Flux On A Plane

The dinner trolley draws level, at last.

What can I have? asks Terence.

Fruit juice, says Gaius.

Black currant, or watermelon? asks the flight attendant.

Watermelon, says Terence.

Gaius is handed his dinner, Terence his watermelon drink.

It has big black seeds floating in it.

Gaius lifts the clear plastic lid off his dinner.

A salmon smell, combined with exotic spices, wafts out.

He breaks open a bread roll.

Where is the butter?

And what is this? Ah, some sort of dessert slice sitting in a honey sauce. And an apple.

And this is? Yes, a wet wipe. And this? Salt and pepper. And a toothpick.

While Gaius is occupied identifying the various parts of his dinner, Terence is slurping his drink.

Slurp-gluk! Slurp-gluk! Slurp-gluk!

He has now swallowed three large black watermelon seeds.

He wriggles in his seat, beside Gaius.

Finished your drink already? asks Gaius.

Y... hic! says Terence. Are watermelon seeds poison?

No, says Gaius. Did you swallow them?

Yes, says Terence. Hic! They were pointy. Now they're stuck half way down me.

They'll make their way out, says Gaius. Are they uncomfortable?

YES! says Terence. 

Try a bite of apple, says Gaius.

Am I allowed? asks Terence.

Yes, says Gaius. Just chew it up well before you swallow it.

How many chews? asks Terence.

One hundred, says Gaius.

Terence takes a bite of the apple, and starts chewing.

One two three four.......

This will take ages.

Can he talk while he's chewing?

Why not try.

He gets up and crosses the aisle to where Roo-kai is staring at something moving in a bowl of green salad.

It's alive, says Roo-kai. 

Wo? asks Terence.

This mollusc, says Roo-kai. Why are you talking like that?

Footy-choo, says Terence, with a gluey apple dribble.

Ugh! says Roo-kai.

Eat up, says Delilah. It's a gift from the gods, that mollusc.

I don't think so, says Roo-kai. 

But Terence is prepared to believe it.

He picks up the live mollusc and pops it into his mouth.

The mollusc is surprised to find itself floundering in a flux of chewed apple.

And even more surprised to hit a watermelon seed, further down.

After which everything goes dark and swirly.

Terence pats his tummy.

You'll regret that, says Roo-kai.

Way-hic! says Terence.

Here, have a sick bag, says Delilah.

Terence opens his mouth to say I don't need a sick bag, and ......

......an interesting mixture spills out.