Game Changer Nemesis

If the mantis shrimp was not traumatised before, it is now.

It lies on the grass rigid, emitting shrimp sounds.

Dries scowls at Dr Yakir.

I was just getting somewhere, says Dries. Now we're back where we started.

I beg your pardon, says Yakir. But I have reason to believe that this shrimp has been stolen from my laboratory.

Ah, says Gaius. Are you Professor Marshall?

No, I am Dr Yakir Gagnon, says Dr Yakir. The prof is on holiday.

I know, says Gaius. But you may have returned early.

I have not returned early, says Yakir, because I am not he, and I have not gone anywhere.

Do you mean to say you have been here all along? asks Gaius.

Of course not, says Yakir. You saw me ride round the corner.

So I did, says Gaius. Which means you cannot accuse us of stealing your shrimp.

See, says Terence. We couldn't have done it.

Everyone looks at the shrimp.

What I shall do, says Yakir, is enter the building, check the aquarium, and if one of our shrimps is missing, I shall return to ask you some questions.

We may have left for our hotel by that time, says Gaius.

This is a game-changer.

Yakir tries another tack.

May I ask who you are? asks Yakir. You look familiar.

Gaius Plinius Secundus, says Gaius. Natural historian.

Jisses! says Yakir. Why didn't you say so? And who are the others?

This is Dries, my current right hand man. This little chap is Terence, who is not the infant he seems. And this small bird is an endangered bristle-bird which I am instructing in signal detection. Unfortunately....

No need to tell me, says Yakir. My shrimp is rigid

THE shrimp is rigid, says Terence.

The question is why, says Yakir.

The shrimp opens one eye. It spots baby B-B, who has flown down from the palm tree.

Hmm, says Yakir. Your bird has an injury.

It's not an injury, says Terence. It's a finger.

A bird should not have a finger, says Yakir.

I couldn't agree more, says Gaius. It was a terrible idea. You may have noticed that Terence here has a claw where his finger should be. I should never have allowed it.

Ah yes, nods Dr Yakir. I understand now. This shrimp is reacting to circular polarised light emitted from your bristlebird's finger. This is an excellent example of one of the possible applications of my research. And Professor Marshall's.

Applications? says Gaius. This is precisely why I am here. Do go on.

Our research may have applications in biomedical imaging and cancer detection, says Dr Yakir.

Yikes, says baby B-B. I've got cancer!

He flies back up into the palm tree, and glares down at the mantis shrimp, his nemesis.

Evil smug shrimp-face and his show-off applications.

If I go, you go! shouts baby B-B.