Suction Under The Jetty

At the very moment the owl is setting forth on its night journey

leaving Terence and Baby Pierre in the wet grass with the news of the fate of poor Sarah,

while Rosamunda dreams of Ming Rong,

and Gaius and Kong Fu-Zi  lie low and rigid in the Pee Pee Pee Po van,

Freud and Katherine have stepped into the water under the jetty.

Katherine: It's arousing.

Freud: What do you mean?

Katherine: The slurping of the water, in, out, in, out, and the sucking.

Freud: Katherine! Language.

Katherine: You old fool.

Freud: Katherine, I never know when you're joking.

Katherine: Listen. Is that a large species of fish?

Freud: Fish are generally silent.

Katherine: Then it's some type of swimmer.

Freud: Shall we get out of the water?

Katherine: No, let's go in deeper.

Freud: All right.

Slurp! Suck! Shwii! Gurgle....

Katherine: Paddling is dangerous. I've grazed my big toe on a bollard.

Freud: Katherine. These are not bollards.

Katherine: What are they?

Freud: Jetty supports, poles, uprights, piles, posts, wooden beams, I don't know, the terminology eludes me.

Katherine: How annoying it is when that happens. But Sigmund, my toe is bleeding. I might attract sharks.

Freud: Time to get out of the water.

They drag their feet back to the sand.

Katherine: There used to be a ladder at the end of this jetty. You could climb down it onto the reef.

Freud: Now what?

Katherine: There is still a ladder, but it descends into the sea.

Freud: And then what?

Katherine: You must take your life in your hands and swim to the reef. That is, if you wish to.

Freud: Do you wish to?

Katherine: Do you have a plaster?

Freud: In my van, back at Kuitpo. What about in your car?

Katherine: Afraid not. I lent my first aid kit to David. He needed the scissors.

Freud: You should have just lent him the scissors.

Katherine: No point thinking that now.

Freud: Hm.

Katherine: What are you thinking?

Freud: I could suck your toe. An old Austrian remedy.

Katherine: I'm not sure I will like it.

Freud: Yes Katherine. You will.