Two Ways to Get to Adelaide

It was time for Arthur to leave. The mystery had been solved, and as luck would have it, Ouvert was already sealed inside the envelope, which still had all its stamps.

It's time for me to leave, said Arthur. It has been very nice meeting you, and chatting about science and the Standard Model and the nature of matter and the speed of light and poetry. Thank you for the use of several of your matches. I'm sorry that you didn't end up with the stamps for your collection, Mr Higgs.

Oh ne'er ye mind it, laddie, said Bo'sun Higgs. Stamps be no use without a postmark. Mayhap ye'll think of us when writin' yer next poem. A poem about pirates, what think ye, Cap'n?

Aye, said the Cap'n. A poem about pirates livin' on a light'ouse in the middle of the sea, sore afraid to turn on any lights, an' lyin' low.

That would make a nice poem for someone, said Arthur, but not for me. I'm done with poems. I now intend to travel to Australia and learn to surf with Sweezus, meet his dog called Farky, and help him with his creative writing, if I can.

A dog? said the Cap'n. That does creative writin'?

I don't think so, said Arthur. It's Sweezus that does creative writing. But the dog can ride a bicycle, so you never know.

'Tis true ye never know, said the Cap'n. I never thought before tonight that a stone could take part in a conversation, but we seen it with our own two eyes and heard it with our ears.

This reminded Arthur uncomfortably of Ouvert, who was still writhing in the envelope inside his pocket. Was he going to wriggle all the way back to La Rochelle? The sooner he could post him the better.

You don't happen to know if there's a letter box in Pointe des Minimes? he asked the pirates.

Nay, lad, we don't know, said the Cap'n. But d'ye mind me askin' where Pliny the Elder's livin'  nowadays? Where's the little fellow goin' in his envelope?

Same place I'm going, said Arthur. Adelaide. Do you think I ought to take him there myself?

But the pirates didn't think so.

Nay, lad, t'would be a pity to waste them good stamps, said Bo'sun Higgs. Post him, I say.

Aye, post him, so say I too, agreed the Cap'n.








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