Secret Pathway To Melbourne

Knock knock.

Gaius opens the door.

It's Margaret.

I've come for Terence, says Margaret.

Have you?  says Gaius. You didn't need to. Arthur would have delivered him.

I thought it would be nice to catch up, says Margaret.

Of course, come in, says Gaius. I was just....

Looking for a pencil? says Margaret.

How did you know? asks Gaius.

Lucky guess, says Margaret. Here, have one of these.

She offers him a pencil, from the box she has recently purchased.

These are for Terence when we're driving to Melbourne, says Margaret. We thought he might like to do puzzles.

Terence? says Gaius.

Terence hears his name, and comes running.

I'm going on the ferry! says Terence.

Yes, with Katherine and me, says Margaret. First, we must drive to Melbourne. That's where the ferry leaves from.

When? cries Terence.

Tomorrow evening, says Margaret, inching her way past Gaius, towards the kitchen.

Hello Margaret, says Arthur.

Hello Arthur, says Margaret. I've come for Terence.

He's ready, says Arthur.

I believe he now has two parrots, says Margaret.

We'll keep one, says Gaius. Terence will take the other.

Jinjing holds his breath.

Which one is the other?

But he already knows it is him.

Well, Gaius, says Margaret. Are you going to offer me tea?

I would, says Gaius, If I had some. And Arthur has polished off the biscuits.

Water will do then, says Margaret.

A nice glass of water.

We must arrange to meet up in Tasmania, says Margaret. I shall be pottering around Rocky Cape for a while, looking for evidence of zircon minerals matching those found in North America.....

Sounds like a fool's errand, says Gaius. Arthur and I will be in the south east corner, looking for endangered birds.

Ditto, says Margaret. And when we've done our fool's errands, we must meet in the middle.

Jinjing brightens.

He'll meet Arthur again in the middle.

Can we go now? asks Terence.

In a minute, says Margaret. Don't you need to pack something?

My Peruvian hat, says Terence. And Jinjing.

Gaius hands him a back pack.

You can put these pencils in it as well, says Margaret. They're for the puzzles.

Yay! Puzzles! says Terence. What kind of puzzles?

Mazes, says Margaret.

Like amazeballs? says Terence.

No, not like amazeballs, says Margaret. A maze is like a secret pathway from one thing to another, and you have to find it, with a pencil.

Terence says nothing. But it sounds like a weird way to get to Melbourne