Dead Cucumber

The bus stops in Port Augusta.

Meal stop! says Stanley.

It's three o'clock, says Gaius. What meal are we supposed to be having?

Up to you, says Stanley. There's a refreshment break at 6.18 in Port Wakefield. But it's shorter.

How long have we got here? asks Gaius.

Forty minutes, says Stanley.

Come on, says Denis. Let's make the most of it.

They get off the bus.

Pheww! It's hot in Port Augusta.

They enter the Reddy Express.

Terence sees a boy drinking a slushie.

Can I have a slushie? asks Terence.

Let us all have a slushie, says Gaius.

He goes to the counter and orders three slushies, one red.

What about the other two? asks the Reddy Express counter assistant.

Errm... says Gaius. Do you have natural?

No, says the assistant. Only red, brown and blue.

A brown and a blue, thanks, says Gaius.

He imagines Denis will like the blue one.

He goes back to sit down with the others.

She replied! says Denis. She's coming!

What else did she say? asks Gaius.

Can I put her up? says Denis.

Ha ha! laughs Terence. Up where?

Can you? asks Gaius.

I shall have to arrange something, says Denis.

The slushies arrive.

Yours is the blue one, says Gaius.

Blue? says Denis. What flavour is blue?

Blue Raspberry, says the assistant.

Maybe it's mine, says Terence.

No, yours is the red one, says Gaius.

Terence starts drinking the red one.

What flavour is it? asks Denis.

Blue Strawberry, says Terence.

What nonsense, says Gaius. I wonder what mine is?

Blue Poo, says Terence.

That's enough, Terence! says Gaius. I think it's Coca Cola. Slurp!  Yes it is. Would you like to swap with me Denis?

No, thanks, says Denis. I'll stick with the blue.

They slurp up their slushies.

Did Henriette have any other news? asks Gaius.

She asked if we knew anything about the red tide algal bloom in Tasmania, says Denis. Do we?

No we don't, says Gaius. Is there such a bloom?

Denis taps out a question on his smartphone.

There is, says Denis. Dead cucumbers, dead octopus and dead crabs have been found on Bruny Island. 

Thank her for alerting us, says Gaius.

Time! calls Stanley. Everyone back on the bus!

We should have bought some snacks, says Denis.

Go on, says Gaius. 

Denis goes to the counter.

He catches sight of himself in a mirror. 

His mouth has turned blue.

He looks like a dead cucumber.

The assistant approaches.....