Mary and I no longer had anything to do with each other Though I counted him as a friend, he was not the sort of man who was sensitive to others’ feelings To Mr Buckland life was about the pursuit of knowledge rather than the expression of emotions Almost forty years old, he showed no sign of marrying, to no one’s surprise, for what lady could put up with his erratic behaviour and profound interest in the dead rather than the living? “I’m afraid I cannot go with you, Mr Buckland,” I said now “I have a chesty cough and have been ordered by my sisters to stay by the fire.” This much at least was true “A pity!” Mr Buckland sat down again “The newspaper says Mary’s find is unlike either the ichthyosaurus or the plesiosaurus—what has been guessed at about the latter, anyway.” “Oh no, it is a plesiosaurus,” Mr Buckland declared “This one has a head, and it is just as we’d imagined—so small compared to the rest of the body And the paddles! I have made Mary promise to clean them first But I have not told you why I have come to see you, Miss Philpot It is this: I want you to convince the Annings not to sell this specimen to Colonel Birch as they did the last one He sold that on to the Royal College of Surgeons, and we would rather this one not go there as well.” “He sold it on? Why would he that?” I gripped the arms of my chair Any mention of Colonel Birch made me tense with nerves Mr Buckland shrugged “Perhaps he needed the money It is no bad thing for it to be on public display, but the College is full of men keen to exploit plesiosauri without the intelligence behind it Conybeare is much more reliable in studying the specimen He may want it brought to the Geological Society so that he can lecture on it as he did previously I should think such a meeting would be very well attended Did you know, Miss Philpot, that I am to become the Society’s President in February? Perhaps I can combine his lecture with my inauguration.” “According to the Post the Annings are considering the Bristol or the British Museums.” I was a little humiliated to be quoting the newspaper account to someone who had seen the specimen for himself It was like describing London from a guidebook to someone who has lived there “That is an indication of the newspaper’s inclination rather than the Annings’,” William Buckland said “No, Molly Anning mentioned Colonel Birch to me just now, and wouldn’t consider my suggestions.” “Did you tell her that Colonel Birch sold on the first specimen, and probably for a pretty profit?” “She wouldn’t listen to me That is why I have come to you.”