Not What He Expected

Hotel Nivaria in San Cristóbal de La Laguna.

A stately hotel in a 16th century building.

Gaius and Kong check into their elegant room.

Where's my bed? asks Terence. Can I watch TV? Can I go down to the pool?

No, says Gaius. No pool. You must stay with Daniel O'Connell.

It's a WHIRPOOL, says Terence. He wants to go in the whirlpool!

I do not, says Daniel O'Connell. Look at me now, I'm poorly. I want my old legs back.

He hops from one set of four legs to another.

Screeoow! Ting! Ting! Ting!

......

Hotel Horizontal in Santa Cruz.

One star hotel. In a colourful downtown district.

Right, says Ying. Let's go and find one of those bars.

Okay, says Arthur.

I'll just call Gaius first, says Sweezus.

He calls Gaius.

Gaius answers. Hello? Is that you, Sweezus? Is Arthur with you?

Yeah, he is.

May I speak to him?

He's just gone out through the door.

Well, tell him ......

The phone makes a crackly noise.....crckrckrkkl....

Lost him. But that's good, says Sweezus. At least he knows everything.

They head out to look for the Band Aparte Gin Bar.

.......

Somewhere, in a house in Santa Cruz, with pink curtains.

Feebee is upstairs, having a bath.

Downstairs at the kitchen table Nina and her grandma are talking.

Did you have a good time with your cousins?

Yes, it was good.

Grandma! calls Feebee. Can you get Baby Pierre out of my pocket?

What is the child talking about? says Grandma.

Oh, says Nina. It's the little free thinking pebble. I forgot all about him.

She runs upstairs and rummages through the pockets of Feebee's jacket.

Her fingers close around Baby Pierre.

Phoo! says Baby Pierre. Too much fluff in this pocket!

Can he get in the bath with me? asks Feebee.

No, says Nina. We don't know where he's been.

I'm not getting in the bath with her, says Baby Pierre.

Come downstairs and meet Grandma, says Nina.

She takes him downstairs, places him on the table.

Hello, Grandma, says Baby Pierre.

Call me Maricruz, says Grandma. I see you bear the Mark of the Claw. A noble marking.

I see you have noble markings, too, says Baby Pierre.

These are age spots, says Maricruz.

Baby Pierre was travelling with the spider I crowd-funded, says Nina, but they were parted.

Parted, says Baby Pierre. More like deserted.

After all why not make the most of it?

Lost your spider? says Maricruz. Well, you've come to the right place. We have a lot of them here. Take him out to the garden shed, Nina. And take a torch with you.

Garden shed! Spiders!

This is not what Baby Pierre had expected.