The Warrior And Her Cruel Rescue

The blood has dried in two vertical lines on Katherine's face.

She looks like a warrior (kind of scary). But that's where the similarity ends.

Sweezus hasn't arrived yet.

He is heading in her direction, but slowly.

Slowly.....towards his worst nightmare.

A confrontation with birds.

To boost his courage he thinks about Terence.

Terence marching up to a Bristlebird.

Terence informing the Bristlebird it looks like a Parrot.

The Bristlebird being disarmed by Terence.

Yep.

Good role model, Sweezus.

........

Sweezus breaks into the clearing.

Katherine! Man, you look like a warrior!

Thank you, says Katherine. I feel like a murderer.

Yeah, says Sweezus. That too.

From the branches of Katherine's tree two Bristlebirds beam down their hatred.

Sweezus looks into four beady eyes of malevolence.

Now is the time to say: Hello my parrots!

Who knows whether this would have worked?

He can't do it. They don't look like parrots.

(Grey-brown with pale underpants).

I'm afraid to move, says Katherine. Do something.

But Sweezus seems to be practising Zen, and does nothing.

What's he doing? asks Mrs Bristlebird.

Nothing, says Mr Bristlebird.

They are wrong. Sweezus is thinking. Thinking about what to do next.

Where're the eggs that you stepped on? asks Sweezus.

Mainly here, says Katherine, lifting her trainers, which are yellow with goo and red with tiny flesh smears, and dotted with squeezed-out black eyes.

Awesome! says Sweezus, loudly. Looks like we can save them.

It does? says Katherine.

Yep. If we can get them to Doctor Wallenius, says Sweezus.

Did you hear that, dear? says Mr Bristlebird.

I did, says Mrs Bristlebird. You were right. We get everything back.

We're not out of the woods yet, says Mr Bristlebird. But we have HOPE now.

HOPE for our babies, says Mrs Bristlebird. Let's follow them, at a safe distance.

Katherine takes off her trainers and gives them to Sweezus.

He carries them tenderly to the edge of the clearing. She follows him, hobbling.

Ouch! Ouch! It's horrible walking on dry nut cases.

But thank heavens the Bristlebirds are neutralised, for the moment.