First Job Of The Sea Hare

Wait here, says Terence, to the sea hare.

D'accord, says the sea hare. I shall remain in this area.

That's the same thing, says Terence.

He runs back to Gaius.

Got any paper?

No, Gaius hasn't.

My parents will have some at the cottage, says Bertille.

Let's go! says Terence.

They race up the steps.

At the top of the steps, Bertille's parents are taking turns with the binoculars.

I see the chocolate box! says her father.

I saw it first! says her mother.

Let me see, says Bertille. It might be the wrong chocolate box. This one has a sea slug asleep in it.

What colour? asks her father.

Greeny-black, says Bertille.

Ah, a celtic sea slug, says her father.

Can we get the paper? asks Terence.

Yes, says Bertille. Terence and I need some paper.

The parents turn their attention to Terence.

Un enfant bizarre!

Trust their daughter to find such a playmate.

We need it to send out a message, says Terence.

You should place your message in a bottle, says Bertille's mother. Or it will get wet.

Yes, says Bertille. I'll find a bottle.

She runs into the cottage.

Is your message to be for the sea slug? asks Bertille's dad.

Which one? asks Terence.

There are more than one in the chocolate box? asks Bertille's mother.

No, says Terence. I've got a new sea slug. It's a sea HARE. It's going to take the message.

To the other one, concludes Bertille's mum.

No, says Terence. The other one doesn't need it. It's sleeping and may not wake up.

Isn't the first job of the sea hare to rescue the lost sea slug? asks Bertille's father.

I should have thought so, says Bertille's mum.

No, says Terence. First lost first looked for. I'm looking for Saint Roley's lost brother.

Why not call the coast guard? asks Bertille's dad.

He's a parrot, says Terence. Alas.

Bertille returns with some paper and an empty wine bottle with a screw top.

Did you bring something to write with? asks Bertille's dad.

The only pencil I could find was yellow, says Bertille.

Doesn't matter, says Terence. The sea hare has got its own ink.

To which you have access? asks Bertille's father.

And permission? asks Bertille's mum.

(You can tell they're either lawyers or teachers). 

If You Die You Die

Bertille comes down the steps, followed by the two bishops.

Where's our sea slug? asks Bertille.

Gaius has got it, says Terence.

Gaius shows Bertille the aplysia fasciata.

It's not the same one! says Bertille. Where's the first one?

I squished it, says Terence. Remember?

Well, where's the second one? asks Bertille. The one you ran down the steps with.

Alas! says Terence.

What does that mean? asks Bertille.

It's what you say when it isn't your fault, says Terence. I just put it down and a wave came. 

What has happened? asks Saint Arnoc.

It floated away, says Bertille. Gaius has found another one.

Let me see, says Saint Arnoc. Ah! a sea hare!

Yes, says Gaius. Commonly known as a sea hare. But not the sea slug I seek.

Dear me, says Saint Arnoc. If it's not one thing it's another.

It certainly is. 

Now Bertille's parents have returned from their outing in Brest.

They wave from the top of the steps.

Bertille, chérie. We're back now!

Can you see a chocolate box far out to sea? shouts Bertille.

No! shouts her father. Pourquoi?

Never mind, shouts Bertille.

I'll go in and fetch the binoculars! shouts Bertille's mother.

The parents disappear.

Meanwhile Gaius has decided to replace the sea hare. 

I'll take it, says Terence. I know where it was.

He carries the sea hare back to the crevice.

Merci, says the sea hare. 

Can you say anything else? asks Terence.

I'd rather be replaced on the sand, says the sea hare. I only hide in the crevices when the tide comes in. 

Woop! says Terence. Would you like a mission?

Depends, says the sea hare.

Terence explains the mission. Take a message to anyone out on the ocean who might know what happened to Saint Roley's brother, and if the brother is still out there on his piece of wet cardboard let him know that Saint Roley is still looking and ALSO this: if you die you die but if you lose your body you can grow a new body because sea slugs can.

That's a long message, says the sea hare.

It has to be, says Terence, or it wouldn't have everything in it.

It's good that I have my own ink, says the sea hare.

Terence can hardly believe it. 

 

Silence Ink

The tide is turning.

Terence clatters down the cliff steps.

He places the chocolate box on the sand, and sits down beside it.

Wake up, slug! says Terence.

