Cool Spy

This is it, says Louisa. The Emu Bay shale.

FINALLY, says Terence. Can I have a milkshake?

Have an Up and Go, says Louisa.

She hands Terence a carton.

Is it a red one? asks Terence.

It's strawberry, says Louisa. A pink one.

Terence screws up his little cement nose. Only a pink one!

Where's Shu? asks Gaius, scanning the rocky landscape.

He'll be here in a minute, says Louisa. Let's sit down and wait.

They sit down on the uncomfortable rocky structures, drinking Up and Gos.

A man is picking his way over the rocks, from a westerly direction.

Hello there! shouts the man, waving. Yu Liu?

Gaius Plinius Secundus, says Gaius.

Of course, says Dr Diego Garcia-Bellido. I should have recognised you. I am Dr Diego Garcia-Bellido, but you must call me Diego. Are you here to observe us?

Us? says Gaius. I can only see one of you.

I'm expecting Dr.Yu Liu, any minute, says Diego. Ah, here he comes now!

The Chinese government agent rides up on his Flying Pigeon.

This is Dr Yu Liu, says Diego. This is Gaius Plinius Secundus, come to observe us.

Pleased to meet you, says Dr Yu Liu.

Wow, says Louisa. I've heard of you, Dr Yu Liu. I read your paper.

Which paper? asks Dr Yu Liu.

"When a 520 million year old Chengjiang biota meets a modern micro-CT", says Louisa.

Ah, says Gaius, as the penny drops. The Chengjiang biota!

Ah-ha, says Terence. That's even older than me! But not older than grandpa.

Dr Diego Garcia-Bellido glances down at Terence, who now sports a little pink moustache.

An infant! Why bring an infant to a fossil dig site? And its mouth needs wiping.

Dr Diego Garcia-Bellido is about to take a dust brush out of his tool bag.

But Louisa produces a wipe.

Yuck! protests Terence.

Shall we get on? says Dr Yu Liu. I am keen to see the seven isolated compound eye fossils, and the well-preserved visual surfaces of the eyes of Anomalocaris.

The inland quarry site is this way, says Diego, pointing inland. Who's coming?

We ought to wait for Shu, says Gaius. My right hand man. He seems to be lagging.

That will be the person I passed on the way, says Dr Yu Liu. Shortly after which, he turned back towards Penneshaw.

From which observations we know:

1. Dr Yu Liu is observant
2. If he is a government spy, he is a cool one.