Quinn and the Dinosaur

Canterbury called Quinn to his office first thing that morning.

“Ah, Quinn,” he said. “We’d like to name a dinosaur after you.”

“A dinosaur?” said Quinn.

“Yes, the fossil we found while digging the foundations for our new offices.  It’s a completely new species, and as it was on our property we’ve been told that we can have the privilege of naming it.”

“But why name if after me?” said Quinn.

“Well that’s the funny thing,” said Canterbury. “One of the team saw a reconstruction of the animal and said ‘it looks a bit like Quinn’."

“I see,” said Quinn. “Can I have a look?”

“This is it,” said Canterbury, holding up what looked like a picture of a giant, gray sausage dog. "The Quinnosaurus. This beauty was over 80 feet long, and walked the earth 180 million years ago, classic Jurassic.”

“It looks like a great big, lizardy, sausage dog,” said Quinn.

“Good lord Quinn, you’re right, it DOES look like a giant sausage dog. How marvelous, I’d not noticed the resemblance before. Anyway Quinn, the reason I called you into my office, is to make sure that you come to the press launch tomorrow.”

“The press launch?” said Quinn.

“A new dinosaur, Quinn, think of it. Discovered on company land, an entirely new species and it’s ours. Think of the publicity, FREE publicity, and all of it good. We’re going to sell cuddly toy Quinns, and we’re launching Quinn as our new logo.”

“You mean the dinsosaur?”

“Of course Quinn, keep up, we’re hardly going to sell cuddly toy models of you. Think of what it will do for the company’s image, people will forget all those people that died in that acid accident, and the poison gas leakage form our Aberdeen plant, from tomorrow onwards people will hear the company name and think of a cuddly toy Quinn.”

“If you can be at the site of the new building for 10.00 a.m. tomorrow Quinn, for a photo shoot.”

“Ten tomorrow. I can do that,” said Quinn.

“Off you shoot then Quinn, you’ve got work to do, I can’t have you standing here all day.”

xxx

The next day, Quinn arrived at the new site at 9.53 a.m. and was surprised to see it full of people dressed in sausage dog costumes.  One of them approached.

“Hello Quinn,” it said.  “I’m Quinn, the dinosaur.”

“Hello Bomfast,” said Quinn.

“Damn, you recognized me. What’s it like to have a dinosaur named after you, Quinn?”

“I’m used to it,” said Quinn. “My first name is Stegosaurus.”

“Is it Quinn? I never knew that. Anyhow, I have to go, the photoshoot will be at any time now.”

Another sausage dog approached, this time it was Canterbury.

“Ah, Quinn,” he said. Glad you’re here, the only human Quinn amongst a flomble of Quinns.”

“What’s a flomble?”

“It’s the collective noun for Quinns, Quinn. I thought you’d have known that of all people.”

“Why are you all dressed as sausage dogs?”

“Ah, you  noticed that, did you Quinn. Unfortunately, the Quinn outfits aren’t ready yet. That’s the problem of launching the discovery of a new dinosaur, you can’t get the costumes for a species no-one knew existed. We’ve had to go for the next best thing. Now, if we can get a photo of you with the Princess.”

“The Princess?”                              

“Yes, we’ve got a member of the Norwegian royal family for the photoshoot. We thought it would be good PR.”

“Where is she?”  

“She’s one of the sausage dogs, Quinn.”

“I don’t see a photographer either.”

“He’s one of the sausage does as well. I can see this is going to more time than allocated. I hope you don’t have plans for lunch Quinn."