The slug remains torpid.

Maybe Gaius is right, says Terence. I'll look for another one. You wait here.

He follows the narrow stretch of sand between the rocks and the waves, which are receding.

But only on average.

Wuuuush! That was a big one.

There is froth in a lacy line showing where the wave had got up to.

But Terence doesn't think to look back.

So he doesn't see the sea slug floating off on its journey.

At some point the sea slug will wake up, hungry for algae.

Realise its circumstances.

And despair.

Gaius comes down the steps, unaware of what's happened.

Terence! calls Gaius.

Look! cries Terence. Froth slippers!

He has gathered heaps of froth on his toes.

Very nice, says Gaius. Where is the sea slug?

I put it down on the sand, says Terence. I'm looking for another one.

Where? asks Gaius. 

Everywhere, says Terence.

Gaius scans the near environs.

No chocolate box. No sleeping sea slug.

He looks out to sea.

Is it or isn't it?

A speck in the distance. 

It may have floated away, says Gaius. Most unfortunate.

Yay! says Terence.

Not yay, says Gaius. I blame myself however. Now, let us look for the right kind of sea slug. And no nonsense about sending it off with a message.

Okay, says Terence.

He kicks off his froth slippers, and starts poking in crevices.

Here's one! It's spotty! 

Gaius hurries over, hoping the spots might be copepods, and the slug an elysia.

But no, Terence has found an aplysia fasciata.

Dark brown. Mottled. Two oral tentacles and two rhinopores in the front of the neck. Eyes in front of the rhinopores. A mantle covering its gills and internal organs. Under the mantle, a delicate shell, inside which is the ink gland

Gaius resolves not to tell Terence about the ink gland.

It Will Be A Hero

When the tide turns, says Gaius, we'll go down to the shore, and return the sea slug to it's proper habitat.

Then what? says Terence.

We'll look for the right kind of sea slug, says Gaius. 

One that can take a message, says Terence.

No, says Gaius. It's time to talk about that.

We are, says Terence.

Seriously, says Gaius. Think, Terence. It's not just about you.

It's about Saint Roley's brother, says Terence.

And the sea slug, says Gaius. Is it fair to involve it?

Yes, says Terence. It'll be a hero.

Does it want to be a hero? asks Gaius.

Yes, says Terence.

Ask it, says Bertille.

Do you? asks Terence.

Bleuh! says the sea slug.

See? says Terence. That means it does.

WEE means it does, says Bertille. We don't know what bleuh means.

A holy colour, says Saint Arnoc.

Don't confuse things, says Gaius. 

The sea slug starts moving towards the chocolate box nests.

Its intention is to push the box off the table.

Then they will know.

But the closer he gets the stronger is the smell of old chocolate. 

He is drawn to it.

He reaches the base of the box. It is made of a substance that crackles. 

He inches up the sides and onto a narrow viewing spot at the edge.

Most of the nest shapes are round or square, but one is log shaped.

That is where the sea slug would like to spend a few moments, contemplating its options.

It drops into the log shaped chocolate nest.

And falls instantly into a torpor.

It's dead! says Terence. 

I don't think so, says Gaius. We must return it to the shore as soon as possible. Has the tide turned?

Saint Ténénan looks at his watch. It's about to.

Shall we all go? asks Saint Arnoc. Ténénan and I will sit on a rock and watch over it until it recovers.

That is kind, says Gaius. 

What about the message? says Terence.

Have you understood nothing? asks Gaius.

Yes, says Terence.

He scoops up the chocolate box with the sleeping slug in its nest and runs up the stone steps.

Those In Peril On The Sea

The outer chocolate box has been set aside.

The inner box, with the individual nests, sits next to the tea box.

Choose, says Terence.

The sea slug makes for the discarded box.

Not that one! says Terence. 

I bet it's choosing that one on purpose, says Bertille. 

Why would it? asks Terence.

Because it doesn't want to go, says Bertille. 

Course it does, says Terence. 

He pushes the disqualified box off the table and onto the floor.

Now, choose between these two.

The sea slug thinks hard.

It doesn't want to go to sea without more information.

I believe it would like more information, says Saint Arnoc.

Yes! says Terence. Listen up, sea slug. This is your job. Float out to sea with a message.

Who is the message for? asks Saint Arnoc.

