What Now, Girls?

Did they agree to an air hole? asks Elodie.

Yes, says Lavender. And they agreed not to escape.

So we'd better give them an air hole, says Elodie. I'll go and look for a hammer and nail.

She goes off to look in the camper.

Lavender waits by the tin.

What are you doing? asks Baby Pierre, who is back from delivering Ar-Lu-Lun to the campsite of Raoul and Markus.

Guarding the spiders, says Lavender. Waiting for Elodie to come back and make them an air hole.

Where will it be? asks Baby Pierre.

In the top, says Lavender.

But the top is the bottom, says Baby Pierre.

Trust him to think of this problem.

If you make a hole there, says Baby Pierre, you won't ever be able to use the tin for carrying liquids. Or even fine powders.

Okay smarty, says Lavender.

The female spiders inside the dark tin are listening.

We might not get our air hole, says one. We should have escaped when we had the opportunity.

The others are inclined to agree.

If a corner of the tin is lifted a second time, they will make a run for it.

They arrange themselves, five at each corner.

You never know which corner it will be.

Elodie comes back with a tin opener.

This is all I could find. It's a jabber.

Let's see, says Lavender.

It's a sharp pointed jabber.

Elodie is about to jab it in.

Wait, says Lavender. Maybe we shouldn't make this air hole in the top, because actually, the top is the bottom, and we'll be wrecking it for ever.

I said that FIRST, says Baby Pierre.

Good on you, says Elodie. Both of you. I'll make a hole in the side, near the rim.

She lifts up a corner.

Five female spiders run out.

Oops, says Elodie.

She drops the corner down quickly, and makes the air hole without lifting it again.

Inside the tin there are now only fifteen female spiders.

The five escaped female spiders run until they reach a low shrub. They stop there.

What now, girls?