Saved But Redundant

And how did Ronnie get in there?

Who'd want to eat a roast pencil?

No one.

Where's that pencil? asks Gaius. I may as well get on with my list while we wait for our dinner.

It was on the chopping board with the turnip, says Arthur.

Then I know where it is, says Louisa. It'll be in the roasting pan, with the veggies.

She opens the oven.

Hot air rushes out.

She grabs her tongs, and rescues the pencil.

Here you are, Gaius, says Louisa. Watch out, it's hot. And oily.

It probably won't write now, grumbles Gaius.

You can have one of mine, says Louisa.

So Ronnie is saved. But redundant.

Gaius gets on with his list.

Glossy black cockatoo.
Southern rufous scrub bird

That's terrible, says Louisa.

Yes it is, says Gaius. To be threatened with extinction.

I meant Terence's playing, says Louisa.

What? Hmm. Yes. Why did you give him a trumpet?

He said he's been practising.

He hasn't.

Come here, Terence, says Louisa.

Terence comes into the kitchen, with the trumpet.

Look what's happened to the pencil, says Louisa. Isn't that funny?

Terence drops the trumpet and picks up the ill-fated Ronnie.

We don't drop trumpets! says Louisa. We put them down.

Put me down, murmurs Ronnie.

Who cooked you? asks Terence.

Arthur, says Ronnie.

Just careless, says Arthur. Who'd want to eat a roast pencil?

(Exactly. We've asked that already).

Now look, says Terence. He's ruined. And I didn't do it.

Never mind, says Gaius. He's out now. No risk of any of us breaking a tooth on roast Ronnie.

Boo! says Terence. Who cares about your stupid teeth?

I do, says Gaius. Anyway, Louisa has given me a new pencil. Ronnie's all yours now.

Dear Ronnie, says Terence. You're all oily.

Where is .... begins Ronnie. Huuu-uh......

It's too hard. He can't finish

Perhaps he wants to know where his old friend the turnip's discarded bits are?

But then wouldn't he have asked in the plural.... where are?