You'll Be Underneath Me

Now I need to write it down, says Baby Pierre.

We can work on it together, says Ouvert. 

No we can't, says Baby Pierre. I know what you'll do.

What will I do? asks Ouvert.

You'll try to make yourself more important, says Baby Pierre.

More equal, says Ouvert. 

You can't be MORE equal, says Baby Pierre. 

The tinker hops down from the window sill, leaving them to it.

I'm ready to go now, says the tinker.

Good, says Rookai. Say your farewells and we'll get going.

Goodbye Gaius, says the tinker. Thanks for the adventures

Goodbye Kroombit tinker, says Gaius. Safe journey home. And I trust the adventurous life you've led lately won't leave you restless.

If it does, says the tinker, I'll set out again on my travels.

I advise against it, says Gaius. You are an endangered species. You need to settle in Kroombit Tops and procreate.

We'll see, says the tinker.

She follows Rookai into the garden, where Terence is waiting to see them off.

Goodbye Terence, says the tinker. Thank you for letting me be house mother to the pobblebonks.

Until they died, says Terence.

First I've heard about this, says Rookai.

I'll tell you all about it as we're flying, says the tinker.

I may not hear you, says Rookai. I'll be flying quite fast, and you'll be underneath me.

Well, they died, says the tinker. But it wasn't my fault.

No, it wasn't, says Terence. And it wasn't my fault either.

That's cleared that up, says Rookai. Goodbye Terence. I'll be back in a couple of days.

I'm going to Tasmania, says Terence.

I know, says Rookai. 

With Gaius and another adult who can swim, says Terence.

Do we know who yet? asks Rookai. 

Not yet, says Terence.

Bye then, says Rookai. 

Bye! says the tinker.

Rookai takes off and disappears over Gaius's rooftop.

For a long time the tinker continues to wave.

Good In Parts

That's very good, says Gaius. I suppose you'll be off then?

Any time, says Rookai. Ready, tinker?

I promised to help Baby Pierre re-write his story, says the tinker.

So you did, says Rookai. I can wait. Take your time.

Where is Baby Pierre at this moment?

He is up on the window sill with his cousin Ouvert.

The tinker climbs out of the red netting sling and hops up there.

I'm leaving soon, says the tinker. If you want me to help you remember your story, it has to be now.

Okay, says Baby Pierre. Get me some paper.

It'll be quicker if I just tell you what I remember, says the tinker.

And more exciting, says Ouvert.

It wasn't exciting, says Baby Pierre. Mainly memories and conversations.

Let me tell it, says the tinker. Shall I use the first person?

Who's the first person? asks Ouvert.

Him, says the tinker. You'd be the second person.

Ouvert looks disappointed.

Use the first person, says Baby Pierre.

The tinker begins:

I was riding my bike across the Nullarbor when I met my cousin Ouvert, a rock expert looking for meteorites, and we were going the same way, so we rode on together and found a black one and I found an echinoid about which we debated the spelling. 

E.k.y, says Ouvert.

Or e.c.k.y, says Baby Pierre.

Who's telling this ? asks the tinker. And it was echi. Remember?

She continues: I described the desert as a fried carrot cake.

What? asks Ouvert.

That was what it looked like, says Baby Pierre.

But you weren't really there, says Ouvert.

He was inspired by Rosa's lunch, says the tinker.

Is she in it? asks Ouvert.

Shut up! No, says Baby Pierre. I'll forget the relevant details if you keep this up.

Sorry, says Ouvert.

Th tinker continues: And this recalled memories of the half carrot we took to Le Havre and floated out to sea in a box, decorated with flowers, birds and soap pictures. Which reminded us further of the fate of Saint Roley's brother. But my memories seemed more detailed than Ouvert's. I began to wonder if he really was my cousin so I asked him if he remembered Lavender and he said no, but later he pretended they'd once had a picnic together, in France.

I bet I wasn't pretending, says Ouvert.

It wasn't YOU! says Baby Pierre. 

Anyway, says the tinker, in the end you both agreed it didn't matter. And then you were there.

Where? asks Ouvert.

At the end of the Nullarbor, says the tinker. And you thanked Baby Pierre for his motivation.

That's right, says Baby Pierre. Ouvert was grateful.  I remember the whole story now!

Ask me how I like it, says Ouvert.

How do you like it? asks Baby Pierre.

Good in parts, says Ouvert.

Successful Contraption

Rookai looks at the map Terence has made.

It will need some additions.

Gaius is still on the phone.

Wait. No he isn't.

He's ended his call.

Arthur won't be coming with us to Tasmania, says Gaius. 

Does that mean I'm senior assistant? asks Terence.

No, says Gaius, I shall ask another adult. One who can swim.

Boo, says Terence. 

How's the map going? asks Gaius.

Terence ruined it, says the tinker.

