Not Wounds But Red Eyes

An early start.

Katherine is driving.

They pass through Murray Bridge.

Terence has learned Q R S T and no more.

Jinjing has learned the whole alphabet, and several diphthongs.

They pass through Keith.

Give him another puzzle, says Katherine, to Margaret.

I'm still working out COD and TOE, says Terence.

It's finished, says Margaret.

It doesn't make sense, says Terence. What's a COD anyway?

A fish, says Margaret.

So it wouldn't have a TOE, says Terence.

They stop in Bordertown for two quick coffees and a red drink for Terence.

Now Margaret is driving.

Here, says Katherine. Try this puzzle. Where's your pencil?

She gives Terence his new puzzle, a maze.

Help a hungry Tasmanian Devil find its food by finding your way through the maze, says Katherine.  That's the Devil. Start there.

Holy bumface! says Terence.

Terence! says Katherine. Language.

I'm allowed, says Terence..

Not by me, says Katherine. Jinjing, perhaps you could help him.

Jinjing looks at the Devil, the pathways, the food.

The food looks unappetising. Is it a dead lizard, a snake, a bêche de mer? And what are the two red lumps at the back end? Or is it the front end?

Jinjing will not help the Tasmanian Devil get to this food.

He won't, says Terence. Jinjing is refusing. I'll have to do it.

Terence gets a pencil and draws a direct line from Devil to food .

Easy-peasy, says Terence.

You crossed a whole lot of lines, says Katherine. The idea is not to.

But the Devil got there, says Terence.

No, he didn't, says Katherine.

He didn't want the food anyway, says Terence.

They are now passing Nhill.

Katherine is re-doing the maze to show Terence the right way.

See this, says Katherine. You try various routes and if you come to a barrier you retrace your steps until you finally get there. See, I've got there.

Make his food look nicer, says Terence. Otherwise it's not worth it.

Don't indulge him, Katherine, says Margaret.

But Katherine is the sort of person who likes a challenge.

The food looks enigmatic.

Is it a jellyfish with two heads and a tail curving backwards? Is it a sloth? Is it bleeding? Or are they not wounds, but red eyes?

She adds several culinary features.

Look, says Katherine. A cherry donut!

Yum! says Terence.

Margaret shakes her head as she speeds through Dimboola.