The Succulent Gherkin

Before anyone can stop her, Chloe bites off the head of the sea slug.

Yuck. It tastes nasty.

She spits it out, and starts to cry.

Chloe! cries her mother. It wasn't a jelly! It was a sea slug! Drink some water, sweetheart.

She hands Chloe a water bottle, Chloe drinks water. 

The young mother turns to the Head of Slugs.

Why was it on an uncovered saucer?

A thousand apologies madam, says the Head of Slugs. I came out in a hurry.

Gaius is picking something up off the floor.

The head of the sea slug.

I wonder, says Gaius, if it would regenerate a second time.

Interesting question, says the Head of Slugs. Is it moving?

It is, says Gaius. We should put it into some algae-rich water.

Plenty of that at Oceanopolis, says the Head of Slugs. But these are tropical waters. We'll go at once to the Brittany pavilion and find some suitable sea water there.

Will my daughter be all right? asks the young mother.

I'm sure she will, says the Head of Slugs. Here is a five euro voucher. Buy her a sucette from our café. And do visit again.

He and Gaius have just left the tropical pavilion when Jean-Claude arrives at the coral with Terence and Rusty.

Coral! says Terence. Bor-ING!

This is where we said we'd meet Gaius, says Jean-Claude. But he appears to have left.

So we don't have to look at boring coral, says Terence.

Let's GO, says Rusty. 

He turns.

Wait, says Jean-Claude. Look at the fish!

Rusty turns again.

Your toe's loose, says Terence.

Rusty looks down.

Only joking, says Terence.

But now they are all looking down at the floor.

Something like a succulent gherkin is lying there.

A translucent gherkin, with several dark red spots, familiar somehow......

That's his BODY! cries Terence. Where's his HEAD?

Has the young mother left yet, with Chloe?

She has. So she cannot explain what has happened.

Pick it up, says Rusty.

Okay, says Terence.

Leave it, says Jean-Claude. It's only the head that regenerates.

Terence picks it up anyway, and drops it into his pocket.

The body lies there, reduced to a gherkin, sandwiched between faded geckoes.