Dumb Cluck

Rusty looks around.

Where's my ship? asks Rusty.

Mum took it up to the cottage to fix it, says Bertille.

We thought you'd drowned, says Terence.

So why fix it? asks Rusty.

So I could use it, says Terence.

Okay, says Rusty. Anyway, I wasn't drowned. Who's happy?

We all are, says Gaius. 

We named you Rusty, says Saint Arnoc. 

Why? asks Rusty.

To remember you in a positive way, says Saint Arnoc. 

Yes, says Terence. I even made up a poem. Here lies Rusty.

You dumb-cluck, says Rusty. Where did I lie?

 At the bottom of the ocean, says Terence. 

Never mind, says Gaius. There has been a joyous ending. Although, I suppose we should return Rusty to the museum.

I'm not going back there, says Rusty.

Yippee! says Terence. As soon as the ship's fixed, we'll set sail to look for Saint Roley's brother.

No you won't, says Gaius. Not you, anyway.

And there may be no need, says the oystercatcher.

Everyone freezes.

Does this mean he has news of Saint Roley's brother?

There are a few older birds who remember Saint Roley's brother, says the oystercatcher. They watched him take a different path from his brother. They observed him with interest.

Why didn't they SAVE him! asks Terence.

They too believed in the pointing finger, says the oystercatcher. I'm not saying they were right.

They were not right, says Gaius. The pointing finger was a This Way Up direction on a man-made cardboard container.

That doesn't necessarily mean it had no higher meaning, says Saint Arnoc.

Quite, says the oystercatcher. This has long been a coast where miracles happen.

Very well. But not in this case, says Gaius. The brother was not seen again.

That's the interesting thing, says the oystercatcher. There have been recent sightings.

Confirmed sightings? asks Gaius.

No, says the oystercatcher. Nothing like that.

Bertille's mother comes back down the steps with the model ship in her arms.

Wow! says Bertille. That was fast! How did dad fix it?

Cork, says Bertille's mother. Now let's see if it floats.

She sets it down in the shallows.

Everyone watches to see if it floats.

Gaius hopes it doesn't.