Why do you want to know? asks Terence.

I don't, says Saint Arnoc, but let's assume the sea slug does.

The message is for anyone on the ocean, says Terence.

And the message is...? encourages Saint Arnoc.

Have you seen Saint Roley's brother? says Terence.

Didn't you say he was dead? asks Bertille. 

He was thought to be, says Gaius. He took a wrong turning.

But what if he's still alive? asks Terence.

Then he will have realised it's unwise to remain on a wet piece of cardboard, says Gaius. How many years ago was it?

Twenty, says Terence.

No. More like seven, says Gaius. Perhaps five.

Tell us this, says Saint Ténénan. Why do you need a sea slug to deliver the message?

The sea slug is wondering the same thing. 

BECAUSE, says Terence. Sea slugs can grow a new body.

Not these ones, says Gaius.

It's hopeful, says Terence. 

It's true that the sea slug is hopeful, but not really hopeful of that.

Stiff Chocolate Nests

Bertille sits at the table, while Saint Arnoc and Saint Ténénan do the dishes.

She is watching the sea slug.

What is it thinking?

It's probably thinking where am I?

It's probably scared.

Are you scared? asks Bertille. 

Tato-box, says the sea slug.

Did you think Terence was going to put you in it? asks Bertille

Wee, says the sea slug. 

Are you speaking with the miraculous sea slug? asks Saint Arnoc, hanging up a tea towel.

It doesn't want to go out to sea in a potato box, says Bertille.

Understandable, says Saint Arnoc. It stank.

What's this about? asks Saint Ténénan.

The potato box, says Saint Arnoc. The sea slug objects to it.

We may have a smaller box, says Saint Ténénan.

Go and look, says Saint Arnoc. 

Saint Ténénan heads up the stone steps.

He is looking for a smaller box in the recycling bin when Gaius and Terence return from the cliff top.

Tide's in, says Gaius. Box has disappeared.

My box! laments Terence.

Never mind, says Saint Ténénan, lifting two smaller boxes out of the bin.

A tea box and a chocolate box.

Yay! cries Terence. Two boxes to choose from!

He takes the two boxes and races back down the steps.

Crash.

He trips and tumbles down the last few.

Boxes! says Bertille. That's good. Are you okay?

Thanks for asking, says Terence.

He looks okay.

But the chocolate box is ruined.

That was the best one, says Terence.

We can fix it, says Saint Arnoc. But why not let the sea slug choose its box? It may prefer the tea one.

It WILL! says Terence. Because it's not ruined! It's not a fair competition.

So everyone sits down at the table and looks at the flattened chocolate box.

The sides are broken, but there is a presentation tray in the middle with nests for each individual chocolate.

It is stiff, and does not appear to be ruined.

No Cat In

We'll go and look for the box after lunch, says Gaius. 

The tide will be coming in, says Saint Arnoc.

Hurry! cries Terence.

He slurps his red soup.

Bertille takes a large bite of her sandwich.

You ate the sea slug! says Terence.

No I didn't, says Bertille. I took it off first.

She has placed the sea slug on the table, near a candle.

It is, understandably, moving.

There's its head, says Gaius. See the two short thick cylindrical tentacles with eyes on the tips.

When will it drop off? asks Terence.

It probably won't , says Gaius. This sea slug is related to the nudibranch. It is not an elysia.

That is a good thing, says Saint Ténénan.

Why? asks Terence.

Its head won't drop off, says Saint Ténénan. I should have thought that was sufficient reason.

Terence wants its head to drop off, says Bertille. 

The sea slug is listening.

And being a quick learner, has already learned basic English.

Noody-brunch, says the sea slug.

Okay, not basic English.

It talks, says Terence. Maybe it can still take my message.

Whirr? says the sea slug.

A miracle! says Saint Arnoc. Ask it for a prediction! 

Later, says Gaius. Firstly, we should solve the box mystery. Coming Terence? 

Look after our sea slug! calls Terence, as he disappears up the stone steps behind Gaius.

Don't worry, says Bertille.

Saint Arnoc starts clearing the dishes.

At the top of the cliff path, Gaius can see it's already too late to retrieve the potato box.

The tide has come in and is covering the bottom three steps.

Was the box there when they went up the steps earlier?

Or had it disappeared already?

Rather like Schrodinger's box, (with no cat in).