Benign Intelligence

A little girl and a big girl, her sister.

The little girl is laughing.

Hee hee.

Did you think it was magic? she says.

NO! says Baby Pierre I don't believe in magic. I believe in logical explanations.

So do I, says the big girl. What is the logical explanation for a pebble, in a Sancho Panza hat, checking out the departures?

I don't have to tell you, says Baby Pierre.

Then you don't live by what you believe in, says the big girl. Why are we here?

You tell me, says Baby Pierre. Why are you here?

We're flying to Tenerife on our own, says the big girl. We live there. I'm Nina, and my little sister is Feebee.

Hee hee! giggles Feebee. Why is there a flower on your head?

It's the Mark of the Claw, says Baby Pierre. And I'm Baby Pierre, atheist and free thinker.

You can't be both, says Nina.

You can be both, says Baby Pierre. Why can't you?

Atheists must have stopped thinking, says Nina.

Only AFTER they've thought what they've finished deciding to think, says Baby Pierre.

His hat trembles with his hot garbled defence of his position. His hat falls off.

Feebee catches it, and puts it back on his head, where it started.

There, baby, says Feebee.

These sisters are people that Baby Pierre wouldn't mind cadging a lift with, for three reasons.

One, they aren't travelling with grownups. Two, Nina is a thrilling antagonist. Three, Feebee is good with his hat. And four....

Okay, four reasons.

Four, they are going to Tenerife.

I'm going to Tenerife, says Baby Pierre. I have friends there. And a spider. The spider is called Daniel O'Connell. He's...

I know about Daniel O'Connell, says Nina, I'm one of the people who crowd-funded him. He's going to teach Black Jumping Spiders dancing, and I'll get a postcard.

Feebee is patting Baby Pierre's hat down so it won't fall off as often.

This could become annoying.

He shoves his hat up.

The dancing was my idea, says Baby Pierre.

You've got no legs, says Feebee.

Woo! She's as sharp as her sister!

Do you have a ticket? asks Nina.

That's the thing...says Baby Pierre.

Come with us then, says Nina.

ME! says Feebee.

Okay, says Nina. You can put him in your pocket. Give me the hat.

Baby Pierre feels himself lifted, de-hatted, and plunged into a pocket which has fluff in the corner.

Yay! He's on his way to Tenerife with the sisters.

It's good how things fall into place, sometimes, almost as though there were some kind of benign intelligence directing proceedings.....