Death List And Apology Cake

Early evening.

David, Katherine and Rosamunda are sitting on a drum eating Wagyu beef burgers at Gluttony.

Then it's time for the show, Homicidal Pacifist.

They enter the tent and sit down, with six others.

Does this mean it won't be that funny?

.........


Show over, David, Rosamunda and Katherine emerge from the tent.

That was passable, says David.

Quite funny in parts, says Katherine.

Is it funny to have a list of people you've thought about culling? asks Rosamunda.

Of course it is, says Katherine. If they are dreadful. It's also cathartic.

I suppose so, says Rosamunda.

All right, says David. Let's make our own list. Top of my list is: People who favour the death penalty.

Good one, David, says Katherine. You should be doing your own show.

He is, says Rosamunda. He's doing Candide, tomorrow.

Is it tomorrow? says David. Oh well, I suppose I can wing it. What shall we do now?

Let's go and look at the lights down by the river, says Rosamunda.

......

They walk down North Terrace to Elder Park as the sky darkens.

Elder Park is full of people standing about, waiting, queuing for coffee, looking at screens.

The waterfall at the end of the curved footbridge flickers. A wicked face appears in the droplets.

Yellow beams play and cut through the fountain, and bounce off the bridge and distant buildings.

Parliament House is lit eerily. The roof of the Festival Theatre is alive with wriggling microbes.

From the bridge they see, tiny, glowing pink, grey and mysterious, the floating backside of an elephant.

But they fail to notice the speaking faces haunting the trees on the dark riverbank behind them.

This is so magical! says Rosamunda.

It is, says Katherine, But I'm dying for a coffee. David, shall we go to the bistro?

They head for the bistro, in the Festival Theatre, and order three coffees.

The order takes ages.

So long they are finally given a cake by way of an apology.

They are just tucking into the cake when:

Cake! says Arthur, appearing from the stairwell like a haunting.

Cake! says Pablo appearing as well.

Where did you get that from? asks Loretta.

I'll get us one, says Merle.