We Don't Want You Melting

 We're going to look for Beautiful Betsy, says Nerida. Want to come?

I assume that's the crashed bomber, says Katherine. 

Yes, says Nerida. 

One can't help wondering what those airmen were thinking, says Katherine. All right I'll come. Are you coming, Gaius?

No thanks, says Gaius. I'll stay at the campsite, and store my notes safely.

See you later then, says Katherine. 

We won't be too long, says Nerida. The crash site is on a hillside somewhere near here.

She and Katherine and Terence head off.

Gaius gathers his notes together. Weren't they supposed to be stapled?

No that's right, they were stapled, but in the incorrect order, and had to be unstapled

Best leave them as is, and trust to his numbering system.

He sits on a log in the shade, looking at the Kroombit tinker frog illustration.

A grey and brown back, with a wide dark stripe from the snout to the groin. A horizontal dark marking between the eyes. And their call is distinctive. Tink tink. Hence the name tinker. He certainly won't confuse a tinker frog with a laughing tree frog, or a clicking froglet, both of whom live in the region.

He shoves the notes inside Arthur's tent, and takes out a bottle of water.

He could do with a drink.

He hears something. Hoo hoo! A frog call?

It is coming from Terence's tent. 

He heads over.

It's Freddy, still dangling between two tents on his string.

They left me behind, says Freddy. I wanted to see Beautiful Betsy.

I'm free now, says Gaius. And I'd be interested to see Beautiful Betsy. Come, we'll soon catch them up.

He unhooks Freddy and starts off in the direction the others had taken.

Freddy soon becomes sticky.

Curses, says Gaius. We don't want you melting. 

He feels around in his pocket.

Yes! the empty sandwich bag. He drops Freddy in it.

Now he can carry him without direct contact.

Problem solved.

Freddy swings back and forth in the sandwich bag, as Gaius is walking.

He is not as keen as he was to see Beautiful Betsy.

He feels ill. The sandwich bag smells of smoked salmon.

The Colour Of Bruises

Freddy failed, says Terence.

Not at all, says Gaius. Thanks to Freddy, we know that the water is in the opposite direction to that in which he was pointing.

Yes! says Terence. Freddy was right!

In a sense, says Gaius. Which way was he pointing?

That way, says Terence.

That's where I thought I heard trickling water, says Katherine. 

Then we have a conundrum, says Gaius. It's the same direction.

I'll go and see, says Terence.

He runs towards the place where Katherine heard the trickling.

Through some low bushes, between two blue gums, and stops.

Trickling water!

He turns and runs back again.

Yes! says Terence. The water is there!

Perhaps you should go and tell Freddy he was pointing in the right direction after all, says Katherine.

Okay, says Terence.

He runs back to his tent, to tell Freddy.

Nerida is sitting in front of her tent, which is next to Terence's, and linked by a string.

She is arranging coloured beads, from her collection.

Spelling out ARTHUR, in purple and yellow.

The colour of bruises.

Guess what! says Terence. Freddy was pointing in the right direction!

Good for him, says Nerida. He's a true water diviner.

What? asks Freddy.

You were pointing in the right direction, says Terence. Only you thought it was wrong.

That's still a failure in my book, says Freddy.

Never mind, says Nerida. We've got the whole afternoon. Let's all go and look for Beautiful Betsy.

Okay, says Terence. Who's Beautiful Betsy?

The bomber, says Nerida. The one that crashed somewhere near here. It was called Beautiful Betsy.

Terence and Freddy are both keen to find Beautiful Betsy.

A beautiful bomber, in the forest. 

Freddy imagines her as a frog-like beauty. A large mouth, a white belly.

Terence is hoping she still has her bombs.

Leave Him To Dangle

Gaius and Katherine have pitched their tents, without mishap.

Gaius has wriggled into his tent, feet first.

Not bad, says Gaius. My feet touch the end, but there's plenty of room for my shoulders.

And not much else, says Katherine, peering in. Luckily we have Arthur's tent, which he won't be using.

So we do! says Gaius. We can store our supplies in it. Keep them handy.

They set about pitching Arthur's tent.

Meanwhile Nerida has strung a nylon thread between her tent and Terence's.

She has cut another short length and tied one end round Freddy's middle.

Freddy can now be suspended.

She ties Freddy on.

Freddy's job has begun.

Point to water, says Terence.

I will, says Freddy.

