Winking Won't Make Me

Captain Bruni is still groaning.

Ooh! Ugh! Foo! Fah!

Jinjing picks up the two little grey balls.

Swallow these, Captain Bruni.

Captain Bruni is prepared to try anything.

He accepts the grey balls.

Wait! says Terence. Let me see them!

But Captain Bruni has already swallowed the little grey balls.

He flexes gingerly.

Feeling any better? asks Jinjing.

No, says Terence.

Not you, the Captain, says Jinjing.

A little, says Captain Bruni. Are we there yet?

Not yet, says Jinjing. Another ten minutes.

Good, says Captain Bruni. Carry on. I'll just lie here.

Now can we look for my toes? asks Terence.

Show me your foot, says Jinjing.

Terence thrusts his foot forward.

I thought so, says Jinjing. I know where your toes are.

Yay! says Terence. Where?

Trust me, says Jinjing. You don't want to know yet.

I DO know! cries Terence. I KNEW you gave them to Captain Bruni to swallow!

What's this? asks Captain Bruni, from the floor of the dinghy.

Nothing, says Jinjing.

I feel rather heavy inside, says Captain Bruni.

Jinjing winks at Terence.

What are you doing that for? asks Terence.

Jinjing lowers his head and whispers to Terence.

Placebo.

I'm not! says Terence. And winking won't make me. I'm telling!

You'll ruin it, says Jinjing.

Terence doesn't care. Captain  Bruni has swallowed his toes. Now he'll have to wait till Captain Bruni goes to the toilet. How long will that be?

You've swallowed my toes! says Terence. I'm following you till I get them back.

A loud reply issues from the stomach of Captain Bruni, indicating some sort of movement.

You're wrong about one thing, says Captain Bruni. And right about the other,

That's impossible, says Jinjing. One was a right or wrong statement, but the other was clearly conditional.

Jinjing is clever, says Terence. Nearly as clever as me. He even knows diphthongs.

Ooooh! moans Captain Bruni.

It's not clear why.