Amen Is A Vowel

Early evening.

Margaret arrives at Katherine's with Terence.

What's in the back pack? asks Katherine.

Hat and parrot, says Terence. And pencils for the secret pathway.

I hope you brought a spare pair of shorts, says Katherine.

I didn't have room, says Terence.

Tch! says Katherine. There's no time to go shopping.

Early start in the morning, says Margaret. We should turn in soon.

Hot chocolate? asks Katherine.

Yes, please, says Margaret.

They bustle about in the kitchen.

Terence opens his back pack. Jinjing falls out.

Are we there yet? says Jinjing.

We haven't started, says Terence. But we've got all these pencils.

Pencils, says Jinjing.

To help us get there, says Terence. Shall we practise?

Practise, says Jinjing. What is practise?

Over and over, says Terence. And if you get it wrong, whack! First we need paper.

Jinjing sees some papers, on a table.

Paper, says Jinjing.

Good, says Terence. He takes the top paper.

It's a puzzle, in the shape of five squares, three across and three down, sharing the square in the middle

That's the secret way to Melbourne, says Terence.

Melbourne, says Jinjing. What are those letters?

You ask too many questions, says Terence.

But even Terence can see that the outer squares contain letters.

Top letter C
Left of centre letter T
Right of centre letter E
Bottom letter D

He already knows the T one.

That's a T, says Terence. Which ones do you know?

T, says Jinjing.

You're hopeless, says Terence.

What's up? says Katherine, coming in with a mug of hot chocolate.

We're practising, says Terence.

The puzzles are for tomorrow, says Katherine. But there's no harm in doing one now. Which letter's missing from the middle?

Uh?

One letter will make two words, says Katherine. One down and one across, T something E, and C something D. What is it?

Melbourne, says Terence.

No, says Katherine. Try a vowel.

Amen, says Terence.

How is amen a vowel? says Katherine. The answer is O. And you'll start learning your alphabet tomorrow.