Escaping Death And Its Meaning

Gaius frowns as he re-reads the paper by Ribera and Planas.

Vulcan's balls! Why didn't I go to Roque Nublo?

A tiny spider runs over his notebook.

He crushes it, without thinking.

Another, and another.

They go the same way.

Arthur slaps his knee. Squurp!

If this continues, there'll be no spiders left.....

Baby spiders! cries Terence.

Jumping Jupiter! cries Gaius. The spiders have hatched! And I've destroyed them!

There's hundreds, says Terence. I've popped twenty seven.

Sweezus looks over the back of his seat.

You can't even count twenty seven. Terence, put the lid on!

Terence replaces the lid of the shoe box. And covers the holes for the string.

The bus rolls into Las Palmas.

.....

Ying and Kong have not been idle.

They have taken Daniel O'Connell to see the sights of Las Palmas.

They have been to the Jardin Bótanico, and the Pueblo Canaria, a facsimile of a traditional Canarian village. They have listened politely to folk music. They have visited hipster hangouts in Pérez Galdós. They have eaten garlic mayo with fresh bread and marzipan pralines from Tejeda.

They are now in the Cathedral Santa Ana, looking at the glass box which is home to a mummified bishop.

Do you think that's really him? asks Daniel O'Connell.

Depends, says Ying. If you were a mummy, would you really be you?

A wise answer, says Kong.

Yes, says Daniel O'Connell. I do believe I would really be me.

A foolish answer, says Kong.

You're a great disappointment, says Daniel O'Connell.

I'm not feeling myself, says Kong. Ever since we entered and were greeted by that statue of Santa Ana. A very strange lady.

Ahem, coughs a Catholic tourist, overhearing. That 'strange lady' is Saint Anne, mother of the Virgin. Mind what you say, in her holy presence. And the presence of this bishop in the box here.

She indicates the venerable bishop, in his robes and mitre.

The venerable bishop grits his venerable teeth and lies there, in the full and certain knowledge that he really is he, but can't say so.

Apologising to the Catholic tourist, our friends leave the cathedral and head back to Hotel Parque.

.....and a shoe box, teeming with spiders.