Vaguely Artistic

Okay, says Sprocket. All set? First stop Mandurah.

Mandurah? says Gaius.

Lunch, says Sprocket. Mandurah's less than an hour away, Lake Jasper's over three hundred k.

All right, says Gaius. I expect we'll all feel a bit peckish shortly.

I feel peckish now, says Sprocket.

Have a date ball, says Elodie.

She whips out a packet of date balls. Offers one to Sprocket.

He takes one. His phone rings.

That'll be Grace, says Sprocket. Checking up on me.

Want me to talk to her? asks Elodie.

Yeah okay, says Sprocket. He chucks the phone to the back, Elodie grabs it.

Too late, says Elodie. Missed call. I'll keep it in case she calls back.

Can I have it? asks Baby Pierre. Sprocket wants to make a documentary.

What? says Sprocket.

He says you want to make a documentary, says Gaius.

Not right now, says Sprocket.

I'll do it, while he's driving , says Baby Pierre. I'll take photos and even make videos.

Brilliant, says Elodie. Okay with that, Sprocket?

Sprocket sighs.

Why not? At least Grace will see he's done something vaguely artistic.

Yep, says Sprocket. Hey, any more date balls?

Elodie hands him a second date ball. Chomp. Ker-click.

First photo, an artistic shot of the rear view mirror, with the top of Sprocket's head, as he is eating a date ball.

Let's see, says Elodie.

Baby Pierre shows her.

A video would've been better, says Elodie. His head would have moved up and down. Or you should've got up higher, and angled it down, kind of.

The phone rings again.

Hello, Sprocket's phone, says Elodie. Hello Grace. Yes, via Mandurah. Going to have lunch there. Café Moka? Sounds awesome. Okay. No. He's eating a date ball. Yes, heaps of photos. Bye now.

She didn't need to know I was eating a date ball, says Sprocket.

I thought she might be pleased to know you're eating healthy, says Elodie.

Yeah right, says Sprocket. Did she ask about water?

No, says Elodie. Have we got any?

No, says Gaius. I thought you....

No, says Sprocket. We'll get some in Mandurah.

Interesting place, Mandurah, says Gaius, looking up from his phone. Abundant wildlife and migratory shorebirds. Dolphins. And half an hour further south, Yalgorup National Park is home to thrombolites. We must stop there.

Thrombolites, says Elodie. Not strombolites?

No, thrombolites, says Gaius.

He leans round the seat to explain the difference to Elodie. A difference in structure.

Ker-click, whirr. Baby Pierre makes a short video of the top of Sprocket's head registering the difference.