Flatterers

The journey takes more than twenty minutes.

Vello doesn't want coffee to spill in his hat.

The coffee is in a takeaway cup with a lid, inside the upturned hat with the side flaps tucked round it.

He rides his bike slowly.

Kierkegaard rides beside him, with the sandwiches in his left shorts pocket, and three soft bananas in the right.

You go ahead if you want to, says Vello.

But I came back to show you the way, says Kierkegaard.

I'm sure I could find it, says Vello. You could leave markers.

That would involve stopping, says Kierkegaard.

But I'd enjoy finding the markers, says Vello

I take it you crave adventure? asks Kierkegaard.

Life is dull at the moment, says Vello. That's why I came.

We are not doing anything exciting, says Kierkegaard. We sit in a bird hide all day.

But you are looking for something, says Vello.

A southern emu-wren, says Kierkegaard. Terence has spotted one or two.

So he claims, observes Vello

So he claims, agrees Kierkegaard. But Lily, the girl he was with, spotted them too. It seems the emu-wrens thought Terence's parrot was a spider, and came close, but took fright soon after.

Vello remembers that Terence's parrot is a crab in reality, which makes sense of the spider.

He feels a few drops of rain on his nose.

Will we have a camp fire? asks Vello.

I don't think that's allowed, says Kierkegaard.

The bird hide is empty, when they arrive.

Kierkegaard leads Vello through the gap in the bulrushes.

Paloma has finished her day's planting.

Gaius is in the camper with Terence and Lily, says Paloma. You're welcome to join them.

Very kind, says Kierkegaard. This is Vello by the way. A colleague and fellow cyclist. Vello, this is Paloma. She's been planting seedlings

Well met, dear lady, says Vello. I admire your ecological determination.

Ha ha, laughs Paloma. You look familiar. Are you an actor?

Vello is flattered. No doubt she has seen his Candide.