He Would Give Anything

Come on, says Nose. I'll make up a snack pack.

She tips several dead insects into a lunch box.

They go up on deck.

I'm on duty, says Nose. Have to watch the sea turtles. Sit here and eat your insects.

Tiny Sacrifice can't open the lunch box.

Here, says Nose.

Flip. She does it.

She goes back to the railing.

Tiny Sacrifice tries a dead sandfly.

She turns. How is it?

Okay, says Tiny Sacrifice. It's my first one

Are you a local? asks Nose. I'm not a local.

I came from an egg, says Tiny Sacrifice. I thought Gaius was my mother.

I know Gaius, says Nose. He brought me here to Barbados. Who is your mother?

I don't know, says Tiny Sacrifice.

Think, says Nose.

Tiny Sacrifice tries to. He only sees Gaius's face.

I still don't know, says Tiny Sacrifice.

Okay, says Nose. I'll tell you my story. When I came here I had no trousers. Then Griff bought me these pirate pantaloons. Then we went on the Revenge for a day trip. The captain was Ageless's friend. They're both lobsters. The ship started sinking. Everyone left in the lifeboat but me and the captain.

Then what? asks Tiny Sacrifice.

I fixed the leak, says Nose. And bailed out the water. And we sailed back to shore. The captain let me go free.

Free? says Tiny Sacrifice. Were you a prisoner?

Course not, says Nose. No way. Not exactly.

To any one but Tiny Sacrifice this would have sounded suspicious.

So now I work on the Jolly Roger, says Nose. And I love it. We get training. Ask me anything about sea turtles. Go on.

Tiny Sacrifice tries to think of a question.

I know, says Nose. You can't think of one. That's because you're just tiny. Here's one. Where are all the babies?

I don't know, says Tiny Sacrifice.

I KNOW you don't! says Nose. But I do. The babies are out swimming in the deep ocean. Only the adults are here in the bay. They come back to the beach to make nests in the sand. What's the matter?

Nothing, says Tiny Sacrifice. I wish I knew everything.

Like me? says Nose. You're sweet. I don't know everything. Julia knows everything. She does the training. She says...

Tiny Sacrifice hiccups up a lump of dead sandfly.

He would give anything to eat something fresh and juicy.....

They get girl baby turtles if they lay their eggs in the warm sand and boy baby turtles if they lay them in the cold sand, says Nose. What? Don't you believe me?

It's not that he doesn't believe her. He is thinking of warm girl-baby turtles, and not in a good way.