Staring At Clouds

Curloooo! says Terence.

No. Cuuuurlew! says Saint Roley. It has to sound sad.

Cuuuuuuuuuurlooooo! says Terence. Was that sad?

Can I help you? asks the flight attendant.

No, thank you, says Gaius. They're just practising bird calls.

Ah, says the flight attendant. Well, I've had some complaints. Would you mind asking them to be quiet?

Certainly, says Gaius. They'll study quietly.

Thank you, says the flight attendant. Are you a bird watcher?

Natural historian and activist, says Gaius. My team here is heading to Brisbane to lobby the Moreton Bay council. Their projected development is set to further endanger the Far Eastern Curlew.

Really? says the flight attendant. Well, good luck with that. Can I get you a tea or coffee?

Water, please, says Gaius

I'll have a coffee, says Belle.

She has been staring out of the window, at clouds.

She has been thinking about what will probably happen in Sydney.

Arthur and Sweezus will disappear. They'll fly to Coolangatta and go surfing.

Gaius will affect some surprise. Then he will wonder how he will cope without Arthur. Who'll find his pencils? Obtain a sharp knife?

And she'll be the one everything falls to. Including Terence.

Terence. What a handful.

Look at him now. Smeared with red jam. Where did he get it? Trying a surreptitious bird call. Curloooo! And he hasn't got the tone right. He'll need coaching.

Gaius, says Belle. I've been thinking about stopping in Sydney for a while. I'd like to catch up with Unni.

Unni Moon! says Gaius. Oh, all right. Remember me to her. And her father.

Sweezus isn't wearing his head phones.

Fuck, says Sweeus, under his breath.

Arthur is wearing headphones, listening to Young Dumb and Broke.

Sweezus leans over and lifts them.

Fuck! says Sweezus, again.

What is it? says Arthur. Missing the jam?

Worse, says Sweezus. Belle just told Gaius she's not going to Brisbane. Know what that means?

Not really, says Arthur.

Gaius is gonna freak out when we head for the Gold Coast, says Sweezus. He won't have any team left.

He'll have Saint Roley, says Arthur.

Yeah, says Sweezus. And Terence.

Chill out, says Arthur We can fix this. What's Belle doing in Sydney?

Seeing Unni, says Sweezus.

Already fixed, then, says Arthur.

Glad you think so, says Sweezus. Geez! When do we get there?

Arthur doesn't know. Ten more hours?

He wonders how Unni looks now.