Good Luck Bad Luck Who Gets It?

What did he say? asks Camus.

Watch out for the fires, says Gaius.

What fires? asks Camus.

I don't know, says Gaius. Bushfires, I imagine, in Queensland. I haven't kept up with the news.

Nor have I, says Camus. And that's not like me. 

He starts to google the news.

Wars here and there... and someone has been arrested for feeding her elderly relatives death cap mushrooms, says Camus. Nothing unusual.....ah, here we are, bushfires in Queensland.

Wherabouts? asks Gaius. Any near Gladstone?

Camus googles 'fires near Gladstone'.

Some are still burning, says Camus.

Hum, says Gaius. 

Now we can't go, says Terence.

Perhaps we should wait, says Gaius. Meanwhile we'll keep looking for orange-bellied parrots.

Again? says Terence.

There may be more here, needing a safe route to Melaleuca, says Gaius.

It wasn't that safe, says Roo-kai. We don't know if the Tzeets even got there.

I thought they were meeting an albatross, says Gaius.

Yes, but you know what they're like, says Roo-kai. They can bring good luck or bad luck. 

What's the good luck? asks Terence. 

If sailors spot an albatross, it's good luck, says Roo-kai.

What's the bad luck? asks Terence.

If they kill the albatross, it's bad luck, says Roo-kai.

Who gets it? asks Terence.

The albatross, says Gaius. But I don't wan't to go all the way to Melaleuca. Is there a way we can contact the albatross?

There's always a way, says Roo-kai.

Wonderful, says Gaius. I'll leave that to you then. Meanwhile Terence and I will continue north towards Thompson's beach, by bicycle. You others can do what you like.

Roo-kai flies off, via the carpark.

He lands on the bonnet of Victor's police car. Scrapes his feet a few times. Takes off again.

I'll head back to Adelaide, says Camus. I'm free now.

He goes.

I'll leave too, says Victor.

Safe journey, says Gaius.

Victor heads for the carpark.

Camus is examining the bonnet of the police car.

What are you doing? asks Victor.

Just looking, says Camus. See this? Terence's knee scratches look more like bird scratches than I remember.

Victor looks.

Great! So they do.