It's not finished, says Terence.

We need your phone map again, says Rookai.

Gaius calls up his phone map.

Now, says Gaius, I assume you'll go as the crow flies.

Yes, says Rookai, although I prefer not to use that expression.

As the parrot flies, says Terence.

Rookai says nothing. After all, he agreed to be Terence's parrot. 

It's about two thousand kilometres, says Gaius. What speed do you go at?

Rookai does a quick calculation. I could do it in sixteen hours, without stops and without a frog in a contraption.

Let's say a day then, says Gaius. That will be excellent. Where is the contraption?

Here, says Terence holding out the orange bag made of red netting.

Wasn't there an orange in that? asks Gaius. 

Yes, says Terence. I put it in the potato box.

I'd better eat it before it goes mouldy, says Gaius.

He goes to the pantry.

Right, says Rookai. Let's plan where we'll be stopping. Choose two towns.

The tinker looks at the phone map. There are plenty of choices.

Peterborough... Broken Hill... Brewarrina... Goodooga... Dirranband... Yuleba... Woleebee... Bildera ...

She picks Goodooga and Woleebee.

Who wouldn't?

Mark them on Terence's map, says Rookai. 

The tinker picks up a pencil, and marks them on.

She folds the map until it is small and will fit in the contraption.

How do I carry this contraption? asks Rookai.

Holes, says Terence. You put your wings through.

That will stop me flying smoothly, says Rookai. Think again.

Head and tail through, says Terence.

That might do, says Rookai. Let's try it.

Rip, rip! Terence makes two holes.

Rookai pokes his head through one and his tail through the other.

Now get in, says Terence, to the tinker.

The tinker climbs in, with the map.

Rookai rises, and sucessfully flies round the kitchen.

The Red Sling

Perhaps it was a bad idea to give Terence two things to do.

He has copied the map on Gaius's phone onto the paper.

It's basically just a straight line.

Adelaide to Kroombit Tops as the crow flies.

Terence admires his straight line.

But it needs to have arrows. 

He draws an arrow point, at the Kroombit Tops end of the line.

Bumhole! 

That's not where he should have drawn the arrow. 

He decides to stop doing the map and look at Gaius's notes on the maugean skate.

Especially the pictures.

The maugean skate looks like a wide paper jet with eyes and tail ribbons.

It's pointy nose looks like the head of an arrow.

Terence has an idea.

If he turns his map into a picture of a maugean skate, the arrow will be in the right place after all.

He draws wide paper jet wings on the map route.

And eyes and tail ribbons. The arrow nose is there already.

And sharp blades which you could see if the maugean skate was see-through.

Rookai comes over.

How's it going? Is that our map?

It was, says Terence. But I made it into a maugean skate because of this arrow.

We'll get around it, says Rookai. 

The tinker comes over.

That doesn't look like a map, says the tinker.

It's a skate, says Terence. The map's inside it.

Where are the places we're stopping? asks the tinker.

You and I will mark them in, says Rookai.

I was going to do it, says Terence.

You'd be better occupied finding us some sort of sling, says Rookai. So I can comfortably carry the tinker.

Yay! This was the job Terence wanted to do in the first place.

What to use for a sling?

Gaius will have something.

But Gaius is on the phone to Arthur.

Terence goes into the pantry.

And sees an orange bag made of red plastic netting, with one orange inside.

He wonders if Gaius would like an orange.

Gaius is still talking.

Yes Arthur, but surely ....

Terence takes out the orange, and puts it in a box of potatoes.

Now the red netting orange bag is free to turn into a sling.

His Smiling Mouth

Gaius unlocks his front door and goes in.

He walks down the passage to the kitchen. 

He places the Kroombit tinker on the kitchen table.

Is Ouvert here? asks Baby Pierre.

Go and see, says Gaius. And Terence, go into the back garden and signal Rookai.

Terence goes into the back garden.

What was the signal?

Rookai flies down from the apricot tree. 

I got here early, says Roo-kai. In case you'd forgotten the signal.

I hadn't, says Terence. 

They both go inside.

The tinker is sitting beside a white sheet of paper.

You must be Rookai, says the tinker.

And you must be the Kroombit tinker, says Rookai. Is that for a map?

No, says the tinker. It's for Baby Pierre's story. I promised to help him re-write it.

I thought we were leaving, says Rookai.

He's already written it, says the tinker. But Border Force confiscated it. We just have to remember.

Ah, says Rookai. So where's Baby Pierre?

Baby Pierre is on the window sill telling Ouvert that he has written a story about the two of them.

What for? asks Ouvert.

I was cycling across the Nullarbor and I met you, says Baby Pierre. You were a rock collector. 

I wasn't, says Ouvert. I've been here all the time.

It might not have been you, says Baby Pierre. And anyway it was a story. It wasn't really me either. If I had the story I'd show it to you but I lost it.

