Blueprints For A Dragon Bicycle

Now that Lu Ban has decided to buy himself a bicycle, the tour of the Forbidden City is over before it has properly begun.

He strides purposefully back to the Meridien Gate, followed by Sikong Shu, Richie and Arthur.

Where's the nearest bicycle shop? says Lu Ban.

Wait, says Sikong Shu. First we must retrieve our own bicycles.

You have bicycles? says Lu Ban. Where are they?

Over there, says Sikong Shu, pointing at the two Flying Pigeons and the Team Sky bicycle locked up together near the Grand Red City Wall.

Lu Ban examines the bikes.

This one is good, says Lu Ban. These ones are no good.

You are quick to judge, says Sikong Shu. It all depends what you want. Flying Pigeons are reliable and strong. And you can always get parts.

But they have sit-up-and-beg handlebars, says Lu Ban. I would be embarrassed to ride something like that. As to what I want, I want to win the next Tour of Beijing.

Do you? says Richie. Good luck with that then.

Say what you mean, says Lu Ban.

I'm just saying, says Richie, that it's harder to win than you think.

No, says Lu Ban. It isn't. And I am thinking of designing my own bicycle, along the lines of a dragon. So if you will excuse me, I'll go and start work on the blueprints.

Lu Ban, says Sikong Shu, you are incorrigible. The lines of a dragon indeed.

Inexhaustible is the word you are looking for, says Lu Ban. The lines of a dragon will never go out of fashion. And they are aero-dynamically sound......

Still talking, Lu Ban disappears into crowded Tiananmen Square.

Arthur's phone rings.

It's Rosamunda.

Oh hurrah!says Rosamunda. Finally you answer. Where ARE you?

I'm in Tianenmen Square, says Arthur.

Well, wait for me, I'm coming, says Rosamunda. I'm at the Summer Palace with Gaius and Margaret and Professor Chang. It's not turning out as romantic as I thought.

Why's that? says Arthur.

Is drainage romantic? says Rosamunda. Is chicken stew with black lumps of chicken romantic? Is Gaius going on about luxuriousness, and Margaret rabbiting on about craftsmanship romantic? And Professor Chang won't spend any money.....

You can't get here, says Arthur. You don't have a bike.

Don't need one, says Rosamunda. I'll use the subway.

Okay, says Arthur. I'll wait.

...........

That means they all have to wait.

Richie sits down on a bench and takes out his notebook and pencil. He writes down events as they happen:

so sikong shu goes off to rustle up some street food and comes back with rubber insects on sticks at least that's what they look like but they're really fried snacks, scorpion starfish and crab and this one's vietnamese forest beetle I know its disgusting but everyone's eating them now, we bite tentatively into our snacks, we're waiting for this girl rosamunda

Arthur looks over Richie's shoulder. Yes, Richie is capturing a sense of immediacy, he's improving.

And now here comes Rosamunda.