Blood Spots In The Sand

That will be Margaret, says Gaius. Trust her to bring her own firewood.

Margaret! says Katherine. What makes you think that it's her?

Probably brought a tent, and a lunch box full of tomato sandwiches, mutters Gaius.

If it's your Margaret, says the Ranger, she has caught a fine mulloway. They'll be cooking it on their legally fuelled campfire for their dinner. By the way....

Mulloway! says Katherine. Lucky her. Lucky whistler.

I had no idea Ludwig was a competent whistler, says Gaius. He rises in my estimation.

Very fine, says the Ranger. He whistled two Brahms Hungarian Dances right through to the end, with no errors.

So she's with Wittgenstein, says Katherine. How delightful! And they're only twenty kilometres up the coast. Shall we up sticks, and join them?

Certainly not! snaps Gaius.

Well I shall, says Katherine. You may do as you choose. But surely you are tempted by mulloway, and a campfire?

Gaius casts around for a reason to remain with the apples.

Thank Jove! Terence is missing.

Terence appears to have left us, says Gaius. I shall have to stay here.

He went that way, says the Ranger. See his footprints. He'll be looking for a parrot. Even though I told him there are no parrots.

He calls most birds parrots, says Gaius. Bristlebirds, storks, even true parrots. Once I recall, in Holland, he owned a parrot balloon. It burst shortly after....

Katherine is packing her potatoes and novel, and getting ready to leave.

Goodbye, Gaius. I'll return later. Enjoy your apples and I hope you find Terence.

Deserted! says Gaius.

So I see, says the Ranger. Would you like me to keep an eye out for Terence?

Very kind, says Gaius. No need for haste though. I'll be here all night and all day tomorrow,

That reminds me, says the Ranger. Do you have a camping permit?

Jupiter! says Gaius. Do I need one?

.........

Terence is tracking the parrots.

The parrots have gone a long way.

The parrots have met other parrots and poked holes in the sand, in their company.

Then they have squabbled.

The sand is awry. Tracks lead out in every direction.

Then the tracks vanish.

What can have happened?

The parrots have all flown away.

On the white sand, Terence thinks he sees blood spots.