Bird Whisperer

There are no insects in the airport. Not ones you might notice, or catch.

Unni buys a seeded roll at Pie Face, and picks a few seeds from the top.

Try this, baby, she says placing a seed on the tip of her finger.

The baby Bristlebird turns its small head away.

A tear plops from his eye into Unni's hand and trickles down to her elbow.

What? says Unni sharply.

She has no patience with precious behaviour.

The baby Bristlebird has no patience with humans except for his mother.

Where is she?

He looks around the airport in panic. His little heart begins to beat faster.

Damn. But wait a minute, Unni has a brainwave. Why not call Josh? He lives in Sydney.

She calls him, and half an hour later she knocks on the door of his house.

Josh opens the door, with a mango-coloured macaw on his shoulder.

This is Mango, says Josh. Where's the patient?

Here, says Unni, thrusting baby Bristlebird forward.

Mango has a good squiz at the baby.

Ha ha, laughs Josh. Having a good squiz are you, Mango?

Eh-eh, squawks Mango.

Josh is a Bird Whisperer, as you may have gathered.

First though, he offers Unni a cup of green tea.

While they are drinking the tea, Mango tries to get through to the baby.

M-A-N-G-O, says Mango, in Macaw.

B-B, says baby Bristlebird, in Bristlebird.

A kind of awkward rapport develops.

Ma-Ma? asks Mango.  (She is asking B-B about his mother.)

Ma, says B-B. ( He is replying.)

From this Mango intuits that the baby is missing its mother.

Josh comes over.

What do we reckon? asks Josh.

Give me time, whispers Mango. So far I've established that the B-B is missing its mother. As to who that is, I have no idea yet.

Josh goes back to where Unni, is drinking the last drops of green tea.

It's missing its mother, says Josh.

I suppose that's pretty obvious, says Unni. Both parents died before it hatched out of its egg.

Who did it first lay eyes on? asks Josh. Was it you?

No, not me, says Unni. It was Arthur.

Then Arthur's his mother, says Josh. You should see if Arthur is willing to raise him.

Mango is pleased that the mother's identity is established.

Ma-Ma, A-R-T-H-U-R, says Mango, to B-B.

But B-B doesn't make the connections.

Okay, thanks, says Unni. So.... is it legal to send Bristlebirds interstate?

Birds go wherever, says Josh. Where's this Arthur?

Adelaide, says Unni.

At least he should be by now.

And he is.

The plane has landed in Adelaide.

Sweezus is waiting, with Belle.

Guys! says Sweezus.

Arthur, Pablo, says Belle, welcome home. And you must be Dries. How nice to meet you. Am I right you're from Belgium?

Yes, says Dries. I am. We are in the middle of a crisis.

Yeah, it's pretty shit, says Sweezus.

Yes, it's awful, says Belle.

How do you know? asks Arthur.

Its all over the news, says Belle. Brussels is in lockdown.

Ha ha, laughs Pablo.

Pablo! says Belle.

Wrong crisis, says Pablo. This is an Arthur-driven crisis. Involving a moral dilemma, a difficult decision, and the ultimate sacrifice of a newly hatched bird.

And a broken contract, adds Dries.

Everyone frowns and looks serious.