Have I Killed It?

Gaius looks again at the screen shot of Ageless, as him.

Is it convincing? asks Gaius. What do you think, Roo-kai?

Roo-kai looks at the screen shot.

Umm.... says Roo-kai.

Be candid, says Gaius.

Right, says Roo-kai. I'm going to imagine I'm a person whose job is to check whether people in quarantine are really at home. I'm very busy, at the moment, because border restrictions have changed....

You are being very thorough, says Gaius. Continue.

I call your number, you answer, says Roo-kai

Ageless answers, says Gaius.

What does he say? asks Roo-kai.

Ask him, says Gaius.

Ageless, what do you say? asks Roo-kai

Ageless is busy on the window sill, rearranging the devil's ivy, and does not reply.

Hello, says Gaius.

Are you pretending to be him? asks Roo-kai.

Of course, says Gaius. Although ideally, there should be no detectable difference.

Ageless has a raspier voice, says Roo-kai.

There's no voice recognition, says Arthur. 

I hope you're sure of that, says Roo-kai.

Get on with it, says Gaius. At this rate my time in quarantine will be finished.

Please turn on your facial recognition app, says Roo-kai.

No, says Gaius. It only works once or twice out of ten. Just take a look at this screen shot.

Very well, says Roo-kai. But normally, I'd expect you to try it.

He glances quickly at the screen shot.

Grey hair, check, round face, check, ironed-out wrinkles, check, antennae.... 

The antennae may or may not be a problem, says Roo-kai.

Get Ageless to wear a hat, says Arthur. Has he still got that woolly red one?

It should be one of my hats, says Gaius.

You've only got one hat, says Arthur. And you'll need it.

Never mind, says Roo-kai. Get Ageless to stand in front of a wall hanging or something. The antennae won't be noticed.

But Gaius does not own a wall hanging. 

Crash! 

The devil's ivy crashes onto the draining board.

Oops, sorry, says Ageless. Have I killed it?

Not at all, says Gaius. It's almost impossible to kill it.

Ageless attempts to right the devil's ivy.

He shoves it back onto the window sill, and turns. 

The devil's ivy trails gracefully downwards behind him.

A busy background. 

You cannot discern his antennae.