Scientist 1 : "All aboard, sailor! Hoist the theoretical sails and prepare to glide heroically across international waters – well, technically, shared waters. We may not be pirates, but we've uncovered the next anomaly right here at the river ferry. And wouldn't you know it, the river has trust issues – it belongs to both Luxembourg and Germany. It's a diplomatic custody arrangement."
Scientist 2 : "Indeed! In the ancient and somewhat dusty language of international law, this arrangement is called a condominium. In times gone by, such agreements were quite the fashion – two countries politely agreeing to co-parent a river. These days, it's rarer than a white peacock. In fact, all border river between Luxembourg and Germany are governed by this type of agreement.
Scientist 1 : "Ah yes, and you always have a name for everything, don't you? ‘Condominium.’ Sounds like something that should come with a balcony. No wonder no one understands you. You should be more concerned about Frank. You remember Frank, our geographer? Supposed to be back from his ‘brief holiday’ two months ago?"
Scientist 2 : "Frank? Oh, he's on some island in the Indian Ocean now, sipping cocktails with bits of fruit in them and posting smug photos of sunsets. He's not coming back. Didn't you read his resignation letter he sent in a bottle?"
Scientist 1 : "Great. Just great. And without Frank, how are we meant to identify with village lurks on the other side of the river like a shy neighbour behind a hedge? We could hop aboard the Sankta Maria II – a ferry so solar-powered it gets grumpy on cloudy days – and float across to investigate. or we could simply squint at the posters on the pier. They might reveal all."
Scientist 2 : " Help us out, will you? Figure out which village lies just across the watery frontier from Wasserbillig, and we'll be one anomaly closer to rebooting the World Rescue Generator. Which village could be on the other side of Wasserbillig?"
