The Winged Hand

It's not yet dinner time.

Gaius is mending the Max Brown social space parrot, with Roman bull glue.

Terence is watching.

If there are any bits left over, says Terence, I want them.

There won't be any bits left over, says Gaius. Here, press this with your finger.

Terence presses the wing of the parrot.

Gaius picks up the beak.

How's it going? asks Freddie.

Nearly done, says Gaius.

It stinks, says Freddie.

Not when it dries, says Gaius. Has Ageless made his phone call?

Yes, says Freddie. I didn't know he was a team manager.

This is his first time, says Gaius.

Can I let go yet? asks Terence.

It's not hard to see where this is going.

....

It is quarter to seven.

Vello and David have arrived early, and are standing under the Rheinturm.

They are both looking up.

Beats me, says David. Perhaps we're too close to see it.

The white light spots travel up the stem of the Rheinturm, passing stationary red spots, in a regular fashion.

I should have looked up how to read it, mutters Vello.

That would have been cheating, says David.

But rational, says Vello.

Gaius arrives with Terence.

Evening, Gaius. Hello, Terence, says David. What's that stuck to your finger?

A wing, says Terence.

Learning to fly? asks Vello. Fly up to the light clock, and tell us the time.

It's dinner time, says Terence, and I can't eat anything.

I brought him to look at the clock, says Gaius. Where is it?

The spots of light are the clock, I imagine, says David. The lower ones move up the stem at a speed of one position per second.

Then it's a timer, says Gaius. Not a clock.

No, says Jacobi, looming up behind them. It's not a timer. See the red dots? They divide the stem into three sections. What does that tell you?

Ah, says David. That tells me hours, minutes, seconds. That explains why the top lights don't appear to be moving.

Well done, says Jacobi. It's ten to seven.

Good, says Vello. We all knew that. Useless clock. Can we eat now?

Let's go up, says Jacobi.

.......

It's nine euros each to go up the tower.

Jacobi pays, and they enter the Günnewig restaurant.

They sit at a window table and look at the menu.

Rhinoceros with red cabbage, says Gaius. I think I'll have that.

What about starters? says David.

Diet! says Vello.

All right, no starters, says David. I'll have the duck with truffles and walnut potato biscuits.

Excellent choice, says Jacobi. I'll have the cod. What about Terence?

Terence isn't looking at the menu. He is not at the table. He is standing at the window looking out over Düsseldorf, waving his parrot winged hand.