The otter pool is not far away.
A large crowd has gathered to watch the otters.
The otters dive under the water, and pop up again.
You see their mischievous faces.
Every so often an otter scrambles out of the pool and slinks towards a cloakroom.
The other otters play and tumble in the water, creating diversions.
The otter enters the cloakroom.
And does not emerge for some time.
Jean-Claude, Mathilde, Bertille, Terence, Gaius and the Head of Slugs scan the crowd, looking for Rusty.
There he is! cries Terence.
He runs to a rock where Rusty is licking an ice cream.
Beside him is the black-coated stranger. His eyes glint. He regards Rusty's toes.
The Head of Slugs approaches the black-coated stranger.
Hideo! says the Head of Slugs. I suggest you quietly return that coat to the cloakroom, and get back in the pool.
Hideo stands. Looks at Rusty's gold toes with regret. And strides towards the cloakroom.
He's fairly harmless, says the Head of Slugs. Others are less predictable.
He was nice, says Rusty. And he knew things.
He didn't know about seals, says Bertille. He thought seals were descended from otters. But they're not. They're descended from bears.
The Head of Slugs is impressed.
Is that so, young lady?
That's what I read on the information board, says Bertille. Bears. They don't look like bears.
Recent evidence suggests that all pinnipeds come from a single ancestor, says Gaius. Possibly enaliarctos, closely related to mustelids and bears.
A proud heritage, says the Head of Slugs. Shall we sit and watch the otters for a bit longer. O ha ha! Look at that one, it's giving us the finger!
That's Hideo, says Rusty.
How do you know? asks Terence.
His mouth's open, says Rusty. I can see his gold teeth.
He doesn't have gold teeth, says the Head of Slugs, standing up and moving closer to Hideo.
The two front teeth of the otter Hideo are not teeth.
They are gold toes, that he is juggling around in his mouth with his tongue.
How naughty!
The Head of Slugs wonders where the gold toes could have come from.
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