Words On The Shell

What is here? asks the gendarme, in French.

A warning, says Splosh.

Grafitti and desecration, says the gendarme, in English.

Victor! says Gaius. Is it you?

Gaius! I might have known you'd be involved, says Victor.

We are here on serious business, says Gaius. Sea levels are rising.

They are, says Victor. Look at your feet.

Gaius looks at his feet. Water is swooshing around them.

He steps off the dead bird platform, to a higher level.

It's a message, says Belle. And a beautiful one.

A message for whom? asks Victor.

For the seabirds, says Splosh. The take home message is, build your nests on higher ground, or risk extinction.

Victor flashes his torch around the rock sculptures.

The beams land on Rock-Arthur, with its new red moustache, and Terence, with his red pencil.

And what has this to do with the message? asks Victor.

Nothing, says Terence.

Did you do it? asks Victor.

No, says Terence. Baldy did it.

I didn't says Baldy. Look at my pencil.

Victor bends down to look at Baldy's pencil.

He shines his torch on it. It's black.

You could not have drawn the moustache with this pencil, says Victor. You're in the clear.

He wanted to, says Terence.

The sea will wash it off, says Splosh. These are watercolour pencils.

Prismalo? asks Victor. I have bought some of these for my nephew. Are they good?

Excellent, says Splosh. And by the way, all this I've done, it's only temporary. Three nights max, I just need to film it.

Really? says Gaius. All that effort for something ephemeral?

That's the whole point, says Splosh.

She takes a camera out of her back pack.

I'd better not be in it, says Victor.

Stand back then, says Splosh. Oops. Not that way!

Victor has stepped on a thought bubble, and cracked it.

Gaius picks up the pieces.

It's an egg! says Gaius, surprised.

What did you think it was? asks Splosh.

It was floating, says Gaius.

Nothing in it, says Splosh. Just the words on the shell.

Gaius examines the pieces.

PI--SS--ON--IT, says Gaius.  A-hem!

PASS IT ON. You've got the pieces mixed up, says Splosh.

The sea is rushing in madly.

Come, says Victor. I'll escort you all back in my wagon. Where are you staying?

Hotel Kyriad, says Gaius. Arthur is with us.

Don't tell me, says Victor. He's gone off somewhere.

He's with François-René de Chateaubriand, says Gaius. A very fine fellow. A writer.

Not a good one, says Belle.