Flaws In Connectedness

Gaius and Humboldt cycle to the Rio Tinto bauxite mine outside Weipa.

Terence is in Gaius's basket, in charge of the refurbished Pinky.

Ask them, says Terence.

Ask them what? asks Pinky.

Not what, says Terence. Ask them why?

I can't ask them anything, says Pinky. They're sleeping.

Inside Pinky, the bandy bandies are sleeping. She can't ask them anything.

Where are we going? asks Pinky. I wasn't listening.

We're going to a box MINE! says Terence. Where they dig up boxes.

Gaius has been ignoring the conversation so far. But he can't let this go.

Bauxite, says Gaius. Not boxes.

What is Box-ite? asks Pinky.

A naturally occurring material rich in aluminium, says Gaius.

O, says Pinky.

The tip of her black and white striped finger moves in the breeze.

Now we know everything, says Terence.

Kobo and Ageless are travelling in Humboldt's basket.

Ageless is keeping still. He hopes Kobo will roll towards him at any moment.

and then,,,,,,,,crik crik,,,,,hoo!!

Kobo is keeping up a loud conversation with Humboldt.

I hear you climbed Chimborazo, says Kobo

I did, replies Humboldt. After that I saw the world differently.

How interesting, says Kobo. In what way?

I saw the earth as one living organism, says Humboldt. Everything is connected.

That is too simple, says Kobo. As a fossilised clam of longstanding I beg to differ. Everything is separate, and most things are not connected.

How interesting, says Humboldt. In what way?

Take me and Ageless, says Kobo. Take dear Pinky.

Humboldt ponders her meaning. She does have a point about Pinky.

He re-examines his long-held belief.

Come to think of it, he himself rode the entire Tour de France on Schopenhauer's bicycle.

And yet, not a Schopenhaurian thought crossed his mind, although it was supposed to.

They arrive at the gate of the mine.

We're here to see Roderick Coconut, says Gaius. He's expecting us.

Yep. Right. He'll be over there somewhere, doing revegetation, says the gatekeeper, pointing at heaps of red stones.

Round the third heap and keep going till you see the new nonda plums.

All right if we take our bikes in? asks Gaius.

Go for it. No worries. Hey! That a bandy bandy in that pink rubber glove? Thought so....

They cycle to the third heap of stones, dismount and wheel their bikes round it.

There in the distance is the revegetation team, bending down, planting nondas.