Top Note Squeaking

Farky'll find them, says Unni.

Farky leaps up and down before Sweezus.

Seek! says Sweezus.

Farky sniffs at the ground.

He heads off towards Redfern Park.

.....

Redfern Park.

Terence sits on the grass, watching the magpie.

The magpie is smart. It can hear the sound of grubs and worms, underground.

It pulls a worm up. The worm looks like pink ringed spaghetti.

See this, says the magpie.

Terence comes in closer.

The worm has a face.

Don't eat it, says Terence. It wants to say something.

The worm does want to say something.

But the magpie doesn't want to hear it.

I command you, says Terence.

The worm looks grateful.

No one commands a magpie, says the magpie.

I do, says Terence. I used to live in a palace.

Prrt! says the magpie, snapping the worm in two halves.

One half looks startled.

The magpie swallows the non-startled half.

The other half wiggles away to a grass hole.

I saved you, says Terence.

You saved it, says the magpie.

No, you, says Terence. I saved you from not being allowed to be my parrot.

What? says the magpie. I don't want to be your parrot.

You can do train noises, says Terence.

How do you know? asks the magpie.

On the train, you made them, says Terence.

No, that was the train, says the magpie. Did you really think it was me?

Yes, says Terence, because it was squeaky.

It was one of those trains that are squeaky, says the magpie.

Oh, says Terence. Then forget it. I've got Saint Roley. He's an oystercatcher.

The magpie has never heard of an oystercatcher called Saint Roley.

And he knows most of the saints.

He bets Saint-Roley-Oystercatcher can't make a train noise.

The magpie makes his best train noise, with a convincing top note of squeaking.

A train in Redfern Park!

Several families look up from their picnics.

 Grrr! Woof! Tooly mooly!

Farky bounds up, just as Terence is high fiving the magpie.