Trick Or Genius Answer

Accelerate as much as you like, the questions remain.

No one's answered the Child Question, says Vello. Is that because no one's sure of the answer?

No one's answered the Family Question, either, says David.

They are sitting inside Restaurant Le Smash, at a table overlooking a swimming pool.

True, says Em. No one answered. Now I've forgotten the question. Hmm, shrimp curry or avocado salad?

I think I'll have perche 'n frites, says David.

How fast do the particles under your feet go in the Large Hadron Collider, parrots Oscar.
A. as fast as a moped
B. as fast as the speed of light (almost) or
C. as fast as a rocket.

Well remembered, Oscar, says Em. Did you remember that, Terence?

Course I did, says Terence. And I know the answer.

I'm sure Oscar knows the answer too, says Em. Don't you Oscar?

Yes, says Oscar. BUT.

But what? asks his mother.

Terence thinks the answer is C, says Oscar. And he's my blood brother.

It's one thing to be loyal to a friend, says Em, and another to stick to what you believe in.

C ! says Terence, defiantly. ( or possibly, See!)

Only as fast as a rocket? says Vello. If that's all, why go to the trouble of building a giant collider?

Terence looks at Oscar (Parrot-Boy), his blood brother.

He means speed-of-light C, says Oscar. E = MC squared. Don't you, Terence? It was a trick question.

No, says Terence. That was a trick answer. And you're a big show-off.

But Em doesn't think so. She thinks Oscar is a genius.

Ice creams all round, after lunch, says Em, in honour of Oscar.

They finish their salads, fish and chips and shrimp curry and head off to an ice cream shop.

They stand in the queue.

We still haven't answered the Family Question, says David, a tad too loudly.

A few people turn round.

Why do it? says Vello. Why accelerate particles at great expense, only to have them crash into one another?

Pure EVIL! says the person immediately in front of Vello, who is:

A. about to choose a salted caramel/boysenberry combination
B. distracted by the Family Question
C. a person who believes the work done at CERN is the work of the Devil


Clue: The answer is the answer most likely to be chosen by Terence.