Feeling Exponential

How does this look? asks Gaius.

Mouldy's old passport is up on the screen.

Mouldy's photo has been removed, and replaced by the new one of Roo-kai.

Mouldy's name has been altered to Roo-kai-Catcher.

Perfect, says Roo-kai-Catcher.

Thanks, says Bertille. 

Because she is the one who has done it, after Gaius gave up, blaming faulty equipment.

I must admit, says Gaius, that I shouldn't have blamed the computer. 

You're just not used to it, says Bertille.

True, says Gaius. Now, let's hope we have better luck with the printer. How do we do this?

Up there, says Bertille. Click on that. Now press print.

How easy. Gaius clicks on that, and chooses the print option.

Everyone waits for the printer to hum into action.

But the printer is flashing a message. Out of Paper.

Mum! calls Bertille. The printer's out of paper.

Look in the cupboard, says Mathilde. Or ask your dad. 

But there is none in the cupboard. And Jean-Claude is taking a shower.

Go and ask the saints, Terence, says Gaius.

Okay! says Terence. He runs outside and sees Rusty and Hideo, near the saucer, under the tree.

I wondered where you were, says Terence.

So did we, says Rusty.

How come? asks Terence.

Existentially speaking, says Hideo. 

Same, says Rusty.

Why? asks Terence.

The sea slugs are missing, says Hideo. I'm out of a job.

Roo-kai said they went to Japan, says Terence. So he went to get more and Gaius didn't need them so he ate them.

Roo-kai, says Hideo. Is that the name your oystercatcher now goes by?

Roo-kai-Catcher, says Terence. He's my parrot.

So my legacy is to be this, says Hideo. A Japanese word, mispronounced, as a name for a fake parrot.

See, it's good! says Terence. 

He turns to Rusty.

What about you, how come you're exponential?

I'm FEELING exponential, says Rusty.

Hideo does not try to correct them.

Perhaps they really mean exponential.

And why should he care?