The Gathering

Later that night.

Terence returns to the Max Brown hotel with Arthur and Sweezus.

You go in, says Sweezus. We'll be back later.

Much later, says Arthur.

Terence goes in. He stomps up the stairs to find Tiny.

Tiny is sitting in a circle, outside Gaius's room.

Snakes can do this.

Guess what? says Terence.

What? says Tiny. My own sister's a Tour de France rider?

No, about water, says Terence. Sweezus pours water into a teacup and it flushes down the toilet.

No way! says Tiny.

It's tactics, says Terence.

My sister's team has better tactics, says Tiny. They have black hole paint.

Poo! says Terence. All that will do is.....make them look like their brains are missing.

Tiny had been thinking it might help them pass others unnoticed, and sprint to the finish.

But perhaps Terence is right.

He brightens. Not that he has anything against the success of Third Sister.

Guess what else? says Terence. The race starts tomorrow, and it goes past the canal. We're allowed to watch it.

Me too? asks Tiny.

You too, says Terence. You can watch out for clowns.

What do I do if I see one? asks Tiny.

Bite it, says Terence. And warn me. And we'll run away.

.......

Belle is on an Emirates flight from Adelaide to Düsseldorf. She is cutting it fine.

She wonders if Gaius has received his bicycle.

She wonders if Baby Pierre, Ouvert and Third Sister have found the Freddos.

She wonders if Sweezus is getting on all right with Gaius.

She wonders if Vello and David have bonded with Jacobi.

Of course they will have. They are philosophers first and foremost.

She bites down on a complimentary pretzel.

Ouch! She cracks a filled tooth.

.......

The next morning, in Düsseldorf.

Belle is seeing a dentist.

Vello is fussing.

What will we do about snacks?

Have faith, says Jacobi.

There you go, says David. Faith will not produce snacks.

I'm not denying there must be a process, says Jacobi.

That's not what you say, says David. You say belief means immediate conviction. I take that to mean you expect snacks to materialise, if you believe in them strongly.

You trivialise my faith, says Jacobi. I don't actually believe in snacks.

Then why...? begins David

Stop this! says Vello. It's the time trials, this afternoon. Are we ready? No. Do we have snacks ? No. Where is my daughter? At the dentist.

Calm down Vello, says David. One of us just needs to go down to the Altstadt and buy snacks.

I'll go, says Jacobi.

He wanders down to the Altstadt.

On the way, he passes several clowns.