My Dark Side

The Lagoon is about to move off to the site of a shipwreck.

Terence is regretting his plan.

The plan with no middle and no ending.

Kick Tiny Sacrifice into the water inside a snorkel and then what?

He leans dangerously over the railing.

What's that in the water? A snorkel?

He runs to find Mrs Thomas-Hume, who is drying her hair after swimming with turtles.

What is it, baby?

The snorkel's come back!

Go and tell Cally. She's over there, counting the snorkels.

Terence runs over to Cally.

You again, says Cally.

Look, says Terence, pointing. The snorkel's come back.

Cally fetches a long handled net.

The dripping snorkel is tipped onto the deck and Tiny Sacrifice emerges.

Yay! says Terence. You did it!

I did it, says Tiny Sacrifice.

You could have got into trouble, says Cally. Where were you?

The Jolly Roger, says Tiny Sacrifice. They made me eat sandflies.

That's the Jolly Roger for you, says Cally.

The Lagoon moves into position close to the shipwreck.

Guests are lining up for their snorkels.

The Jolly Roger looms alongside, and drops anchor.

It looks like everyone's diving the same shipwreck today.

Terence can see Nose, on the Jolly Roger, giving instructions.

How come she gets to give instructions? says Terence.

She had training, says Tiny Sacrifice. Hey. Do you know when lunch is?

After this, says Terence. But it's macaroni pie.

That's why I came back, says Tiny Sacrifice.

For the pie? asks Terence.

No, says Tiny Sacrifice. I discovered my dark side.

Where? asks Terence.

Life is a journey, says Tiny Sacrifice. Every mistake is a lesson. I made two mistakes. One, I did what you told me. Two, I ate a sandfly.

Woop! says Terence. You already told me you ate a sandfly. What was the lesson?

Don't eat a sandfly, says Tiny Sacrifice. But while I was trying, Nose told me about the baby sea turtles, the girl ones, that grow in warm sand.

What would she know? scoffs Terence. Why are they girl ones?

It's magic, says Tiny Sacrifice. Plump little girl ones. And I knew that I wanted to eat one. There, I've told you my dark side.

Okay, says Terence.

This is impressive. A dark side. Sweezus has a dark side. So does Arthur. Even Ageless has a dark side. Ageless especially. He killed Frog by dropping him out of a window. Splurt. Frog was dead. Red flesh and tomato seeds splattered over the pavement........

Of course, Frog was a tomato.

And Terence once tried a tomato. He likes red things. But not, it turned out, tomatoes.

I ate a frog once, says Terence.

Did you? Tiny Sacrifice is relieved of a burden.