The Fortunate One

Surfing-with-Whales paddles back to where Gaius is waiting.

Want a go? asks Surfing-with-Whales. I hired it till lunchtime.

Why not, says Gaius. Thank you, I will.

Surfing-with-Whales eases himself out of the kayak.

He steadies it.

Gaius eases himself in.

Surfing-with-Whales gives him the paddle, and Gaius paddles out into the middle of Lake Rosebery.

He stops paddling, leans back and soaks up the scenery.

The myrtles and eucalypts, the mountains and their near-perfect reflections.

How relaxing.

A trout plops nearby.

Back on land Terence is explaining to Surfing-with-Whales that Little Mystic is now good at talking.

Cool, says Surfing-with-Whales. Your lessons paid off.

Roo-kai helped a little bit, says Terence.

Is he back from Queensland already? asks Surfing-With-Whales.

Yes, says Terence.

Where is he? asks Surfing-with-Whales.

Over there catching slugs with Little Mystic, says Terence.

Awesome, says Surfing-with-Whales. Which reminds me, I'm starving. 

He heads for the food.

What is there?  He and Gaius have already eaten the chocolate. What about those long-lasting wrapped cakes? 

He rips open a packet.

Roo-kai and Little Mystic come over.

Any luck catching slugs? asks Surfing-with-Whales. 

Yes, says Little Mystic. Roo-kai taught me how to find them. And he taught me to make a hole in them first, so they taste better.

Far out! says Surfing-with-Whales. Are you the same Little Mystic that couldn't even say are we there yet?

Are we there yet, says Little Mystic.

Not yet, says Terence.

I wasn't asking, says Little Mystic.

You were, says Terence. Are we there yet's a question.

It was a demonstration, says Little Mystic.

Of what? asks Terence. 

Of me saying it, says Little Mystic.

I got that, says Surfing-with-Whales. 

Me too, says Terence.

No one asks him what it is that he got.

Gaius paddles back, done with relaxing.

Right, says Gaius, stepping out of the kayak and dragging it onto the shore. Lunch, and then we head off to Zeehan.

I've already eaten, says Surfing-with-Whales. I'll go and return the kayak. See you back here.

He climbs into the kayak and paddles off to the Tullah Lakeside Lodge, where it came from.

Gaius looks at the packet of long-lasting cakes.

Of six wrapped cakes, there is only one left.

Well, that is fortunate. 

He eats it.