You Will Be Without Everything

Dark stormy night. Lucky Bay campsite. Two o'clock in the morning.

Gaius, Arthur, Ferdy, and Sweezus sit up drinking cocoa.

I have to head home later this morning, says Ferdy.

You're leaving us? says Gaius.

You're welcome to have a lift back to Perth, says Ferdy.

Is it Monday already? asks Sweezus.

Yeah, says Ferdy.

We can't leave before the mission is over, says Gaius. Besides, we've lost two of our party.

Good on you, says Ferdy. But remember, you won't have a diving suit, or a rebreather. Or this tent or any camping equipment. Or transport.

Never mind, says Gaius. Arthur will do something about it.

Ferdy looks over at Arthur, who is looking out through the tent flap.

........

In the next tent, drinking cocoa, are Sylvia and Ted, (the ecologists), Kobo and Brianna.

Sylvia and Ted are having an argument.

Sylvia: You have no soul!

Ted: It wasn't finished:

Sylvia: That's what you say.

Ted: He loved her and she loved him his kisses sucked. Call that finished?

Sylvia: What do you girls think?

Brianna: Kobo says that about Ageless.

Ted: See?

Sylvia: A lobster and a fossilised clam! All right, what's the rest of it?

Ted: sucked out her whole past and future or tried to.

Sylvia: Hmm. Okay that's not bad.

Ted: Baby!

( he kisses her)

Sylvia: Honey!

(she bites his neck)

Kobo: Note that, Brianna.

......

In the next tent, drinking cocoa, are the Dempsters, bemoaning their net loss.

It was granddad's, says Andrew.

It might wash up on shore in the morning, says Mary-Emily.

Not likely, says Ed Dempster. It sank straight to the bottom.

More cocoa? asks Mary-Margaret.

Yes thanks, says Ed.

I'll need to get some more water, says Mary-Margaret.

I'll come with you, says Mary-Emily.

They go out of the tent with the kettle.

All that fuss over a net, says Mary-Emily. They don't care about that little lost pebble.

I know, says Mary-Margaret. It's all property, property, property....oh ! what's that moving?

They peer into the darkness, to see what it is, moving over the sand.

........

Remember how Arthur was looking out through the tent flap?

This is what he saw.

At first, nothing. Then he saw Mary-Margaret and Mary-Emily with the kettle.

He saw them stop and peer into the darkness. Then they bent down.

Mary-Margaret straightened up first, grasping a fishing net.

Mary-Emily sank to her knees.

........

So Arthur is first to herald the triumphant return of Ageless lobster and Baby Pierre from the depths of the ocean where they have spent most of the evening.

Guess what? says Arthur. They're back!

In walk Ageless and Baby Pierre. ( Not Rear Admiral Bruni, who has remained in the ocean, where his life is).

Ageless! cries Gaius. Baby Pierre!

Man, this is awesome, says Sweezus.

Gaius spots the remains of the ruby sea dragon on Ageless's skewer. Head only.

Jumping Jupiter! says Gaius. What have we here?