Flipping And Freaking In Dubai

At last. The plane lands in Dubai.

Terminal three. Giraffe World Kitchen,

This is nice, says Humboldt.

Yes, I've been here before, says Gaius. I pass through occasionally, with a needy cuttlefish or a rare spider. What are you having?

The Flipping Amazing Pancake sounds good, says Humboldt.

He said FLIPPING! says Terence.

There is no harm in flipping, says Gaius.

It's freaking, whispers Saint Roley.

Okay, whispers Terence. Are you having one?

No, says Saint Roley. The smoked oysters stuffed me.

(Ha! He said stuffed!)

I'll have the Flipping Amazing Pancake too, says Gaius. It comes with blueberries and bananas.

I want what SHE'S having, says Terence.

 Who is she and what is she having?

A little girl is having two halves of a strawberry wedged round a slice of banana, speared on a wooden stick, with a side serve of dipping chocolate.

I don't think so, says Gaius. Have a sparkling water.

Terence is silent. He glowers at the Giraffe World giraffe. It isn't even a real one.

May I borrow your phone? asks Humboldt. I'd like to look myself up on Wikipedia.

Ha ha, laughs Gaius. There will be errors, I promise you.

A portrait can't lie, says Humboldt.

Yes it can, says Gaius. You should see mine. I look like a failed academic.

Worth a try, says Humboldt. It might shed light on my mother.

Let him, says Saint Roley. I should love to see a portrait of my mother.

I never met your mother, says Gaius. You were found in a scrape that was deserted.

I ruined you, says Terence. And your brother.

Our eggs, says Saint Roley. You didn't ruin us.

Gaius hands Humboldt his phone.

Humboldt fumbles with icons and apps.

Aha. Alexander von Humboldt.

Here he is with his mother.

She looks like nun, in a heavy brown head dress. She looks straight ahead, stony. He, with his golden curls looks pleadingly up at his mother.

Sadness descends on him.

Until the Flipping Amazing Pancake turns up.

Sadness lifts. After all, he is now an adult.

Perhaps it's not even himself in the portrait. Perhaps it's his brother.

Yes. An error. Of course it is Wilhelm! Ha ha!

There is a happy occurrence for Terence too.

The strawberry-banana-chocolate dipper! Complimentary, for the infant.

Dubai Airport. Yay!