No One Leaves Oars

It's four am. The Sapphire is closing.

Most people are heading for home.

Arthur is standing outside on the pavement with Yaah.

You okay? says Yaah.

Sure, says Arthur. What time it it?

Four, says Yaah. 

How come you said we'd be invincible? says Arthur.

Invincible means not vincible, says Yaah. And vincible means...like, nothing can harm you.

I know what vincible means, says Arthur. My question was more regarding the we.

Empathy, says Yaah. I'm empathetic.

You didn't think you were coming? says Arthur.

I imagined I was coming, says Yaah. I imagined the boat trip and the dinghy landing. I imagined the overnight stay on Te Hauturu-o-Toi. I imagined...

Okay, says Arthur. But you didn't imagine my companions.

Some other young guys, says Yaah.

Not exactly, says Arthur. 

Who then? asks Yaah. 

A natural historian, a philosopher and a mother of dragons, says Arthur.

Now I DO want to come with you, says Yaah.

Arthur wonders why he described Katherine as a mother of dragons when Permit Holder might have been more accurate. Or David's mother.

I don't think you can, says Arthur. We had to get a permit. And we had to clean all our gear and wash all our clothes and get the soil off our shoes and check for lizards and cucumbers.

Have you done that? asks Yaah.

Not yet, says Arthur. I've got five hours before we start to head out there.

Five hours, says Yaah. You could practise your rowing.

They head for the wharf, to look for dinghies tied up loosely with cables and clips.

They don't seem to know that no one leaves oars in their dinghy.