Not Going To Eat The Head Anyway

Ageless lobster stands at the tent flap with the ruby sea dragon's head on a skewer.

How will he explain it?

It was Ageless......... begins Baby Pierre.

Ageless interrupts him, having thought quickly that he wasn't going to eat the head anyway.

A highly fortuitous find on the sea floor, says Ageless lobster.

Gaius is prepared to believe any explanation which involves the words highly fortuitous.

Well done, Ageless, says Gaius. May I see it?

Certainly, says Ageless, presenting the highly fortuitous head for inspection.

Fascinating, says Gaius. The snout, eye and pectoral fin are in perfect condition. What do you suppose happened to the rest of the body?

Who knows? says Ageless. It's always been savage on the benthic sea bottom.

How'd you find Baby Pierre? asks Sweezus.

I have an unerring sense of direction, says Ageless.

And Rear Admiral Bruni, says Baby Pierre. He helped us get back too. He used PEE!

Pee? says Sweezus. In the ocean? How's that work?

Pee for the wave packet, says Baby Pierre. We had to wait for it. For AGES.

Yeah? says Sweezus. Never heard of a wave packet.

I have, says Ferdy. It's a short burst or envelope of localised wave action that travels as a unit. It would've been freaking fast.

I get it, says Sweezus. Kind of like ... no.... forget it (he was thinking of surfing).

Now you've found a ruby sea dragon, says Ferdy, you might want to go back to Perth. My offer's still open.

Gaius is about to take up the offer when:

Mary-Emily sticks her head through the tent flap.

Hellooo! says Mary-Emily. So the prodigals have returned. What a night! And we've got our precious net back. Ed and Andrew are stoked. They sent you this bottle of Bundaberg Rum as a thank you.

Come in! says Gaius. Let's all drink it.

He opens the bottle and takes an unhygienic swig, passing it to Arthur, who takes another one.

At last it is Baby Pierre's turn. He has never drunk rum before.

Uglugluglug. Ooh! Haaah! He feels like a volcano!

And starts babbling, just as Ageless feared.

It was the best of times and it was the worst of times, says Baby Pierre, turning Dickensy. There were hundreds and hundreds of ruby sea dragons, all dancing and prancing, then Ageless turned up with the Rear Admiral. The ruby sea dragons cheered. We were saved! Yay! Baby Pierre has been saved by his daddy! Then the BAD Thing happened.

Ageless pokes Baby Pierre in the eye with the skewer.

Ach! Eye to eye. Cruel daddy!

Sweezus looks sympathetic.

Mary-Emily thinks: What a nice young man that is.

Baby Pierre stumbles out of the tent, and wanders about in the dark half blindly.

From Ted and Sylvia's tent he hears Brianna singing that song by Rihanna:

see all of my kindness, is taken for weakness,
hold me back i'm 'bout to spaz
la la la