Save Me Like Fathers Do

Young Richard Ligon has obtained a scrape of tissue from Tiny Sacrifice and labelled it, for future analysis.

That can come later. Right now he's determined to locate the mother.

He pops Tiny Sacrifice into the glass beaker and heads for the Herbarium.

Gaius and Griff are examining a dried specimen of Phyllanthus anderssonii.

It doesn't look too healthy, says Gaius.

It's dried, says Griff. You wouldn't expect it to be looking too healthy.

I'm allowing for the fact that it's dried, says Gaius. But it shouldn't look as though it's been poisoned.

True, says Griff. Unless it has been poisoned.

Neither of them has noticed the stamp which says Poisoned by mercuric chloride and m. cresol.

Young Richard Ligon comes in.

Question, says Young Richard Ligon. Where exactly did you find him?

Him? says Gaius. Who?

The baby Barbados racer, says young Richard Ligon. There may be more of them.

Ah, says Gaius. My lips are sealed. You agree, Griff?

I suppose so, says Griff. After all, we don't smell of roses.

Indeed, says Gaius. To obtain Tiny Sacrifice we.... somewhat compromised our position.

You did? says young Richard Ligon. Intriguing. I wouldn't have expected....

No, you young people wouldn't, says Griff. But there was a result. That's the main thing.

I'm into results, says young Richard Ligon. And I can keep my mouth shut.

Inside his beaker, Tiny Sacrifice hopes that someone says something, and soon.

We obtained one snake egg in exchange for some private information, says Griff. The father drove a hard bargain.

The father! Tiny Sacrifice didn't even know that he had a father.

O father! Save me. Like fathers do.

What information? asks young Richard Ligon.

This is like trying to get juice from a stone.

The whereabouts of the mother, says Griff

Gaius looks disapproving. Best to keep mum.

But Griff (as a reverend) sees no harm in disseminating useless information.

A beach, says Griff. She was at the beach in front of the Waves Resort Hotel. Bent on dissolution.

Tiny Sacrifice doesn't like to hear this about his mother.

Dissolution. It doesn't sound good. And his father, did he go and save her, from the dissolution?

His mouth is dry with worry, about both his parents.

He wants to say something, but nothing comes out.

Then young Richard Ligon says: Leave this with me, guys.

And Gaius suddenly notices the stamp with the information about the poison.

And is distracted. And Griff doesn't care all that much.

So young Richard Ligon walks boldly out of the Herbarium with Tiny Sacrifice.

Tucking the glass beaker into his back pack, he goes straight to his bicycle.

And cycles to the Waves Resort Hotel.

He arrives just as the group going out on the catamaran cruise is leaving.

This group includes Mrs Thomas-Hume, and Terence, who is hoping to spot the Revenge and recover his parrot.