Hum To The Red Earth

Should we take a torch? asks Humboldt.

We should, and a spade would be handy, says Gaius.

But they don't have either.

They set off down the road on their bikes in the moonlight.

Terence is in Gaius's basket with the bandy bandies.

He is explaining to them why they can't be let go.

You have to help us, says Terence. We might not find the right hole.

The bandy bandies laugh.

Any hole is a good hole!

Pinky is in one, says Terence. You remember Pinky. You went to sleep in her. Your tail was poking out from one of her fingers.

O yes, one of them remembers.

Will she be awake now?

No, says Terence. She might even have died.

So we can go hunting, says the bandy bandy.

You can go hunting, AFTER we find Pinky, says Terence. What do you hunt for?

Blind snakes, says the bandy bandy.

That's not fair, says Terence. I should teach you a lesson.

But he doesn't have time.

They have arrived at the gate to the mine site. The gate is half open. No one is there.

This is lucky, says Gaius. Someone has been careless.

They wheel their bikes in, and over to the nonda plantation behind the red heaps.

Torch light flickers. Someone is moving.

Hello! calls Humboldt.

Yeah, hello, says Brad. Thought you'd be coming. Which one was it?

It was you who covered Pinky! says Gaius. What about the no going back rule?

I can do what I want in my own time, says Brad.

Really? says Gaius. Including trespass and digging up plants?

Well, not really, says Brad. But Roderick Coconut gave me permission.

Wonderful, says Gaius. So which one was it?

That's what I can't remember, says Brad.

My bandy bandies know! says Terence. They were in it!

But the bandy bandies refuse to cooperate.

Seek! says Terence.

But why should they cooperate with someone who thinks it's unfair to eat blind snakes?

Dear me, says Gaius. We can't dig them all up.

Ageless lifts his head from Humboldt's basket where he has been scraping his carapace against Kobo.

That one! says Ageless.

Which one? says Kobo.

That one, says Ageless. No, that one.

You have no idea. Let me see, says Kobo.

Humboldt lifts her.

Put me down.

Humboldt puts her down.

Kobo hums to the red earth: mmmm, pinky?

Nothing.

Kobo continues: mmmm speak to me pinky.

Nothing.

Kobo: mmmm sand, pinky, sand, you and me

Nothing.

Kobo: mmmm yes i'm getting something.

Pinky: eeeeeee....weeeee.....kobo....sand...you and me!

Brad. Gotcha! It's this one!

He digs out the nonda sapling, lays it aside, and keeps digging.

Yes! he lifts up poor Pinky.

Everyone is shocked.

In the torchlight, Pinky glows red as a plum.