Everyone To His Taste

Alone on the Ida Clair, except for a few platypus beetles of which he is unaware, Eddy starts coiling ropes, closing hatches, wiping down seats.

What is that sound?

Eddy stops wiping, and listens.

It seems to be coming from the blue bag in the corner.

Blue bag! Damn!  Those fool passengers must have left it behind.

Eddy looks into the blue bag. Pulls out a few sea horse postcards.

Scra-a-a-ape. There's something else in there.

He runs his finger around the bottom of the bag. Barnacles!  He lifts out Wally and Goose.

Plop, plop. He drops them into the water.

.........

Greg, Arthur and Unni have arrived at Lake St Clair Lodge.

You know when I sat on your shrimp? says Greg.

It was Gaius's shrimp, says Unni. Don't worry. He's probably forgotten it already.

I feel a bit bad though, says Greg.

.........

Gaius and Schopenhauer are not far behind.

That ferry trip was not what I expected, says Schopenhauer.

Nor I, says Gaius. It was a stroke of luck to meet a collector of beetles.

That's not what I meant, says Schopenhauer.

........

When will someone remember Captain Louttit? And Wally and Goose? And the blue Seahorse World bag?

..........

Before disembarking, Eddy scans the surrounding water.

There, about to drift under the jetty, floats the incriminating hat.

Eddy takes a grappling hook from a locker, and lifts the hat out of the water.

What a cute little hat. His three year old daughter will like it.

.........

Under the surface of Lake Leeawuleena it's like grand central station.

Captain Louttit rises, the barnacles fall. They pass in the middle.

Mountain shrimps ( nameless) encircle the barnacles.

Which one of you is his hat? asks a mountain shrimp ( nameless).

Whose hat? says Goose.

Wugherapunganah, says the shrimp, pointing upwards to where Captain Louttit is breaking the surface. The great ocean crab.

If you mean our captain..... says Goose. He's a lobster. A simple mistake.

We are isolated here, admits the shrimp. And come to think of it, he did tell us he was a lobster.

Has he lost his hat? says Wally. He'll be gutted.

So you're not hats, then? says the shrimp. You do look like hats, both of you.

How come you know what hats look like? says Goose.

He is suspicious by nature.

But if you live in Lake Leeawuleena long enough, you see a few hats.

Can you give us a lift up to the surface? asks Wally. This water is toxic for barnacles.

Chacun a son gout, says the shrimp.

(World heritage listed, lots of tourists, some speaking French......  it's not inconceivable).