Where Max Went

It's crowded in the bird hide.

And no birds are in sight.

Gaius and Kierkegaard take turns looking through the binoculars.

Vello plays with the string.

Terence sits on the ground, morosely.

Thinking about what just happened.

Stupid parrot.

Stupid jellybean.

Look, says Vello. Cat's cradle.

Terence looks. Vello has made something clever, out of string.

Vello makes a fast hand movement. Ping!

I want to do it, says Terence.

Okay, says Vello. I'll show you.

Terence moves closer.

Get back! says Vello. There are ants climbing up you.

Wah! cries Terence.

Stamp about, says Vello.

Not in here, says Gaius. They'll climb up our legs next.

Come out here with me, Terence, says Vello.

They leave the bird hide.

One or two ants stay behind.

No. Make that six or seven.

Now let's brush you down, says Vello.

He knocks a few ants off Terence's feet and legs.

I bet you wish you had your unicorn pants on, says Vello.

I do, says Terence.

Or your shorts, says Vello. Shall we go back to the camper and get them?

Yes, says Terence. Yikes! There's one in my bumcrack!

I'm not touching that one, says Vello.

They are passing the Thyme-leaved spyridium.

Ants are swarming round the jellybean's remains. Bits of the jellybean are being carried off, in a specific direction.

Look at that! says Vello. That's what attracted them.

He and Terence make their way through the gap in the bulrushes.

The ants keep on working.

Did you hear that? says one ant to another.

No, I wasn't listening, says the other.

One of us has gone up the kid's bumcrack, says the first one.

That'll be Max, says the other.