Day Off: The Wrong Sugar

North Adelaide.

Team Philosophe sit under a red umbrella, drinking iced coffee.

Vello: I hope I don't get the runs.

David: At least, if you do, you have a double.

Gaius: I thought he'd packed up and gone home.

Vello: No, he's going to watch from the sidelines.

Humboldt: I see he's doing it already.

Gaius: Why doesn't he join us?

The Vellogram: I'm not deaf. All right. I'll join you. Who's getting the runs?

Vello: Me. This iced coffee has sweeteners in it.

David: It's my fault. I thought it was normal sugar.

The Vellogram: Let me see. O la la! But the packets don't look the same!

Humboldt: Yes. The little paper packets are different colours. The blue one is Equal.

Vello: Hah! They lie. It's not equal.

Belle (arriving with Terence): Hello team. All ready for tomorrow? Papa! What's the matter?

Vello: I've had the wrong sugar:

Belle: Never mind. I know what to do. Wait here and mind Terence.

Gaius: This is TERENCE?

Terence: I'm a CLOWN.

Humboldt: But you hate clowns.

Celia (hopping onto the table): It's incremental therapy.

David: Incremental? How is he a clown?

Celia: Belle took us to the Costume shop and we looked at clown costumes. But Terence only wanted a hat.

Terence: I got TWO hats. This is my favourite. It's got eyebrows.

It does have eyebrows. It's called Hatter with Eyebrows. The top hat is green velour with an orange silk band and a straggly feather. The orange hair is curly and springy. Two of the longest curls are twisted (amazingly) into eyebrows.

Belle: Here papa. A bunch of bananas. Eat one every morning.

Vello: Thanks, darling. I see Terence has a new hat.

Belle: You can hardly miss it. And you should see his other one. It's called Top hat with Steampunk Glasses.

Vello: Steampunk?

Vellogram: Don't tell me you've never heard of it?

Vello: Of course I haven't. And I don't suppose you have. What is it?

Belle: It's a sub genre of science fiction that features nineteenth century steam powered technology and design.

Vello: Will Sweezus know about it?

Belle: Sure to.

Vello: Don't lose those hats. We might use them in Candide's Garden.

David: Brilliant. Yes, Terence. Don't lose those hats.

Terence: I won't. I never lose anything. Where's my other one?

Belle: You do sometimes. Don't worry. I've got it.