Cannot-but-be Explained

It's late at night.

Everyone who sleeps is asleep.

Crabs don't. Terence doesn't.

Terence is explaining a game to the crabs.

The game is Cannot-but-be.

And why Cannot-but-be?

Because earlier, Terence introduced the word BE.

( If we remember, it went like this:

 You can't SPEND a day. What then? How about BE?

Alexander-Red-Hook has taken this as a piece of existential wisdom and suggested to Alexander-Groovy and Alexander-Curly that they should ask to go to the beach and just be.

Terence has been pleased that Alexander-Red-Hook has approved the word BE.

Perhaps they could play Cannot-but-be.

Alexander-Red-Hook has asked how to play it.)

Someone asks a question, says Terence. But it has to be the right question.

Give an example, says Alexander-Red-Hook.

What if you were a BEE? says Terence.

I don't know, says Alexander-Red-Hook. Would I then know the right question?

Terence is delighted.

Yes, you would! Cannot-but BEE! You're good already!

The other crabs aren't sure that they've got it.

But Terence's excitement has woken Marie.

She lies awake thinking.

Potato eating races. Where did that idea come from?

She pokes Belle, in the sleeping bag beside her.

What is it? mumbles Belle.

We need to buy some potatoes, says Marie.

Sweezus stirs.

He had been dreaming of racing barefoot through sand hills, clutching hot potatoes.

Yeouch!

Arthur stirs. Uuh. Wassamatter?

Dream, mutters Sweezus. Hot potatoes.

He goes back to sleep, having turned over.

Arthur is wide awake now. What time is it? Four in the morning.

He sees something weird. It's his shorts moving across his line of vision. Not the ones he is wearing. The old ones, that Kierkegaard borrowed.

They are heading towards Lauren's laundry.

Arthur stands up, intending to follow.