Food, No Food

Too bad, says Spike. Maybe mum and dad'll bring me back something.

Yes, too bad, says Terence. Want to play cannot but be?

How do you play it? asks Spike.

Terence begins to explain cannot but be to Spike.

......

This might be a good time to visit some other scenarios.

.......

Scenario One: Mum and dad, in the bar on Deck 9.

Mum: Better go down and see how Spike's going.

Dad: She'll be asleep.

Mum: She hasn't had dinner.

Dad: Let's take her some chips.

......

Scenario Two: Down below, in the cages.

Shih Tsu: I'm so hungry!

Jinjing: What would you eat?

Shih Tsu: Anything!

Wombat: Not anything, I bet.

Shih Tsu: I long for fish titbits, in a shiny square tin.

.....

Scenario Three: Gaius's bedroom, in Adelaide.

Gaius dreams: Arthur has gone to a bar and not come back yet. It is morning. Time to go to the airport. Gaius is woken by P. krameri. Squawk! He looks at his digital clock radio. It's not morning.
He gets up anyway. Arthur has not come back yet.

......

Scenario Four: Arthur is in a bar, catching up with Sweezus.

Arthur: I don't have to go.

Sweezus: No, you go. I've got heaps of work on.

Arthur: We're flying. Not going on the ferry with Margaret and Katherine.

Sweezus: Cool. Gaius would've gone mental.

Arthur: Have another?

Sweezus: Yeah, okay.

.......

Scenario Five: Mouldy has made it over the Sea Bridge to Zhuhai. He asks a stranger.

Mouldy: How far to Beijing from here?

Stranger: Two thousand two hundred and sixty point nine kilometres.

Mouldy: Is there a train?

Stranger: Yes. To Beijing West. Once daily.

Mouldy: Can I take a bike on?

Stranger: Of course.

Mouldy: Then I'm catching the train.

......

Back to Spike and Terence.

Spike is eating hot chips.

Terence is wiping cake from the cheese knife, with his finger.

They have abandoned cannot but be.

Not everyone understands how to play it.