Genomes And Other Necessities Of Invention

Can we just stop for a moment and find out the name of Doris's kids?

Then I won't have to keep writing 'Doris's's's' ......

Doris!

What is it? says Doris. I'm busy peeling an orange, without a knife mind you, it's hard......

Doris what are the names of your children?

You're kidding! says Doris. Just make something up.

.........

Doris is scolding her kids, and peeling oranges with her fingers.

Keanu! Beau! Get inside that tent and put on your jackets. You're SHIVERING!

Keanu and Beau disappear into the tent to look for their jackets.

Unni appears, followed by Sweezus, Daz and Woppa.

Daz and Woppa! says Doris.

You know these guys? says Unni.

Oh yes they're regulars, says Doris.

Yo, Doris, says Woppa.

Where's that red box? asks Unni.

Here, says Katherine. Just let me take out my book first.

She opens the red box, and extracts her book, Love Sweat and Tears, by Zelie Bullen.

Epic book, says Daz, spotting the title.

Oh yes, epic, says Katherine.

This one's better, says Ray, patting his bible. Plenty to think about. Horses, leviathans, wicked snake.

Unni is becoming impatient. She takes olive python (the simulacrum) out of the red box to show it to Woppa.

Now to see if he's a snake man.

A Pilbara olive python, says Woppa. That would've been tricky.

It was, says Unni. So you really are a snake man.

Yup, says Woppa. In my real life, I'm a geneticist currently working on snake genes.

My apologies, says Unni. I thought you were a wanker.

He he, laughs Daz.

Tell me about your research, says Unni.

Well, says Woppa, it's technical.

Try me, says Unni.

I've been comparing the expression of phallus genes from organism to organism, says Woppa. Turns out many limb control elements or limb enhancers found in limbed animals are still present in snake genomes.

That's amazing, says Unni.

To her maybe, but Sweezus and Daz are bored shitless.

They start playing a stupid rhyming game they used to play when they were younger.

S: for heaven sake
D: am late
S: for my date
D: on this night
S: of my flight
D: hope they fly the plane right
S: so I can get my
D: FLIGHT !

They collapse into laughter, but they are the only two people who think this is funny.

Katherine is snoozing. Ray is gazing at the Milky Way. Doris is continually peeling.

Keanu and Beau emerge from the tent for their orange.

Wow! says Keanu. A Pilbara olive python. Is it a real one?

Wow! says Beau. Liasis olivaceus barroni.

Smart kids you got, Doris, says Woppa.