Shivers Flatulence and Derangement

It's a long journey back to Adelaide, and Terence is hot in his damp red costume.

He falls asleep.

He dreams of being the subject of an essay, on why he is red.

In the dream, he is standing on a cheese wheel, surrounded by people with notebooks.

The people are writing.

This is as far as it gets, because why should he know the answer?

Midge pulls up outside Gaius's house.

Terence wakes up, with the shivers.

You've got the shivers, says Sweezus. You shouldn't have gone to sleep wet.

I've been to sleep wet, says Arthur. I've never had the shivers.

Good on you, says Sweezus. But he has.

Achoo! says Terence.

Good heavens! says Vello. We must get him well before the performance.

He can come in with me, says Gaius. I'll dose him.

Good man, says Vello. See you tonight at the theatre.

Terence and Gaius get out.

Shu remains in the camper.

Come on, Shu, says Gaius. We have notes to write up and diagrams to draw.

Do we? says Shu. Diagrams of what?

The fossils you uncovered, says Gaius. I trust you still have them?

Yes, says Shu. Somewhere.

He gets out of the camper.

Midge drives off with Sweezus, Arthur and Vello.

Are we doing science? asks Terence.

We are, says Gaius. Not you. You are coming straight out into the back garden with me to pick pennyroyal and lettuces to rid you of traces of fever.

Pennyroyal and lettuces. Terence is excited. Whatever Gaius may think, this surely is science.

He and Gaius go through to the back, while Shu searches his pockets.

Gaius picks a handful of wilted lettuce leaves, and two sprigs of pennyroyal.

While I pound up the lettuce, says Gaius, you stick these sprigs of pennyroyal behind your ears.

I'll look like an IDIOT, says Terence.

No one will see, says Gaius. You can put your red hood on.

I'm not allowed to, says Terence, it's wet. What's it for anyway?

It's a remedy for colds and ... ahem ... menstrual derangement, which need not concern you. And it repels fleas. The lettuce will cool a feverish body and disperse flatulence.

Have I got flatulence? asks Terence. Where is it?

But Gaius has gone inside to pound up the lettuces.

Shu has found the stones and is drawing.

Terence comes in. Are you writing an essay on why I'm red? asks Terence.

Of course not, says Shu.

Why of course not? says Terence. There's a prize for getting the right answer.

No there isn't, says Shu. That's just in the play. There isn't really a prize for the right answer.

What is the right answer? asks Terence.

He can be SO annoying.