You Won't Float

Katherine has arrived at the marina, and parked in the visitors' car park.

So many boats in the marina. Which one's the Recherche?

I'll find it! shouts Terence, running towards the nearest pontoon.

Come back! says Katherine. You'll fall in, and you know you won't float.

I'll find it, says Jinjing. You wait here. I'll do a flyover.

Terence comes back. Katherine hands him the red pot containing Dear Zebra.

Try a whiff of sea air, says Katherine.

Yes! says Terence. Breathe, Dear Zebra.

Dear Zebra is trying. Eeh hah eeh hah.

She's breathing, says Terence. Look Dear Zebra, we're at the marina. See the boats?

But seeing the boats is beyond poor Dear Zebra.

Jinjing flies back.

Found it! says Jinjing.

Well done, says Katherine. Are you sure it's the right one?

Gaius is sitting on it, says Jinjing. And so is P. krameri.

Good, says Katherine. Lead on, Jinjing.

......

Terence runs ahead to where Gaius is sitting.

We're here! shouts Terence. And guess what?

Hello, Terence, says Gaius.

My Dear Zebra is breathing, says Terence. She died when I squeezed her. Really slowly. But now she's breathing the sea air. Look!

Gaius looks. Terence is on the pontoon. Too far away for him to see a tiny plant breathing.

Come aboard, says Gaius. Use the gangplank. Ah! Hello Katherine. Did you get my message?

Of course I did, says Katherine. Otherwise I'd be at the Gateway. Why is your face swollen?

What? says Gaius. Is it swollen? Must be that tooth I cracked on the nougat.

You should see a dentist, says Katherine. While you're still on the mainland. There may not be a dentist on Bruny Island.

As luck would have it, says Gaius, there's a dentist two berths up.

Go and see him, says Katherine.

He's coming here, says Gaius. The Captain is inviting him now.

And who is the Captain? asks Katherine.

Bruni d' Entrecasteaux, says Gaius. A friend of Ageless.

So the Captain's a lobster? asks Katherine.

He is, says Gaius.

Lucky you warned me, says Katherine. I wonder if the dentist is a lobster?

Gaius had not thought of that.

Terence meanwhile has gone below to find Arthur.

'Ello, says Arthur.

Ello, says Terence. Look what I've got. Hey, what are those?

Luuurps, says Arthur.

Ello, says Jinjing. I've been waiting and waiting to see you.

Yurp? says Arthur.

He pulls himself together. Perhaps he should chew on a lerp?

He pulls a leaf off the branch collected earlier by P. krameri and not yet placed in a sealable container, by Captain Bruni. He chews it, including the lerp.

Welcome, says Arthur, feeling better.

Thank you, says Jinjing. Would you like to hear my poem?

And mine? asks Terence, thinking hard. Something about how Jinjing smells like a fart

But fortunately for everyone, he can't recall it.