Margarine And Five Pots Of Rose Jam

Dr Zhu Min enters the lab with a tub of margarine spread.

He places it on the lab bench.

Try this, says Dr Zhu Min.

Gaius looks doubtful. Is it lunch?

For unsticking your fingers, says Dr Zhu Min. Often simple remedies are best.

I've been thinking, says Gaius, plunging one set of conjoined fingers into the margarine.

Yes? says Dr Zhu Min. A new hypothesis regarding the entelognathus?

No, says Gaius. About going out.

Out? says Dr Zhu Min. You mean out of the Institute building? Where are you thinking of going?

The Summer Palace, says Gaius. Rosamunda is there, with Margaret and Professor Mee-man Chang. She mentioned a Marble Boat. I should like to see it.

I'm sure that can be arranged, says Dr Zhu Min.

Just tell me how to get there, says Gaius. I am perfectly capable of getting there myself.

Ordinarily, says Dr Zhu Min, I would be perfectly happy to allow you to go on your own, but ......
is that margarine working?

No, says Gaius, sucking his fingers. And it tastes terrible. Don't tell me you eat this?

Certainly not, says Dr Zhu Min. And if it hasn't loosened your fingers I am at my wits end. Your Roman superglue is superior to any I have ever encountered.

Small comfort, says Gaius. Now what about my outing?

I shall come with you, says Dr Zhu Min. You can't travel on the subway without the full use of your fingers.

Surely people get by in the winter, says Gaius.

But Dr Zhu Min has made up his mind.

............

From a small village shop in Mentougu Eco Valley, Xui Li and Hui Zhong buy rose cakes.

Try this, says Xui Li, handing one to Richie. And here is a pencil.

I thought you didn't have a pencil, says Richie.

They sell pencils here too, says Xui Li.

Richie bites into his rose cake, and starts writing.

Here I am.....

He stops writing.

Arthur comes over, eating his rose cake, dropping crumbs.

Stuck? says Arthur. Try the stream of consciousness method.

Which is? says Richie.

Write and don't stop, says Arthur. Everything that comes into your head.

Richie writes:

here i am in mentougu scene of my DID NOT FINISH i lost my memory it was so bad i suppose that was why this rose cake is awesome aromatic like roses or apples or hmmm what was i thinking it makes you wonder when something like this happens what really matters is it winning or maybe its losing i guess this is philosophy yeah okay now im getting the hang of it losing let me think about that for a bit it wasn't losing DID NOT FINISH its just not finishing theres no shame in that or is there but why...

He pauses. Shows it to Arthur.

 Not a bad start, says Arthur. I like the surprise of the rose cakes

Sikong Shu has a look.

Punctuation, says Sikong Shu.

He can fix that, says Arthur. The point is to get it all out.

Encouraged, Richie sucks on his pencil.

.....the sun is like splinters the air is like crystal the mountains are green and the river is yellow i want to remember this moment forever writes richie without punctuation.......

He is already improving.

Sikong Shu also wants to remember this moment forever. He walks back to the small village shop and buys five small pots of rose jam.