Stars Are All Purple

The humans have all gone to bed.

Terence can hear Gaius snoring.

Don't you sleep? asks Prong.

No, says Terence. That's one of the good things about me.

I do, says Prong. Can I sleep now or what?

You can, says Terence, but if you stay awake we can play Cannot But Be.

I'm good at Cannot But Be, says Prong.

How come? asks Terence.

Dad taught me, says Prong.

And guess who taught him, says Terence.

You? says Prong.

Me, says Terence. So you can't be that good.

Why? Did you teach him badly? asks Prong.

No, but he's only just learned it, says Terence, and I've been playing it for ages.

We're superb parrots, says Prong. We get good at things quickly.

Let's play, says Terence. 

You start, says Prong.

What if you get tomato sauce on your beak? asks Terence.

Cannot but beak, says Prong.

Correct, says Terence.

Have I got tomato sauce on my beak? asks Prong.

Is that the question? asks Terence.

Only if I have, says Prong.

You haven't. Ask the question, says Terence.

What if I opened a box and took out a glass leaf and dropped it? asks Prong.

Yikes! says Terence.

Wrong, says Prong.

That wasn't the answer, says Terence.

I know. I told you it wasn't, says Prong.

I said yikes! because if you dropped it I'd be in big trouble, says Terence.

Do you give up? asks Prong.

I give up, says Terence.

Cannot but break, says Prong. 

Your questions are too long, says Terence.

Are they? says Prong.

You can go to sleep now, says Terence.

Thank you, says Prong.

She tucks her head into her feathers and makes grinding noises.

Terence goes across to the window, and looks up at the sky.

The stars are all purple, or they may just be spots of the berry-flavoured sports drink he accidentally squirted at the windows, earlier.

Starving And Sorry

It can't be far away, says Katherine.

I'll find it, says Prong.

She goes back the way she and Terence have come.

From the table, along the carpet, to the handbag on the armchair.

The box lies beside the handbag, with its lid off.

And the glass leaf is lying inside.

This job is easy, thinks Prong. It's knowing where Terence has left things.

She goes back to the table.

With any luck they won't have eaten all the passionfruit seeds yet.

Did you find it? asks Terence.

It's in the box, says Prong. You must have put it back after.

That was sensible, Terence, says Katherine.

Yes, says Terence. 

Prong learns another thing. A parrot gets no glory.

Look, Prong, says Terence. Want to try my tomato sauce?

No thanks, says Prong. It looks like a love heart with legs.

And a beak, says Terence. I did it.

Perhaps Prong would like to try some pavlova, says Minnie.

Just a few passionfruit seeds, thanks, says Prong.

Of course, says Minnie, picking a few of them off the pavlova.

Prong tries them. Crack. Crunch. Splinter. Yum.

Anyone for seconds? asks Minnie.

I shouldn't, says Gaius.

Go on, says Margaret.

I shall allow myself to be persuaded, says Gaius.

He has seconds.

Are you eating that sauce, Terence? asks Margaret.

My art work! says Terence.

You should eat it, says Prong.

There you see, says Gaius. Good advice from a parrot.

Prong looks proud.

Don't get too proud, says Terence. Parrots don't tell kids to eat things.

It was a fair enough suggestion, says Prong. You never know when you'll be starving and sorry.

Terence is taken aback.

Starving and sorry?

So far he has never been that.

Like A Puzzle

Katherine takes the box out of her handbag.

She's intending to give it to Prong.

But how will Prong take it? She's a parrot.

Prong doesn't take it.

Give it to me, says Terence.

I'll put it down here, says Katherine. Then Prong can open it.

I can do that, says Prong.

Katherine puts the box down on the floor.

Prong pecks at the lid,

Don't make a hole in it! says Katherine.

Okay, says Prong.

This is like a puzzle, says Terence.

What if I flip it? says Prong.

Don't flip it! says Katherine. Or did you just mean the lid?

Yes, I meant the lid, says Prong. Watch this. I'll be careful.

That's good, says Terence. Parrots have to be careful.

Not always, says Prong.

She flips the lid off the box with one movement.

The glass leaf lies inside.

Beautiful! says Prong. 

Take it out, says Terence. Wait! Is she allowed to?

I'd rather she didn't, says Katherine. But if it's important to both of you....

It is, says Terence. Prong is almost my parrot.

All right, then, says Katherine. But remember it's precious.

