Three Legs Better

The wet tourists get out of the damp yellow boat with weeping Oscar and dripping Terence.

That was amazing! says Du Fu.

Yes, amazing, says Wang Wei. Seven metric tonnes of water in the air at one time.

Powerful, says May Li. But we must now get these children home to the Palais de Nations.

They walk back along the length of the walkway to the road.

Are you cold, little boys? asks May Li.

No, hiccups Oscar.

Yes, says Terence. But at least I'm not crumpling.

He waves his arms in the sunshine.

Crumpling? says Du Fu. Is anyone hungry?

Crumpling is not a dish, says Wei Wang. You are thinking of crumpet.

Or dumpling, says May Li.

Now everyone feels hungry.

They stop at a cafe.

Du Fu orders 'raclette' for five persons, as a cross-cultural culinary experiment.

What will it be?

It turns out to be melted cheese with roasted potatoes, small onions and pickled gherkins.

Epic fail, says May Li. I dislike every one of these ingredients.

Oscar spits out a gherkin.

Terence stretches his cheese.

They leave the cafe and head up the street to the Palais de Nations.

The pavement in front is suspiciously dampish.

Then suddenly, whoosh!  multiple spurts of water shoot up underneath them.

Yes, those pesky fountains. Nowadays everywhere has them.

Hee hee! laughs May Li. She is easily pleased (except by cheese and potatoes).

Oscar wipes the snot from his nose, sniffs, gazes up at the sculpture of a giant chair, in front of the gates and the flag poles.

One chair leg is broken.

Ah, broken! says Du Fu. This is no good. One chair needs four legs to hold up one person.

It represents landmine victims, says May Li, who has read it somewhere.

Ah, says Du Fu. If land mine victims had three legs they would be happy.

What are you saying? asks Wang Wei. You are missing the meaning entirely.

Oh! Where are the children? says May Li.

Oscar and Terence have gone up to the gates.

Passports? asks a gate keeper.

Here, says Oscar.

It's wet, says the gatekeeper. And it's for the Big Bang, not for here.

Ask Em, says Oscar. Em's coming.

'M', eh? ! Who's this 'M'? Head of British Intelligence? No way, boys!

Du Fu, Wang Wei and May Li appear, seconds later. Passports ready.

Ah. The Chinese delegation. Mr Du, Mr Wang, Ms Li. Okay go through. Enjoy your visit.

And these children, says May Li. They are coming in with us, to rejoin their mother.

The gatekeeper does not wish to set off an incident.

So he lets them all in together. After all, what can possibly happen?