Experience Is the Bitterest

Victor gets out of the police car and enters the bike shop.

Hello Jim, says Victor.

Hello Victor, says Jim. How's the bike ?

Good, good, says Victor. Pristine in fact. Never seem to have time to ride it.

Shame, says Jim. What's up then?

That Chinese chap, says Victor. Did he buy a helmet?

He did, says Jim. A quick sale. He bought the cheapest Avanti.

The Razor Plus? says Victor. Same one as mine.

Nothing wrong with buying the cheapest, says Jim quickly.

Black and silver? says Victor.

Yeah, black and silver. Is anything wrong?

Did you think there was anything odd about his bicycle?

Well, says Jim. Now you mention it. It was a Floating Cloud. Chinese job.

Very interesting, says Victor.

He takes out his notebook and writes: Chinese job. Floating Cloud.

......

Police notebooks are full of such titbits.

......

Gaius and Kong Fu-Zi have finished their lunch and left Aldgate.

They pass Mylor and Echunga in warm afternoon sunlight which flickers through trees.

Stop, says Kong Fu-Zi. I'm getting a headache.

It will be that cheap helmet, says Gaius.

Cheap? says Kong Fu-Zi. You mean I bought a cheap one?

Forty dollars, says Gaius. That's cheap. An average price would have been closer to a hundred. Of course you can pay more than that, but I never.......

Ptish! says Kong Fu-Zi. I wish you had told me. I always prefer to follow the Way of the Middle. Had I known, I would have spent more.

You could have asked, says Gaius.

I could, says Kong Fu-Zi. I assumed the bike shop man would not try to sell me a cheap one.

Yes, that was strange, says Gaius.

There are three ways to learn wisdom, says Kong Fu-Zi.

I know, says Gaius. Experience is the bitterest.

Kong Fu-Zi rubs his forehead. He pokes his fingers in next to his eyes. He rotates his fingers.

Ah. That's better.

Would you like an aspirin? says Gaius.

No thank you, says the Great Sage. Let us continue our journey.

They are now out of Echunga, coming up to the turnoff to Jupiter Creek.

Jupiter. One of your gods, observes Kong Fu-Zi. Would you like to stop off there? I presume there's a shrine.

Gaius is somewhat put out by the suggestion.

However, he always likes to stop off at the goldfields, when he's in the area.

They turn off the main road to Strathalbyn, onto Kavanagh Road.

Victor, in his police car, follows at a discreet distance.