Which story?
Terence: Juanito and Danny. The rabbits. They were crossing the road.
Arthur: I guess they got mangled.
Terence: NO!
Arthur: Well, you asked me. I could make up a happier ending, but I've got to go in five seconds.
Terence: Go then!
Terence leaps up behind Arthur. Arthur takes off down the slope.
Not a good start for a time trial.
At first, Arthur doesn't realise that he has a passenger. Then he does.
Merde! says Arthur. Terence! Get off!
But you promised, says Terence.
Arthur thinks he is probably stuffed already. So he makes up a happier story.
The rabbits were crossing the road very slowly, says Arthur.
It was dark, there was loud scary traffic, says Terence.
Who's telling this story? says Arthur.
My parrot, says Terence. But she didn't finish because we bumped into Froomey.
Oh I get it, says Arthur. So, the rabbits were darting between cars, trucks and buses, and one of the rabbits was faster....
No, one of them was slower, says Terence. Because one was the little one, Danny.
It's the same thing, says Arthur. If one of them was slower, the other was faster.
But one was the daddy! says Terence. The daddy helps the little one!
Okay, says Arthur. You've got a rosy idea about fathers. So daddy Juanito picks up little Danny and throws him to safety on the grass verge with all of his might, but Juanito himself doesn't make it. He's hit by a heavy vehicle.
Terence hates this. Poor little Danny. His daddy all mangled.
Terence slips off the back of the bike.
Arthur keeps pedalling. He has lost enough time already.
Terence stomps off the road to the safety of the grass verge, where several people are standing to encourage the riders.
Most of the people are normal.
But one is dressed as the Devil.
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