Prince Harry And The Bristlebirds

Katherine and Ray are sitting under a tree eating cheese and lettuce sandwiches.

Good sandwiches, observes Ray.

Yes, I can't understand why Sweezus only ate one of them, says Katherine.

Perhaps he's a vegan, says Ray.

It's not proper cheese, says Katherine.

Isn't it? says Ray, examining his sandwich more carefully.

I wonder where they've got to? says Katherine. They've been away a long time.

Funnel webs aren't easily come by, says Ray. They generally keep to themselves

I forgot you have a spider book, says Katherine. You should be joining the search.

I'll wait till Sweezus finds one, says Ray. Then I'll help him identify it.

Unless it's one of those new ones, says Katherine. It won't be in the book.

No, says Ray. But the book will help us to rule out other possibilities. Such as, is it an Atrax, or a common Hadronyche?

Good to see you sometimes have recourse to logic, says Katherine. Where is it, your book?

In the ute, says Ray. I'll get it.

Get mine for me, will you? says Katherine. It's on top of my luggage.

Ray goes back to the ute.

Katherine leans against the tree and closes her eyes.

Sun spiders dance on her eyelids.

Crimson parrots and currawongs sing. (Squawk! Twee-oo-twee!).

.......

The others have gone back with Ranger Rose to the Visitor Centre.

Ranger Rose is a young Koori woman, a member of the Indigenous Wreck Bay Community people, who manage eighty percent of the park.

You have a cool job, says Unni.

Yeah, says Ranger Rose. I met Prince Harry.

Even cooler! says Unni. What was he like?

What-was-he-like? mimics Sweezus.

Very interested in endangered species, says Ranger Rose.

He would be, says Sweezus.

Especially the Bristlebird, adds Rose, frowning at Sweezus.

Mo runs over from where she and her sisters have been looking at a diamond python.

Ranger Rose met Prince Harry, says Unni.

Did he want to marry you? asks Mo.

No, bad luck, eh? says Ranger Rose.

But he's a PRINCE, says Mo.

They don't want to marry everyone, says Unni.

No they don't, agrees Ranger Rose. So anyway, do you guys want the number of Doctor Wallenius?

Yes, please, says Unni. We think our funnel web might be like the one that he found.

You scientists? asks Rose.

Not exactly, says Unni. But Sweezus is working for Gaius Plinius Secundus, the natural historian.

Oh wow! says Ranger Rose. I've heard of him.

I'm his go-to man, says Sweezus.

He sees Unni rolling her eyes.

Yeah well... his go-to-second man, says Sweezus.

I can well understand that, says Rose.