If She Trusts Anyone

Gaius sits down on the bench beside Ying, Stew and Surfing-With-Whales.

This is nice, says Gaius, looking at his wrist watch. We can get to know one another while we wait for the others.

Good. We have a few questions, says Stew.

Fire away, says Gaius.

You're the team leader, says Stew. How do we earn extra credits?

Dude! says Surfing-With-Whales. Extra credits! This isn't school.

Gaius frowns at Surfing-With-Whales.

Extra credits, says Gaius. Ying has already earned one extra credit by finding a petrified scat from an ancient marsupial. I trust you made notes, he adds, looking at Ying in a school masterly manner.

Not yet , says Ying. What should I ....?

A map showing where you found it, says Gaius. X marks the spot would be helpful.  Have you brought a pencil?

Yes, but it's in my backpack, says Ying.

That's the other question, says Stew.

What is? asks Gaius vaguely. He is thinking about humankind's terrible dependence on pencils.

Surfing-With-Whales is finding it hard to contain himself.

Bwaahaha! he explodes.

What is the matter? says Gaius.

X marks the spot! says Surfing-With-Whales. That's from a movie! Pirates of the Caribbean.

What? How childish he is. But the subject of the whereabouts of the backpacks has been avoided .

I love all those movies, says Ying.

.....

Katherine's car pulls up, and Rosamunda, Unni, Arthur and Terence get out.

At last, says Gaius. Now we can get a move on.

We just got here! says Terence.

Yes we just got here, says Unni. Ask us if we saw any tulips.

Tulips! says Ying. You wouldn't have. They bloom early spring.

Correct says Rosamunda. All dead. Wrong season.

Dead, says Terence. I blame the birds.

Stew is trying to catch the eye of Arthur.

But Arthur is not looking at Stew.

He is looking at Surfing-With-Whales who is making finger signals.

Hey guys, says Ying, now that you're here, where's our backpacks? Our lunch is in them. And my pencil.

Oops, says Rosamunda.

Oops? says Stew.

We ate your lunches, says Rosamunda. We felt peckish. Sorry.

You owe us both lunch then, says Stew.

Sure, says Rosamunda. Tomorrow, lunch is on us.

We still need the back packs says Stew. Our wallets.....

Arthur has them, says Rosamunda, I think..... for safe keeping.

That's alright then, says Ying.

If she trusts anyone, it's that nice-looking Arthur.

Where is he?