When? asks Terence.

When I know, says Freddy.

He doesn't know, says Terence.

Leave him to dangle, says Nerida. 

She goes off to help Katherine and Gaius.

Is that Arthur's tent? asks Nerida.

Yes, we plan to store food in it, says Katherine.

And my notebooks, says Gaius. These tents are quite small.

What happens when he comes? asks Nerida.

Then we shall have to put everything back in the 4WD Wagon, says Gaius. Unless Arthur prefers to sleep in the vehicle.

Did you string Freddy up? asks Katherine.

Yes, says Nerida. I've used up most of my string.

You can re-use it, once Freddy finds water, says Gaius.

He should have found it already, says Katherine. I think I hear a trickle.

She does. There is water nearby.

Freddy also can hear it, but he has a question.

So, says Freddy.

What? asks Terence.

Which way is my bead pointing? asks Freddy.

Terence looks. 

That way, says Terence.

Could you draw it in the dirt? asks Freddy.

Terence draws it in the dirt, with his claw finger.

Okay, says Freddy. That's what I thought. But the water is the other way.

That's bad information, says Terence.

He runs to tell Gaius that Freddy has pointed in the opposite direction to the water which is bad information....

Fortunately Gaius is used to interpreting bad information.

Kind Of Obvious

It's broken, says Terence.

It's not broken, says Nerida. Let me help you.

She reinserts the fibreglass pole through one end of his tent.

Now, says Nerida. You stick the ends of the poles through these key rings.

Oh, says Terence.

You seem to know what you're doing, says Katherine.

It's kind of obvious, says Nerida. 

Yes, says Terence. Can I get in yet?

Not yet, says Nerida. Now we put the outer cover on.

She throws it on, fixes the guy lines, opens the front, ties back the flaps, unzips the mesh inner door.

Get in, says Nerida.

Yay! says Terence. He gets in.

She closes the mesh door.

Now no bugs can get you, says Nerida.

Terence looks out. No bugs can get him.

Now I'll pitch mine next to yours, says Nerida. Then, remember what we said we would do?

No, says Terence. 

String a thread up between our two tents and suspend Freddy from it, says Nerida.

Terence had forgotten, but he wants to string Freddy up anyway. 

Freddy deserves it.

Katherine extracts Freddy from the sandwich bag, where she had put him for safe-keeping, and hands him to Nerida.

Where are we? asks Freddy.

Waiting, says Terence.

What for? asks Freddy.

We're at the frog place, says Terence. But it's not dark, yet. So you're going to swing.

What if I don't want to? says Freddy.

You do want to, says Terence.

You'll have an important job, says Nerida. When you're suspended, your bead will point towards water.

So? says Freddy. 

It will help us to locate the frogs, says Nerida.

See? says Terence.

Freddy remembers the bead in his head that Gaius had put back in sideways.

He has an important job. Locating water.

He hears water trickling nearby.

Trickle-trickle.

This will be easy.

The Worst Tent

They have entered the Kroombit Tops National Park.

They are now on the Razorback track.

Keep going, says Nerida. There's meant to be a campsite.

They jolt up and down in the 4WD wagon, past sandstone escarpments, gorges, creeks, waterfalls, woodlands and scrub.

I see what they mean, says Katherine.

Indeed, says Gaius.

 

They reach the campsite and stop there.

Is this it? asks Terence.

This is where we'll pitch our tents, says Gaius.

Let's eat first, says Katherine.

If you insist, says Gaius. I suppose we have plenty of time.

I want to look for frogs NOW, says Terence.

The Kroombit tinker frog is nocturnal, says Gaius.

Now you tell us, says Katherine.

She opens a bag of wrapped sandwiches.

Sandwiches! says Gaius. This is a fine treat. What's in them?

Smoked salmon, avocado and lettuce, says Katherine.

They sit on fallen logs and unwrap the sandwiches.

What can I do? asks Terence.

You can set up your tent, says Gaius.

He puts down his sandwich, and goes to the back of the 4WD Wagon, and takes out a one-person tent.

He unzips the covering and tips out the parts.

Inner tent, outer cover, tent pegs, guy lines, and fibreglass poles.

Yay! says Terence. What do I do first?

Insert the poles, says Gaius.

He returns to his sandwich.

So, says Katherine. We have all afternoon to set up, because the frogs are nocturnal.

It will be fun, says Nerida. We can look for that World War 2 bomber.

