In Your Own Blue Canoe

Captain Louttit pulls himself out of the lake with a supercrustacean effort.

He sits on a half-submerged pebble. He looks for his hat in the water.

Up comes the mountain shrimp..... bubble bubble......

Wally and Goose slide off his back.

Here we are, says Goose. Together again, but this time as equals.

Because you're not the captain, says Wally.

No, you're not the captain,says Goose.

I know, sighs Captain Louttit. No hat. But there's worse news. We've been deserted.

We can't live here! says Wally.

And we can't leave, says Goose.

How did you get here? asks the mountain shrimp.

Blue bag, says Captain Louttit.

If I'm not mistaken, says the mountain shrimp. It's over there.

It is. Eddy has left it on the jetty.

So you can leave, says mountain shrimp. In your own blue canoe.

What? And paddle round the lake forever? says Captain Louttit.

No, says the mountain shrimp. Lake St Clair is the source of the Derwent. I thought everyone knew that. Just around this promontary is the St Clair Lagoon. You can follow it down to the Derwent Bridge, and then all the way down to Hobart.

Too easy.

Captain Louttit launches the blue Seahorse World canoe.

.......

Gaius, Schopenhauer, Arthur and Unni can't plan the next stage of their journey.

It sucks that there's no coverage here, says Unni, putting away her phone. I can't get maps or anything.

They must have maps at the lodge, says Gaius. Hold my bicycle. I'll go inside and see.

He goes in just as Greg is coming out.

Greg looks like a different person.

Wow, says Unni. You look .......clean.

Very smart, says Schopenhauer, checking his own trousers, which are still pristine.

Thanks, says Greg. I wanted to catch you guys before you leave. I've got something for Gaius. To say I'm sorry for blitzing his shrimp.

Arthur thinks he knows what it will be. Ten platypus beetles. In a tin.

Greg hands him a tin.

Thanks Greg, says Arthur. He's just gone inside to find a map.

Where're you headed? asks Greg.

Hobart, says Schopenhauer.

Following the Derwent? says Greg.

No idea, says Schopenhauer.

Yeah, you will be, says Greg. When you get to Derwent Bridge, go and see the Wall in the Wilderness. It's awesome.

Ooh! says Unni. The Wall in the Wilderness! Yes, we will.

Gaius comes out with a sheaf of tourism flyers.

We head down Lake St Clair Road, says Gaius. Are we ready?

Greg's given you a present, says Arthur.

For your collection, says Greg. By way of an apology.

Thank you, says Gaius. But no apology is needed. What a nice tin. Arthur, would you put it in the blue bag with Captain......

It is only now that everybody realises: There is no blue bag! And no Captain Louttit.