Ouvert smirks with his smiling mouth, keeping his second mouth straight.

Gaius comes out of his bedroom, with his notes on the maugean skate.

Look through these, Terence, says Gaius. Pay special attention to the pictures.

What about Rookai's map? asks Terence. 

I'm not sure he needs a map, says Gaius. 

The map is for the benefit of the tinker, says Rookai. She can follow it and anticipate the stops we'll be making.

I'd like that, says the tinker.

All right says Gaius. I'll call up a map on my phone and Terence can copy it onto this piece of paper.

Terence is pleased to have two things to do.

Sharp Blades Underneath

The bus rumbles away from the airport and heads for the city.

The tinker leaves Baby Pierre on the front seat and returns to where Gaius is sitting.

About this Rookai, says the tinker.

Yes? says Gaius.

Did you say he'd FLY me back to Kroombit Tops? asks the tinker.

It will be perfectly safe, says Gaius. He'll make frequent stops.

Will I have some input? asks the tinker.

I shall provide you with a map before you set out, says Gaius, so that you and Rookai can plan your journey.

Sounds good, says the tinker. But one other thing...

Yes, what is it? asks Gaius. 

Will he carry me in his beak? asks the tinker. 

I doubt it, says Gaius. It's a long way, and furthermore it would render him speechless.

Good, says the tinker. Because in his beak I would look like his prey.

Terence has been looking out of the window at passing vehicles, but has been listening.

Your legs would be dangling, says Terence. 

I know, says the tinker. Like I was swimming.

No one swims with their head in a beak, says Terence. 

My head wouldn't be in his beak, says the tinker. 

Of course it wouldn't, says Gaius. We'll help you rig up something.

Can I do it? asks Terence.

You can help, says Gaius. But you will be busy getting ready for Tasmania.

Busy? says Terence. Doing what?

Learning a few facts about maugean skates, says Gaius. How to identify them and so on. 

I already know, says Terence. They have wheels underneath.

They do not, says Gaius. I shall lend you my notes when we're home. There are pictures.

The bus stops in the city.

They change buses.

This bus is full.

Baby Pierre has to sit with Terence.

What do skates look like? asks Terence.

Shoes, says Baby Pierre.

I know that, says Terence, but what's underneath them?

Wheels, says Baby Pierre. Or sometimes sharp blades.

How come you're so smart? says Terence.

I ask questions, says Baby Pierre.

So do I, says Terence.

So now you know, says Baby Pierre.

Yes! Maugean skates must have sharp blades underneath them. 

Now Terence knows.

 

Stopped From Moving

Since when are we going to Tasmania? asks the tinker.

I am. You're not, says Gaius. I've made some arrangements.

Guess what they are, says Terence.

What? asks the tinker.

Rookai will be flying you back to Kroombit Tops, says Gaius. 

Who's Rookai? asks the tinker.

My parrot, says Terence.

Don't parrots eat frogs? asks the tinker.

No, says Gaius. They prefer fruit, seeds, nuts and flowers.

But Rookai eats molluscs, says Terence.

Funny sort of parrot, says the tinker.

He's an oystercatcher, says Baby Pierre. His hero is Saint Roley.

The one who lost his brother? asks the tinker.

You know about that? asks Gaius.

It was in Baby Pierre's story, says the tinker.

Just a throwaway line, says Baby Pierre.

Nevertheless, it's a point of connection, says Gaius. You should get on well with Rookai.

They are now at the airport bus stop. 

We'll catch the bus back to my house, and wait for Roo kai, says Gaius.

Not me, says Baby Pierre. I have to go back and rescue my story.

Too dangerous, says Gaius. I'm sure they'll send it on to me when they realise it's nonsense.

Nonsense? says Baby Pierre.

From their perspective, says Gaius. Aha! Here's the bus now.  

He helps the tinker get on. 

Baby Pierre is about to zoom off again.

No you don't, says Terence. He puts his foot down.

Crunch!

My bicycle! says Baby Pierre.

Sorry, says Terence. I just meant to stop you from moving.

You have stopped me from moving, says Baby Pierre.

Perhaps it's for the best, says Gaius. 

He picks up Baby Pierre and the bicycle parts, including the o-wheels.

And gets on the bus.

Baby Pierre sits on the small seat at the front.

He is sulking.

His bicycle is broken thanks to Terence.

His story is gone.

The tinker hops up beside him.

Are you sulking? asks the tinker.

No, says Baby Pierre. I'm regretting.

That's fair, says the Kroombit tinker. 

They are silent while Baby Pierre does some regretting.

That he didn't grab his story before zooming off.

That he didn't get on the bus before Terence.

I remember your story, says the tinker. If you like I'll help you rewrite it before I head off with Rookai.

A kind offer. 

Baby Pierre already feels somewhat better.