Four People Outside Eating Cakes.

Next morning, early, they ride into Hobart. It only takes an hour.

Gaius leads the way, having consulted his maps.

 They ride past the plane trees and mellow sandstone facades of Salamanca Place to the waterfront, along Castray Esplanade

A large crowd has gathered outside the CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Centre.

Where is he? cries a voice from the middle of the crowd. Hold him up! Let's see him!

Let's see him! Hold him up! echo several voices, from the back regions.

No one can see anything properly.

We can't see anything properly! they cry,

A scientist goes back inside the CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Centre, and comes out carrying a ladder.

He props the ladder against the wall of the Research Centre and climbs up a few rungs.

Another scientist hands something up to him.

The scientist on the ladder grasps it, and flourishes it aloft.

The crowd cheers.

What is it? Is it a jellyfish? asks Gaius, still unable to see what it is.

No, I don't think so, says Schopenhauer. It's not amorphous.

Humph! says Gaius. A jellyfish need not be amorphous.

Nevertheless, says Schopenhauer. It is not one of them. It's roundish.

A jellyfish may be roundish, says Gaius. Is it also longish?

No, says Schopenhauer. It is rather small.

........

The scientist retreats down the ladder, and vanishes inside CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Centre.

The crowd grumbles and disperses towards the many restaurants and cafes dotted round about.

........

Inside the Marine and Atmospheric Research Centre the scientist stuffs Captain Goose into a specimen jar.

Captain Wally is dropped into another.

Captain Louttit, whose energies have been spent, is lying at the bottom of the blue Seahorse World Bag, legs twitching.

To make matters worse for Captain Louttit, he has begun to moult.

Another scientist peers into the bag.

Oh, she says. He's moulting!

She picks up Captain Louttit tenderly and places him in a private salt water aquarium.

How kind is Lisa Gershwin.

As she walks back down the corridor and past the glass front doors she sees four people outside eating cakes.