Earth's Natural Internet

Non, pas de letchi, says the barman at Moulin de la Galette. Peut-être la petite veut un Wahaha avec jus d'orange?

I don't think so, says Océane. Orange would curdle the milk. Let me go back and ask her.

Océane returns to the table in the semi quiet corner.

They don't have lychee, says Océane.

Aiyo! This is the first of many disappointments for Mai-Mai.

Wah-ha-ha!

Don't cry dear, says Hui Zhong. You are in a grown ups meeting.

David Suzuki likes children.

He says kindly to Mai-Mai: If you stop crying, I will tell you something amazing about mushrooms.

I hope your story isn't too long, says Océane.

Let's hear it in any case, says Carl Linnaeus.

Well, says David Suzuki, it appears that mushrooms are more important than we think. We now know that they help plants talk to one another.

What do they say? asks Mai-Mai,  She has already forgotten the jus.

Who? asks her mother. The plants or the mushrooms?

Both, says Mai-Mai.

Gaius would like to know the answer to this question as well.

Carl thinks he knows it.

David says: Mushrooms have underground threads called mycelia, and they form a network.

Like a computer? says Mai-Mai, who is quite smart.

Yes, it's Earth's Natural Internet, says David Suzuki. Through this internet, plants warn other plants of danger.

What danger? asks Mai-Mai.

Don't get him started, says Océane. Time is limited.

What's limited? asks Mai-Mai.

Mai-Mai! says her mother. Carl, can she play with your drum?

Oh no ......it's .... well yes, all right, if she doesn't take it out of my sight, says Carl Linnaeus.

The waiter appears with five cafés au lait and a glass of what looks like orange curdle.

Don't drink that dear, says Hui Zhong. It will give you a tummy ache.

Mai-Mai examines the drum, which is decorated with magical images.

The meeting begins.

Canada is sending a strong delegation to the Climate Talks, says David Suzuki. Here is our list of concerns.

He hands Océane a green manilla folder.

China too is sending a delegation, says Hui Zhong. We understand the need to limit global temperature rises to 2 degrees.

She hands Océane a red manilla folder.

As is Sweden, says Carl Linnaeus. Our snow is melting. The length of our snow season is predicted to shrink by 40 to 60 days by the end of the century.

That is good, says Océane. Have you got a manilla folder?

Somewhere, says Carl, undoing the scrimshawed reindeer antler buttons on the front his gakti.

He draws out a damp and malodorous blue manilla folder.

Just put it on the table, says Océane. Now Gaius, have you anything......?

Not officially, says Gaius. These days I reside in Australia........