It Does Seem Like Cheating

Jetstar, ready for take off to Adelaide.

Gaius sits next to Elodie.

Elodie has stowed the tin in an overhead locker.

Lavender sits on an arm rest, between Elodie and Gaius.

Arthur sits next to Sprocket, one row behind.

A successful mission completed, says Gaius.

Yes, says Elodie. Will you miss Shu?

Miss him? says Gaius. Of course not.

Have you known him a long time? asks Elodie.

Yes, says Gaius. Arthur and I met him in Beijing, at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He became fond of both of us. He travelled to Adelaide the following year and accompanied us to Kangaroo Island to view the Emu Bay Shale fossil beds.....

There is a noise in the overhead locker.

Excuse me, says Elodie. I need to stand up.

She opens the overhead locker and takes out the tin.

Sits down again. Takes the lid off.

Baby Pierre's tiny bicycle is in pieces. Mouldy is looking shame-faced. The two Dirties are expressionless.

What have you DONE! says Elodie.

I was trying to ride it, says Mouldy. But it's was too dark.

Lavender looks into the tin from her perch on the arm rest.

You've broken it! says Lavender. It wasn't for you that I got it!

You said you knew a boy who could mind it, says Elodie.

Yes, says Mouldy. I believed it was me.

It wasn't you! says Lavender. It was me!

You're not even a boy, says Mouldy.

Look at me, says Lavender.

He looks. It's true you can't tell what gender a space in the shape of a fossil is.

But it does seem like cheating.

What's going on? asks Gaius. Is something broken?

Baby Pierre's bicycle is broken, says Elodie.

Arthur will fix it, says Gaius. He signals to Arthur, by raising his hand above seat level.

Arthur doesn't notice.

He is talking to Sprocket.

It's all about the team leader, says Arthur.

I get that, says Sprocket. So who's the team leader?

Sweezus, says Arthur. He makes up the tactics.

Like what? Give me an example, says Sprocket.

He rides directly behind us, says Arthur. And so he gets the benefit of our slipstream. Then, when we've got him to where he can win King Of the Mountain, we drop back and he goes for it.

Awesome, says Sprocket. How many times has he won King of the Mountain?

None, yet, says Arthur. But that's his goal.

Gaius is signaling, says Sprocket.

What's up? asks Arthur.

Baby Pierre's bike is in pieces, says Gaius, craning around.

Give it here, says Sprocket. I'll try and fix it.

Elodie hands him the pieces, through the seat gap.

Sprocket gets to work. He is handy with small parts, being from PICA.

How come Baby Pierre isn't taking his bike to China? asks Sprocket, as he tinkers.

Lavender told him it might get stolen, says Arthur. He freaked out and asked her to let some boy mind it.

These are cool wheels, says Sprocket. There! Fixed!

Thanks, Arthur, says Gaius, on receiving the mended bicycle, through the seat gap.

No worries, says Arthur.