Obfuscations And Clouds

There is a curtain in front of the sick bay. Arthur does not go in. Through the curtain he overhears the following conversation:

First flight attendant: Have you checked the toilets?

Second flight attendant: No, they won't have got into the toilets.

First flight attendant: Snails can get anywhere.

Second flight attendant: I don't think they can.

Arthur pushes the curtain aside.

Arthur: Hello. I've come to visit the Twitcher. How is he?

First flight attendant: I don't know, sir. Let's see.

She peers at the Twitcher, then hastily covers the portable saltwater aquarium with a tea towel.

First flight attendant: Oh dear. He seems to have died.

Arthur: Let me see him.

Second flight attendant (officiously): That won't be possible, sir. Please go back to your seat.

Arthur goes back to his seat.

He doesn't believe the Twitcher has died.

Not the Twitcher, survivor of the death box, the cannibal king, potential ravisher of Turkish cuttlefish maidens.

Well, Arthur? says Gaius. What did you find out?

Arthur decides to extrapolate.

Seems some snails have escaped, says Arthur. The crew are searching the the plane. Meanwhile someone has found one and fed it to the Twitcher. Now the Twitcher's pretending to be poisoned, but don't worry. He's recovering under a tea towel.

Katherine looks up from her novel.

Perhaps I ought to go and see him, says Katherine.

Yes, go, says Gaius. A woman's touch.

Katherine puts down her book and makes her way down to the sick bay.

What's this she's reading? says Gaius, picking up Katherine's book. Ah, it's a book about clouds.

Lavender pricks up her ears.

She has always loved clouds.