Defunct

Speaking German! marvelled Ageless. What a thought!

Not really, shrugged Doctor Suzanne Miller. It's a common enough counterfactual. Imagine, on the other hand if Hitler had a different name entirely, such as Butler.

Ageless was impressed.

You are a brainy woman, he said.

I was born in Scotland, said Dr Suzanne Miller.

Nevertheless, said Ageless, chivalrously.

Fortunately by then they had arrived at the Museum Shop. Mr Lee pointed to the cabinet that contained the trilobites.

Do please choose one, Mr Ageless, said Dr Suzanne Miller. Take your time. She walked over to the counter to explain the situation to the sales assistant.

Ageless peered into the cabinet. All the trilobites looked very small. But then Kobo was quite small. Any one of them would do. He decided to choose the one that was the most expensive. But he could only see one trilobite that had a price tag. The price was $199.00. Was that expensive? For all he knew it could be cheap.

That's a good one, said Mr Lee, pointing to the one with the tag. It's a positive negative fossil, which is always nice. That means you get the fossil and the rock it was embedded in. See?

Hmmm, said Ageless. Hmmm. Is it ... is it the best one? I'm looking for a trilobite with calcite eyes.

I see you know your fossils, said Mr Lee, appreciatively. Yes I think this one has eyes.

But are they working? persisted Ageless.

Working? said Mr Lee. It's a fossil.

What does that mean? said Ageless.

It's pretty much defunct, said Mr Lee.

Oh, said Ageless. Well never mind, I'll have it anyway.