Goodbye To Your People

Time to board the Spirit of Tasmania.

Cars move up the ramp slowly.

Stop! says an official. Any animals in this vehicle?

No, says Katherine.

The official peers in.

What's that then?

My parrot, says Terence. He's sleeping.

Toy parrot don't sleep, says the official. Give it here.

It's obviously a toy parrot, says Margaret. I can vouch for its inanimate nature.

She sewed up its bottom, says Terence.

All the more reason for me to examine it, says the official.

He is handed Jinjing.

It looks like a toy parrot, but is it?

He squeezes Jinjing. Nothing happens.

Or so it would seem.

The squeeze triggers memories in the comatose parrot.

Chen, his little owner. She was so clever. She swapped him for Mouldy. What was so good about Mouldy? Mouldy claimed to have learned acceptance. That would not impress Chen. Mouldy claimed to love danger. He was last seen riding a red bicycle through Hong Kong airport, being sprayed blue. How did Mouldy function? Did he have a button? NO HE DIDN'T!

Jinjing opens his parrot eyes. OU!

What's that? says the official.

A diphthong! says Jjinjing.

I knew it, says the official. This bird goes into a cage for the rest of the voyage. Say goodbye to your people.

Wah! says Terence. He won't like it.

Don't worry about me, says Jinjing. I can handle it.

Well said, Jinjing, says Katherine. Oh! Will he need water?

They get water every half hour, says the official. No on board deaths have occurred since we implemented that procedure.

Comforting to hear, says Margaret. May we proceed now?

Proceed, says the official.

Katherine inches forward, parks her car carefully.

It is only now that they see the row of metal cages, down one side of the car park.

Jinjing has been placed in a cage between a Shih Tsu and a wombat.

At least he'll have someone to talk to.