Control Bird

 Wah! cries Terence. You cut Baby-Glossy in half!

You buried Baby-Glossy? says Victor.

He had died, says Gaius. 

In what circumstances? asks Victor.

Never mind, says Gaius.

It was an accident, says Terence. 

Let me be the judge of that, says Victor. You know he was endangered?

No need to be funny, says Gaius.

I was not....begins Victor.

He was only in danger at the last minute, says Terence. Just before my foot squashed him.

You stepped on Baby-Glossy, says Victor. At the very least, that was clumsy.

I was getting something for Gaius, says Terence.

I might have known, says Victor. What was it?

This line of questioning will get you nowhere, says Gaius. I suggest you ask Terence about the cleaner who gave him the mood stone that you uncovered.

We thought he was the chemist, says Terence.

This mood stone? asks Victor.  

He is still holding it. It is no longer purple, but green, which suggests mixed emotions.

Yes, says Terence. It changes colour. Look, it's turned green! I made it go purple when I was sad about killing Baby-Glossy but mainly it stays brown for me, that's why I was doing the experiment.

Oh yes, what is this experiment? asks Victor.

He is not a good policeman. He has missed the clue about the cleaner.

I made it up, says Terence. Gaius said I could. 

What is it? asks Victor. Is there a hypothesis?

No, says Terence. A thermometer and a mood stone and a dead parrot.

I imagine there is a hypothesis, says Gaius. I told him that the colour of the mood stone could be related to temperature.

So he buried it, says Victor. Why on top of the bird?

I imagine the bird is the control, says Gaius. Being dead, it has no emotions, and is the same temperature as the earth.

Not if it is the process of decomposing, says Victor.

You have certainly helped that along, says Gaius.

Terence looks down into the hole, at the two parts of Baby-Glossy.

Two parts. It's not that bad really.

Baby-Glossy is two with the earth.