The Art Of Being Right

It is frosty early next morning. Time to pack up and move on.

Schopenhauer rides next to Gaius.

Tell, me, says Schopenhauer, when you think of me what do you think of?

Good living, says Gaius. Not something of which I approve.

Most people would disagree with you, says Schopenhauer.

I fear not, says Gaius. Most people aspire to it.

I mean when they think about me, says Schopenhauer. I have written a great deal on the Suffering of the World, Asceticism, Chastity, the Horror and Absurdity of Religion and the Art of Being Right. Most people think I'm..... not cheerful.

They obviously don't know you as I do, says Gaius.

Thank you, says Schopenhauer, cheering up.

.........

Schopenhauer drops back to ride next to Arthur.

You know that I have an extension, begins Schopenhauer.

Yes, says Arthur.

I'm finding it hard to begin, says Schopenhauer. How do you find inspiration?

Total derangement of the senses, says Arthur.

Schopenhauer looks doubtful.

But you are a poet, says Schopenhauer.

.........

He drops back to ride with Unni.

Writers block? says Unni.

How did you know? says Schopenhauer, impressed.

Dad used to get it, says Unni. When he was writing sermons. He said it helped if he picked a fight.

..........

Schopenhauer speeds up to pick a fight with Arthur.

By the way, Arthur, did you pick up the jug?

No, says Arthur. I only picked up the contents.

Idiot! says Schopenhauer. What if Captain Louttit should die?

It'll be your fault, says Arthur. But he'll die anyway.

Captain Louttit is within hearing. He is in Arthur's blue bag with the barnacles. He has heard Arthur's ghoulish prediction.

He will die anyway.

Captain Louttit has not considered that this might occur.

He becomes angry and takes it out on the barnacles.

You two! says Captain Louttit. What do you mean by reproducing so carelessly? Are you girls?

Goose is offended.

We are non-gender specific, says Goose.

Are we? says Wally. Speak for yourself! The way I see it, I'm the father and mother of your children, and you're the father and mother of mine.

Goose looks daggers at Wally.

You're both a disgrace, says Captain Louttit. No doubt you did it in the font. Come here! I'm going to give you a scrape!

Panic and pandemonium ensue in the blue Seahorse World carry bag.

.......

Luckily, due to a tail wind and it being three hours later, they have arrived at Lake St Clair.

How beautiful! A lake formed by the confluence of three tributary glaciers which long ago scoured the landscape into a deep u-shaped valley.

A pantheon of dolerite mountains surround it, and at the southern end is a drowned moraine of tumbled rocks.

Here, black peppermint trees and mountain white gum are home to black currawongs, strong-billed honey eaters and yellow wattlebirds.

And it's not as cold as Cradle Mountain would have been.