Does Not Care

Roo-kai creeps up the aisle to where the girl with the pencil case is sleeping.

Her legs are covered by a blanket, below which her red sleeping socks are visible.

The pencil case is tucked in beside her, closed with a zipper.

How best to do this?

He hops onto the arm rest, and pokes the point of his beak through the hole in the pull on the slider.

The plan is to open it slowly.

.......

Five minutes later.

A flutter, and a rattle.

Something drops beside Terence.

Terence looks up from shading the bars of his giant barred frog.

Did she give it to you? asks Terence. 

Nh! says Roo-kai. Mu-bk-stk!

Ha ha! laughs Terence.

Beside him, Gaius stirs in his sleep.

Ha ha, laughs Terence, less loudly. Was she asleep?

Mm! mutters Roo-kai. Hp-muh!

How can I get the rubber and the yellow out with your beak in the zipper? asks Terence.

Pll! says Roo-kai.

Pll, says Terence, what does that mean?

Pull! says a small person in the aisle, who has appeared suddenly.

It's the pencil case girl!

Is this your bird? asks the pencil case girl.

He's my parrot, says Terence. Is this your pencil case, stuck to his beak?

Yes, says the pencil case girl. He came up and stole it.

He was borrowing it, says Terence.

What for? asks the pencil case girl.

So I could finish my giant barred frog, says Terence. I made a mistake and I needed a rubber.

My rubber leaves marks, says the pencil case girl. Is your giant barred frog important?

Hp mu! splutters Roo-kai.

Yes, says Terence. Very important. 

It works better if you lick it, says the pencil case girl, but then it makes holes in the paper.

I wasn't going to lick it, says Terence.

You might if it left a mark on your drawing, says the pencil case girl.

Roo-kai can't believe they are having this conversation, when his beak is trapped in the pull of the zipper and he can't contribute.

He shakes his head rapidly.

The pencil case drops into Terence's lap.

Yay! says Terence. Now we can open it.

You should ask me first, says the pencil case girl.

Can I open it? asks Terence.

If you let me help you colour the frog, says the girl.

Okay, says Terence.

Roo-kai foresees trouble, but frankly, after all that has happened, cares little.