Turning Sideways While Running

It's night time, at Lake Jasper.

Wetland frogs croak softly.

Waterbirds sleep.

Spiders lie low, having had bad experiences lately.

Hai! Hai!

Raoul awakes.

Someone is cycling up the bike track, as fast as possible, in sand.

The person does a wheelie.

Sweeerrch! Vroom! Sand sprays on Raoul.

Gone. But he can still hear Hai! Hai!

Argh!

Has there been an accident? Raoul unzips his sleeping bag, and heads down the bike track.

Sprocket is re-unfolding the fold up bicycle which folded up when he fell off.

Shu is apologising.

You've got sharp sticks! says Raoul. Are you fighting?

No, says Shu. Sprocket is practising for the Tour de France. I'm assisting.

Wow! says Raoul. Can I help?

No, says Shu.

Maybe, says Sprocket. Could you run ahead to those reeds and film me speeding past you?

Sure, says Raoul.

He takes Sprocket's phone and runs ahead to the reed clump.

Sprocket remounts and speeds off towards Gaius's camp site.

Raoul presses 'video', and hopes that it works in the dark.

Shu starts running after Sprocket, with sharp sticks extended.

Are you meant to be in it? asks Raoul.

What? says Shu, turning sideways while running.

Something one should not ever do with sharp sticks.

No, don't film me! calls Shu over his shoulder.

Hai! Hai!

Raoul follows Shu all the way back to Gaius's campsite, because he has the video.

Elodie, Gaius and Arthur are sitting on the poncho, eating Portuguese smoked chicken, and drinking bottled spring water.

Ar-Lu-Lun is asleep in his glass bottle.

Lavender and Baby Pierre watch him sleep

He doesn't breathe, says Lavender.

Not in there, says Baby Pierre.

Perhaps he's dead too, says Lavender.

They only breathe when they're moving, says Baby Pierre. That's when air goes through. But they can go a long time without breathing.

I hope so, says Lavender. It's a long way to China.

She knows that because she has been.

Sprocket, Shu and Raoul arrive, in that order.

How did it go? asks Arthur.

Good, I think, says Sprocket. Let's see the video.

Raoul plays it, as they all crowd around.

Here comes Sprocket, speeding through the darkness, legs pumping. Reeds. A fine spray of sand. Hai!Hai! Here comes Shu with sharp sticks extended, turning to the camera, saying No don't film me. Will he trip over? No, he is an expert at running with sticks.

Everyone applauds except Arthur.