Remember it's precious, says Terence.

Prong is sure she'll remember.

She picks up the glass leaf with her beak.

She gives it to Terence.

Terence looks at the leaf.

You did it! says Terence. So you've got the job!

Thanks, says Prong. 

Pavlova's ready! calld Minnie. Everyone, come back to the table!

Can I come? asks Prong.

Yes, says Terence. There's a plate of tomato sauce on the table. 

Tomato sauce? says Prong. What's that for?

Me, says Terence. You might like something different.

They go back to the table.

The pavlova looks good.

Meringue, cream, strawberries and passionfruit. 

Is this your new parrot? asks Minnie.

Yes, says Terence. She completed a mission.

What was it? asks Minnie.

I had to find Katherine's glass leaf and give it to Terence, says Prong.

A task involving multiple difficulties, says Gaius. Well done.

Where is the leaf now? asks Margaret.

Terence has it, says Prong. 

I used to have it, says Terence.

Where is it? asks Katherine. Don't tell me it's lost.

And yet, even if Terence doesn't tell her it's lost, he does seem to have lost it.

Prong looks at the shiny black passionfruit seeds on the pavlova.

She would like to try them. 

But first she will have to find the glass leaf again.

As she is the parrot of Terence.

A Series Of Fortunate Events

Prong doesn't know what a handbag should look like.

Hand...bag. She breaks the word down.

A bag full of hands? 

But there's a glass leaf in this one. In a small box.

She sneaks past the humans, who are still talking.

What's for dessert? asks Gaius.

A pavlova, says Minnie. Topped with strawberries, passionfruit and cream.

Do you need any help with it? asks Margaret.

Yes, Marg, says Minnie. Perhaps you could whip up the cream.

Okay Min, says Margaret.

She stands up and goes to fridge.

Prong is watching.

Waak! This human is going to whip up some cream.

Margaret takes a carton from the fridge, a whizzer from a drawer and a bowl from a cupboard..

She tips the contents of the carton into the bowl and starts whizzing the cream with the whizzer.

WHIZZWHIZZWHIZZWHIZZZZZZZZ.

What a horrible noise.

Urgh! says Margaret. I'm all splattered.

Shall I find you a cloth? asks Gaius. 

There'll be tissues in my handbag, says Margaret.

Aha! A handbag.

Prong follows Gaius to a handbag that has been left on a chair.

Is this it? asks Gaius. 

No, that's Katherine's, says Margaret. Mine's over there.

Prong now knows the location of Katherine's handbag.

She knows the glass leaf is inside.

But time has been ticking.

Terence and Katherine have come back inside.

Terence looks for Prong, to tell her he's calling off the mission, because Katherine knows what it is, so the mission is pointless.

He spies Prong.

It's in here! says Prong. I was just about to get it. 

Don't do it, says Terence. I'm calling it off.

Does that mean I've failed? asks Prong.

Not at all, says Katherine. It's perfect timing. You found its location, but didn't rummage about in my handbag.

So I've got the job? asks Prong.

I didn't get the glass leaf, says Terence. So not yet. 

Nonsense, says Katherine. I'll take it out myself, so Prong can complete her mission.

That's cheating, says Terence.

Or a series of fortunate events, says Katherine. 

Yes No Meaning Yes

Are you staying outside? asks Prong.

Yes, says Terence. I'll wait here while you find the glass leaf.

Okay, I'm going in, says Prong.

Don't let them see you, says Terence.

What if they do? asks Prong.

Make up a story, says Terence. They'll probably believe it.

Here goes, says Prong.

She sneaks into the house and hides behind Minnie's curtains.

She listens.

Terence is taking a long time, says one of the humans.

I'll go and check on him, says another.

Margaret stands up and goes to the front door.

All right, Terence?

Yes, says Terence. I'm just waiting for something.

What? asks Margaret. If your parrot hasn't come yet it's a safe bet she's not coming.

I'll wait five more minutes, says Terence.

Prong hears him say five more minutes.

Waak! That's not long.

And she still doesn't even know which human is Katherine.

Margaret goes back to the table. 

No parrot, says Margaret. But he wants to wait five more minutes.

Funny kid, says Katherine. I might go and wait with him.

That's kind of you Katherine, says Minnie. I'll hold off on dessert.

Prong now knows which human is Katherine. 

The one who is going to wait outside with Terence. 

A small complication.

Katherine goes outside.

Why did you come out here? asks Terence.