What World War 2 bomber? asks Katherine.

There's one here somewhere, says Nerida. It crashed here in 1945. It would be heaps cool to find it.

Don't go looking on your own, says Katherine. Perhaps we can look for it together. Although I must say I have little interest in finding a bomber.

History, says Gaius, chewing the last of his crusts.

And what has it taught us? asks Katherine.

It's just cool, says Nerida.

Wah! cries Terence. 

One end of his fibreglass pole has sprung out of ground.

Boing!

Then the other end collapses.

Bumhole! His tent is no good.

The Better Maths

Greedy is fixed

How do I look? asks Greedy.

Normal, says Terence.

Same as before? asks Greedy.

Not exactly, says Terence. 

You have white spots, Greedy, says Katherine. Due to your holes, but they look quite becoming.

Becoming? says Terence. What are they becoming?

Not bigger, I hope, says Greedy.

As long as you don't over-exert yourself, says Katherine. They should stay the same.

Yes, take it easy, says Nerida. 

Is this Biloela? asks Gaius. 

They have passed rocky scree slopes, and basalt columns, and are now going through open woodlands with vine thickets, in the Shire of Banana.

Just coming up, says Nerida. Take a left into Gladstone-Monto Road.

Gaius takes a left.

Nearly there, says Nerida. Turn right into Tableland Road then it's twenty five k's to the park boundary.

Excellent! says Gaius. 

We'll be there in time for lunch, says Katherine.

We must set up camp first, says Gaius. But that shouldn't take long.

Five tents, says Katherine. It could take a while.

They're supposed to take seven minutes to pitch, says Nerida. That's a total of thirty five minutes.

I'll do mine, says Terence. Then it will only be thirty.

Twenty eight, says Greedy. Thirty five minus seven.

Yes, says Terence.

Is twenty eight, says Greedy.

You're good at maths, says Nerida.

It's the fingers, says Greedy.

Good to know, says Gaius. I might make you responsible for the frog count.

What about me? asks Terence.

You'll be busy pitching everyone's tents, says Nerida. 

That's not fair, says Terence.

He sulks for a few minutes, until he realises:

She thinks his maths is better!

White Spots And Thumb Flap

Gaius is driving.

Nerida navigates, using Gaius's notes.

South west to Calliope, says Nerida.

Where? asks Gaius.

There's bound to be a sign, says Katherine.

She is in the back seat with Terence, and Greedy. 

There it is! says Nerida. A sign to Calliope.

Gaius turns towards Calliope. 

Now we follow the Dawson Highway to Biloela, says Nerida. 

Easy, says Gaius. How are you finding my notes?

A bit hard to read, but I'm coping, says Nerida. 

Let me see, says Katherine.

Nerida hands her the notes.

Good heavens, says Katherine. Dogson Hoy, Billaloo, how did you decode it?

Got GPS on my phone, says Nerida.

I'd stick to using that if I were you, says Katherine.

Ha ha, laughs Gaius. 

He is in a good mood.

How's it going with Greedy? asks Nerida. 

I'm leaving it all up to Terence, says Katherine.

Yes, says Terence. Greedy is all up to me.

Have you got the rubber glove we got from that nurse? asks Nerida.

Yes, says Terence. Do I blow it up first?

Yes, maybe a little, says Nerida. But not fully.

Okay, says Terence.

Have you still got the bread tie? asks Nerida.

Yes, says Terence.

Then go for it, says Nerida.

Terence blows into the disposable rubber glove. It inflates just a little. He closes it with the bread tie.

Now insert it carefully into Greedy, says Nerida.

Terence tries. Push, wriggle.....fluuurb.

Greedy looks weird, says Terence. She has white spots and her thumb isn't proper.

Greedy may look weird with white spots and a thumb flap, but her mouth is now working.

Terence! says Greedy. 

I fixed you! says Terence. Guess what! We're going to Biloola.

Biloela, says Nerida. and we're not stopping.

I don't feel quite right, says Greedy. 

Let me have Greedy, says Nerida.

Terence thrusts Greedy towards her.

I see what's wrong, says Nerida. It's a right glove!

How can a right glove be a wrong glove? asks Terence.

Nerida pulls out Greedy's insert and deflates it, deftly turns it inside out, re-inflates it, and reinserts it.

Push wriggle. But no fluuurb.

Greed is fixed.

She is, we can now assume, a left glove.