Confluences And Lies Of The Land

After saying goodbye to the Antverpians, Gaius and Virtual Gaius push on towards Breda.

Breda is 55 kilometres from Antwerp, over the border, in the Netherlands.

Goodbye Belgium, says Gaius. They make good beer.

They do make good beer, Virtual Gaius starts to say......but he is over ridden.

At last! you are back in the Netherlands! says Arne's voice. And we Dutch also make good beer.

We do, agrees Virtual Gaius.

Are you under his control now? asks Gaius.

I am, says Virtual Gaius. And I am resuming my duties.

Which are? Gaius has forgotten.

Traffic monitoring, says Virtual Gaius. Beep! Beep! Crowd control.

It is annoying, the beeping.  Gaius speeds up on his bicycle.

Virtual Gaius speeds up as well.

It is good we are going faster, says Virtual Gaius.

His voice is a curious mixture of Arne's and his own.

Gaius determines to go at his own pace. He slows down again. After all he has no particular wish to return to Utrecht. It's just this blinking bicycle which needs returning...... although the Paleomagnetic Lab at Fort Hoofddjik may be worth a visit......

Do you have an interest in Paleomagnetics? asks Gaius.

Beep beep! says Virtual Gaius. I'm counting.

I gather you know little about the subject, says Gaius.

I am programmed to monitor traffic. And we do not stop in Breda, says Virtual Gaius.

Suit yourself, says Gaius. But I shall stop here and nose around for a few hours. There appears to be a confluence of rivers....

......

Vello, David and Terence have also reached a confluence of rivers.

They are approaching Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, situated at the confluence of the Valserine and the Rhone.

I love this confluence, says Vello.

You do, do you? says David.

Me too, says Terence. Me and Grandpa went to a confluence. It was in Melbourne. I got a hat.

Vello and David ignore him.

The confluence of rivers in Bellegarde-sur-Valserine occurs underground, says Vello. Therefore it is possible to cross easily.

How do you know that? asks David.

We are nearing Ferney, says Voltaire. I know the lie of the land.

Terence, in the child seat behind David, misses the hat. Where is it?

There is a 60 metre deep geologic fault upstream, says Vello. It's called the Perte du Rhone. The Rhone disappears into it during the dry season. Shall we find it ?

All right, says David, indulgently.

But Vello is due for a disappointment.

Damn! Some IDIOT has built a huge dam. There is now a reservoir 23 kilometres long from Génissiat to the Swiss border.

Génissiat Dam! cries Vello. What a travesty!

Does anyone know where my hat is? asks Terence.

Hat? says Vello. Hat? My beloved landscape has been destroyed!

Still, says David. I do remember that hat. It was a Peruvian hat with side flaps.

Where is it? cries Terence, agitated.

But Vello is in no mood to care.