The boardwalk is four hundred metres. Terence stomps to the end.
He hasn't seen Arthur or Shu. How did he miss them?
He sits down on the boardwalk.
Clang clang!
Something's going on in the bushes.
Squelch.
You got me!
Oh sorry.
Shu emerges from a dense tangle of mangroves, with a crab and a dinner knife.
Yay! says Terence. Can I have your knife?
It's blunt, says Shu. And I need to find Arthur.
Me too, says Terence. He has the best knife.
No need to remind me, says Shu. Here, hold my crab.
The crab is waving its mandibles.
Terence is wary.
Shu jumps down into the squelchy debris.
Disappears behind the tangle of mangroves.
Terence is holding the crab.
.........
Barbs is still in the bird hide, with the Birder.
The sea mullet has gone.
They are whispering, as you must in a bird hide.
The entire Samphire Coast is now a Bird Sanctuary with three years of funding, whispers the Birder.
Lucky birds, whispers Barbs. At least they have somewhere to return to.
It's a round trip of 25,000 kilometres each year, says the Birder.
I wouldn't attempt it, whispers Barbs.
Ha ha. Me either, whispers the Birder.
They are getting on well, evidently.
Terence crashes into the bird hide.
Where is it? demands Terence, forgetting that he is meant to whisper.
Where is what? asks the Birder.
My rock parrot, says Terence. Is it still in the water?
No it's gone says Barbs, quickly. What's that you've got there?
A crab, says Terence.
It is a crab. They can see it. At least he's got that right.
.......
Shu and Arthur appear at the entrance to the bird hide.
Arthur is muddy.
Did you fall off the board walk? asks Barbs.
No, says Arthur. We spotted a crab. There was a tussle.
That's right, says Shu. A tussle. May I have my crab back?
This is MY crab, says Terence. He's a rock parrot catcher.
No one believes him.
Except the rock parrot catcher.
Sometimes a crazy idea comes along.....
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