A Teacup Of Potential Particles

Sweezus and Surfing-With-Whales ride into Penguin.

Katherine's car is parked outside the Groovy Penguin.

The Wicked camper is parked across the road.

Where is everyone? The cyclists dismount.

Arthur appears on the esplanade in a kind of a hurry.

What's up man? says Sweezus. Where's the others?

On the beach, says Arthur. I need to get away.

Sweezus and Surfing-With-Whales wait for an explanation.

Now, says Arthur.

Okay. That's enough explanation.

Sweezus helps Arthur unhook a bike from the Wicked camper.

........

Down on the beach at the shoreline there is feverish activity.

Hurry! says Gaius.

Rosamunda and Ying are sifting through broken shells and dropping random bits into a teacup.

Unni and Stew are in the water up to their ankles.

Katherine is digging a series of holes in the sand.

Margaret is marching up the beach to commandeer a crab net she has seen a child using.

Marx is looking bemused at all the activity, which he has set in motion.

Terence is pointing excitedly. There's one! There's two! See, floating!

........

It's nineteen kilometres from Penguin to Burnie.

Sweezus, Surfing-With-Whales and Arthur are almost there.

Want to stop off at the Uni and see Poppy? says Surfing-with-Whales.

No, says Arthur. Best if we don't.

We could tell her the samples are coming, says Surfing-With-Whales. And ....oh shit, we'll have to leave one of the bikes.

See, says Arthur. Best to keep going.

They agree that it's best to keep going.

..........

Gaius's bruise is beginning to ache.

He rubs his bottom.

Had enough? says Rosamunda. We've got two jars with their lids on, and a teacup of potential particles.

What? says Margaret, coming up with the crab net. Do we not need this crab net?

No, says Gaius. (What a pleasure it is to say a perfectly reasonable no to Margaret). We must push on to Burnie. I do hope Arthur has managed to find me a cushion.

Hah! says Margaret. Arthur! Will you admit finally that he is not always reliable?

Gaius will not admit anything until he sees or does not see a cushion.

They return to Katherine's car, with the diminished collection of samples and the crab net.

Rosamunda comes over.

Cushion? says Rosamunda. No?

No, says Margaret.

Perhaps you could sit on the crab net, suggests Rosamunda. A ring shape is useful.

So it is, says Marx. I use one whenever when I'm suffering from boils.

So Arthur is once again vindicated. After all, had he not ditched the samples there would have been no crab net for Gaius to sit on.