Teeth Of Truth

Coffs Harbour, says Unni. Look Terence. The Big Banana!

Woo! says Terence.

What's the job you've got, Lulu? asks Unni.

Giant Slide attendant, says Lulu.

Can we go inside? asks Terence.

No, says Unni. It's closed anyway.

And it's dinner time, says Lulu. Let's go to the Planto.

What's the Planto? asks Unni.

Plantation Hotel, says Lulu. It's a backpackers as well. We might meet some guys there.

What about these guys? asks Unni. She means Terence in particular.

There's a Kidz Zone, says Lulu. It has kiddie cam.

She has been to the Planto before.

You're on, says Unni.

They tie Farky to a bollard outside.

The Magpie is allowed in on Unni's shoulder.

It's Friday night in the Planto, karaoke night.

But first, dinner.

Do you want nuggets, Terence? asks Unni.

No, says Terence. I want to go to the Kidz Zone.

Okay, says Unni. Take the Magpie.

You should keep the Magpie, says Lulu. We might do karaoke.

Unni keeps the Magpie.

The Magpie has to watch her eat salmon fillet with sweet potato chips, broccolini and béarnaise sauce.

He also has to watch Lulu eat garlic prawns with white wine sauce, rice and salad.

Then he has to sit on Unni's shoulder while she and Lulu sing Wuthering Heights.

KathEEE.. EE ..it's MEE... I've come hOOOme......

A couple of back packer guys are approaching.

Unni and Lulu are not even watching the kiddie cam.

........

Let's go back an hour, to when Terence was still in the Kidz Zone.

He waved into the kiddie cam. He made ghoulish faces. He pretended to crawl under the barrier.

No one came.

Terence had triumphed.

He crawled under the barrier, and sneaked out to the front of the Planto, to find Farky.

Come on! says Terence.

Wwuuwuuwegoing? asks Farky.

The Big Banana, says Terence. And don't pretend to be stupid.

Farky isn't pretending.

Umnot, says Farky.

You used to know everything, says Terence. You had all-knowing teeth.

Farky remembers. O yes, he had omniscient teeth once. They were fashioned from the conglomerate clasts embedded in the Omniscient Stone in Gaius's kitchen. The teeth knew who would win the Tour de France. And they knew that when one gains true knowledge there is no division....

(between knower and known)

But now, they are broken, and they don't even know if he ought to let Terence march off down the road in the dark to break into the Big Banana.