Sunday morning, Ying turns up at Gaius's front door, which is open.
Gaius doesn't seem to be back yet. She goes through to the kitchen.
No one is there, but noises are coming from Gaius's back garden shed.
She heads for the shed, stopping on the way to admire a fine hollyhock.
Mm. Very pretty.
Inside the shed are Terence, Baby Pierre and the Pesquet, two tiny bicycles, two scooter wheels and a wheel-less scooter.
What's up? says Ying. Something wrong with the scooter?
Wah! says Terence. They wrecked it.
But nothing looks broken, says Ying.
Daniel O'Connell emerges from under one of the scooter wheels, where he has been tinkering.
Dedalus emerges from under the other.
Any luck guys? asks Baby Pierre.
No, says Daniel O'Connell. One wheel each is one wheel deficient.
Ah, says Ying. I see the problem. You just need a push off. Come out into the garden.
They go out onto the grass.
Dedalus climbs into one of the circular spaces in the lightweight honeycomb grid of the Root Honeycore Air Wheel.
Ready? asks Ying.
Ready! says Dedalus.
She give him an almighty push.
Yeee! shrieks Dedalus, as he hurtles forward, towards the pink hollyhock.
A near miss. The hollyhock trembles. Dedalus leaps out of the grid hole.
No damage. And now they have more information.
Steering is your problem, observes the Pesquet.
When's the first race? asks Ying.
This evening, says Baby Pierre.
After the undies run, says Terence. Everyone wears their undies.
Shut up about the undies run, says Baby Pierre.
I don't have to, says Terence.
( Now he 's sulking. He is NOT a good manager).
I'll take you to Treadly Bikes, says Ying. They'll rig up something. They're pretty cluey.
Everyone brightens at once.
.........
That evening. The Peoples Classic.
Pop! the race starts.
It's a 2km circuit that goes along Hutt Street, Bartels Road, Dequetteville Terrace and Wakefield Street, in a different direction to last year.
No doubt you'll remember what that was.
Team Philosophe gets off to a leisurely start.
Vello: No point knackering ourselves early.
David: Not today, no.
Marcel Duchamp: Mind if I stop to take a look at that sculpture?
Vello: Not allowed. You can go back and see it tomorrow.
Marcel Duchamp: You're in charge now?
David: He is. After all he is revered by everyone.
Vello: You're still smarting, aren't you?
David: No, of course not. But really. The 'well known empiricist'. I should have expected Phil Liggett to come up with something more.....effusive.
Marcel Duchamp: Whoof! Did you see that?
Vello: What was it?
David: Caleb Ewan? Peter Sagan? Sam Bennett?
Marcel Duchamp: No it was tiny. It looked like a Root Honeycore Air Wheel.
Vello: Impressive spotting and wheel knowledge, Marcel! Take a note, Mr Empiricist!
David: Bastard!
They pedal on on silence, round the circuit, in this year's direction, many times over............
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