Two Thousand Years And The Saviour

The doctors and professors are trying to get more out of Lavender.

How exactly did he sound? asks Dr Minchen Chow. Can you reproduce it?

ROOOL! says Lavender. No, that's not right. It was louder.

She thought he said ROLL, says Ouvert. So she pushed him. It was me said it sounded like ROOOOL!

It was not, says Lavender. And I didn't push him.

Could he have said ROLL? asks Professor Mee-mann Chang.

He could have said ANYTHING, says Lavender. He was a BULLY.

Did you push him? asks Dr Zhu Min. Because if you did, you are responsible for the breakage.

No, says Lavender. No!

Let us be logical, says Professor Lanpo Jia. If the Entelognathus said ROLL, then Lavender can't be held responsible for the breakage, since she was acceding to a request....

From a known bully, says Gaius.

Exactly, says Professor Lanpo Jia. But if he said ROOOL! then she pushed him for no reason.

That is, if she pushed him, says Dr Minchen Chow. We have not established the fact.

Ask him! says Ouvert. He's fixed now.

Indeed he is, says Gaius. All done. Ach! My fingers have stuck together!

Good job, says Dr Zhu Min. You can hardly see any of the joins.

Ask him! She's the bully! says Ouvert.

Shut up, Fish Face! says Lavender.

Gaius addresses the Entelognathus. Tell us what happened, he says.

Now the Entelognathus will attempt to utter the truth of the matter.

If it takes two thousand years.

...........

Meanwhile on top of the mountain in Mentougu, the three cyclists are awaiting a phone call.

It is cold and windy, but there is a spectacular view of more mountains.

They are on a flat area of grass. Other climbers have brought tents with them.

Flap flap. The wind flaps the sides of the tents that other climbers are putting up.

Arthur, Sikong Shu and Not-Richie huddle together to keep warm.

Ring Ring!

Sikong Shu answers the phone. Yes, it's Sweezus. What has he found out?

Hey, says Sweezus. I googled the results of the Tour of Beijing. Put me on to Richie.

Sikong Shu gives the phone to Not-Richie.

One hundred and thirty second! Did not finish Stage Four! yelps Not-Richie.

He collapses backwards onto the grass, still holding the phone, legs air-cycling

Yeah, yeah, says Not-Richie. Yeah. Okay yeah! You're right yeah.  Am I?  Mmmm. Yes. Do you? Really? Yes I would. Philosophy? You bet. Thanks mate, you're a saviour. Yeah take care, yeah you too.

He hands the phone back to Sikong Shu.

Geez, says Richie Porte. That guy is cool.

Arthur knows that, but what did he say?

He told me all this STUFF, says Richie. And he asked me to write something philosophical for this cool magazine that he's the editor of.

Aha, says Sikong Shu. I wonder if that was what he was going to ask me?

Probably, says Arthur. He's lazy that way.