Transience

Another drink? asks the dark-eyed poet.

Arthur doesn't mind if he does.

Do you live on it? asks Arthur.

On what? asks the poet.

Your island, says Arthur.

Oh that, says the poet. You could say I do.

I'm Arthur, says Arthur.

François-René, says the poet.

What's its name? asks Arthur.

Grand Be, says François-René. Would you like to come out there? Birds abound. Also ruins.

I like ruins, says Arthur.

His phone rings, but he doesn't answer.

This afternoon at low tide, says François-René. We'll walk out there.

You look like someone, says Arthur.

HA! says the poet. The romantic look is what I go for. I'm a writer.

Anything I've heard of? asks Arthur.

Les Natchez, says François-René.

Arthur has never heard of Les Natchez.

You? asks the poet.

Illuminations, says Arthur.

You wrote that? I love it! says François-René. Another drink, yes?

Arthur doesn't mind if he does.

..........

In the hotel room, Gaius is scribbling notes, while his clothes dry.

Notes: SEAGULLS.....

That is as far as he gets.

Tap tap tap. A seagull is sitting outside the window, staring in without blinking.

Gaius gets up and opens the window.

It's me, says the seagull.

Is it? says Gaius.

What does that mean? asks the seagull.

I apologise, says Gaius. I recognise you, of course. In fact, you're just the bird I want to see.

I thought so, says the seagull. We flew off in a hurry, Extreme Lefty and me.

Indeed, says Gaius. I wished to ask you what you know of the habits of the Eurasian oystercatcher. I gather you hold them in low regard.

We do, says the seagull, (who must be Lefty). Very low regard.

Well then, says Gaius. What can you tell me?

He picks up his notebook.

They're lazy, says Lefty. They lay their eggs in a scrape in the sand.

I know that, says Gaius. And rising sea levels are a problem. They persist in building their scrapes in the same places.

Ha! says Lefty. But what you don't know is.....

BANG! the door of the hotel room bursts open and Terence and Baldy race in, followed by Belle, with a towel.

No! cries Terence. I'm not taking them off!

Lefty is startled, and vanishes.

Gaius is annoyed. He draws a heavy line under SEAGULLS in his notebook.

So heavy, his pencil breaks. And he doesn't have another.

Damn. Where is Arthur?