Viable Eggs

The Alexanders communicate with their fellow Alexanders.

Some are not fond of science.

Some are not interested in improving the lot of their fellow crabbies.

A few have not heard of Gaius.

Only three have heard of Kierkegaard.

They all know Robbie Burns. But not all of them find his poetry comprehensible.

This takes some time.

The tide turns and starts to come in.

woosh weersh woooosh

We have five volunteers, says Alexander.

Including you? asks Ageless.

Six, including me, says Alexander.

It is now up to Ageless to make a list of the volunteer Alexanders.

Pencil!

woosh weersh woooosh!

Kierkegaard always has a pencil. But it is raining again, and he has opened his umbrella, so one hand holds the umbrella while the other grasps the yellow bucket. This makes it awkward to get hold of a pencil.

Are ye in a pickle? asks Robbie. Let me hold the bucket.

Kierkegaard hands Robbie the bucket, leaving one hand free to reach into his pocket for a pencil.

He hands the pencil to Ageless.

Ageless now lacks only paper.

Paper!

woosh weersh woooosh

Hum, says Gaius. The tide's coming in. Scoop the volunteers into the bucket.

Wait, croaks Ageless. I haven't got all their names yet. No paper!

Hoots mon, they're a' call'd Alexander, says Robbie, scooping.

This isn't well organised, says one Alexander to another.

No, it isn't, agrees the Alexander. Why don't they give us numbers?

I suppose they think numbers are too impersonal, says a third Alexander.

That's comforting, actually, says a fourth Alexander.

A fifth Alexander is dropped into the bucket and lands on top of the first, second, third and fourth Alexanders.

They're just finding some paper, says the fifth Alexander. We might have to get out.

No way, says the first Alexander. It's raining. What use is paper?

Someone should tell them, says the second Alexander. Rain makes paper soggy.

They're scientists, they should know that, says the third Alexander.

What is happening up there? Are they really looking for paper?

The sixth Alexander might know.

The sixth Alexander is dropped into the bucket.

What's going on? ask the other Alexanders. Are we waiting for paper? Do we have to get out?

No it's all right, says the sixth Alexander. Well, it is and it isn't. I dropped a few viable eggs in the scoop, not that I cared, but the one they call Gaius insisted they be wrapped up in paper.

Well, I think that shows commitment, says the fourth Alexander.