A Brilliant Bush

There is uproar in Commercial Road. All the shop fronts have been tagged by Splosh!

Gustave is not helping. He is going from window to window, wall to wall, with his Novelist's Notebook.

He is writing down all the comments that he hears from the volunteers.

They are not what he has been expecting.

Shit! says Matt, the organiser. What the fuck?

Yeah, says one of the shop owners. (Let's call him Vince). As if Splosh! tags likes that!

Here comes another shop owner.(Let's call her Lilian).

These have been done by an impostor, says Lilian. Splosh! isn't even into tags these days.

I know, says Vince. These days she's doing pubes.

Yeah, says Matt.  Have you seen her latest? It's a brilliant bush, growing out of a crack in a wall. She did the legs. So simple.

Gustave retreats. Gaius comes over with his dripping sponge.

It was YOU! says Gaius. Why did you do it!

I like to irritate the regional bourgeoisie and capture their reactions, says Gustave. But this time it's gone wrong.

Craig appears behind them.

Ha! says Craig . You think we're regional bourgeoisie, don't you? You don't know Port Augusta. We are all tolerant and cosmopolitan these days.

I must apologise for my friend, says Gaius. He met Splosh! and fell in love with her last year. But she ran off with a young performer in the Fringe. Since then he hasn't been the same.

That's quite alright, says Craig. I understand. We'll get these tags off in a jiffy. No hard feelings eh? And don't forget to come to Dry and Spineless on the weekend, if you're into natural history.

Gaius smiles a watery smile and Gustave glowers.

Thank you, Craig, says Gaius. We'll be there.