To Write What With

It is evening, on Te Hauturu-o-Toi.

A kakapo waddles through the low vegetation. It is hungry.

O

for the fruits of the rimu

joyful beak, squeezing tart juices

into me-kaka

 O 

But there are no fruits of the rimu to be found, this evening.

The kakapo hears the sound of claws scraping.

It stops, but is hardly afraid.

Baudin and Dufresne do not notice the kakapo. 

They are too busy plotting to catch it.

Dufresne: There will surely be boxes.

Baudin: It cannot be far.

Dufresne: All we need is one box, and something to write with.

Baudin: To write what with?

Dufresne: Rimu Fruit Inside.

Baudin: Ingenious. Of course we are assuming...

Dufresne: .....that the kakapo can read. 

They shuffle through the low vegetation in the gathering gloom towards the quarantine station.

Gaius and Arthur are setting out for a night of kakapo spotting.

Katherine is writing a postcard, to a friend.

I'll catch up with you later, says Katherine. I'll look for your torchlight.

I'll go somewhere different, says David.

David heads towards the quarantine station.

The door is open.

A box sits in the doorway.

That shouldn't be there, says David. 

The box starts moving.

Rats, thinks David. No, not rats. There are no rats on the island.

He watches the box. 

It turns left.

Now he can see that something is written on one of the flaps, which has flopped open.

Fruits de .....

This has been crossed out.

Underneath he reads:

Welcome. Rimu Fruit Inside