I thought I'd wait with you for five minutes, says Katherine. Any sign of the parrot?

Yes... no, says Terence.

Katherine knows Terence's answers.

I think that's a yes, says Katherine. Where is she?

Inside, says Terence. Having a try-out.

How thrilling, says Katherine. What have you asked her to do?

Get me something, says Terence.

Anything? asks Katherine.

No, says Terence. Something. And don't ask more questions or you'll ruin it.

Is it something of mine? asks Katherine.

But Terence is not going to answer.

Something of Gaius's? asks Katherine.

No, says Terence.

My glass leaf? says Katherine.

Bumhole! says Terence.

No need for that language, says Katherine. 

But you ruined it, says Terence.

Call off the try-out, says Katherine. I don't want a parrot rummaging about in my handbag.

Prong has been listening.

She knows which human is Katherine, and where the glass leaf is.

In Katherine's handbag.

Now she must find the handbag before Terence calls off the whole thing.

I Like Spying

It isn't a possum outside

It's a parrot. 

Are you Prong? asks Terence.

Are you Terence? asks Prong.

Yes, says Terence. Come in.

I might not, says Prong. I just want to ask a few questions.

Did your dad send you ? asks Terence. 

He didn't SEND me, says Prong.

Okay, says Terence. If you were my parrot, could I send you?

No, says Prong. Unless I decided to go.

Where? asks Terence.

Where you wanted to send me, says Prong.

What if you didn't? asks Terence.

You'd have to go by yourelf, says Prong.

What did you want to ask me? asks Terence.

At last, says Prong. I thought you'd never stop asking questions.

I've stopped, says Terence. 

What's the job? asks Prong. 

The job is being my parrot, says Terence. Flying back to get things. Maybe spying.

I like spying, says Prong.

Do you want to have a try-out? asks Terence.

Okay, says Prong. Do I get paid for the try-out?

No, says Terence. You already had a protein ball. 

So that's what it was, says Prong.

This is your task, says Terence. Go inside and find Katherine's glass leaf and bring it to me.

I never heard of a glass leaf, says Prong. 

It's for  the fallen, says Terence. So don't drop it. It stays in the box.

How am I meant to carry a box? asks Prong.

It's a small box, says Terence.

And where is Katherine? aks Prong.

Inside eating beef pie, says Terence.

Prong looks into the house. She can smell the beef pie.

There are four humans at the table, eating and talking.

One of them must be Katherine, whose glass leaf Prong must find, and bring to Terence in its box without dropping it.

Sounds problematic. 

But Prong is up for the challenge.

 

It Might Be A Possum

Terence goes back inside. 

I don't think she's coming, says Terence.

She may turn up in the morning, says Minnie. Would you like some beef pie?

I'm not allowed, says Terence. 

Of course, sorry, says Minnie. What will you have then?

A red drink, says Terence. And tomato sauce on a plate.

The others are already eating the beef pie, at the kitchen table.

Excellent pie, says Gaius. 

Delicious, says Katherine.

Ages since I've made one, says Minnie.

Minnie sets a plate of tomato sauce before Terence, the sauce in the shape of a heart.

Thank you, says Terence. Is it a parrot?

No it's a heart, says Minnie.

Can it be a parrot? asks Terence.

Just eat it, says Margaret. Someone give him a spoon.

Minnie gives Terence a spoon.

He uses it to draw parrot legs on the heart.

And a beak like a prong.

What are the plans for tomorrow? asks Minnie. 

I'd like to visit the National Gallery, says Katherine. 

You'll love it, says Minnie. Shall I come too?

Yes, do, says Katherine.

Gaius and I are going to edit the frog video, says Margaret.

We can do that tonight, says Gaius. Tomorrow I should like to return to Mawson Ponds. It occurs to me that I only made contact with two bell frogs. There must surely be others.

I'm waiting here for my parrot, says Terence. 

Scraatch scraatch! 

Do I hear a scratching sound? asks Minnie.

Terence runs to the front door.

Look out through the window! says Minnie. It might be a possum.

This is a good idea.

It might be a possum.

Terence looks out through the window.

There is something small moving behind one of the flower pots.

It could still be a possum.

Terence can see bits sticking out.

The bits appear, twitch and retreat behind the flower pot.

Do possums twitch? asks Terence.

No, says Gaius. 

And Gaius would know.

So it can't be a possum.

Terence opens the door.