In A Bird Voice

Katherine has dropped her hired car off at the airport.

She is now on the plane.

Terence is sitting beside her, looking up.

Can Roo-kai come down yet? asks Terence.

Not until we take off, says Katherine. We don't want any trouble.

The plane takes off.

Welcome to flight J507 says the pilot, on the speaker. We should be ariving in Adelaide at four o'clock, when it will be raining. Have a pleasant flight and thank you for flying with Jetstar.

Now, says Terence.

All right, says Katherine, but remember to pretend he's a toy.

I know, says Terence.

Katherine stands up and opens the overhead locker.

Roo-kai tumbles out, and lands in the aisle.

A flight attendant comes forward.

What's this! says the flight attendant. 

My parrot, says Terence. 

His parrot TOY, says Katherine. They make them so lifelike these days.

The flight attendant picks up Roo-kai, who has stiffened.

It's warm, says the flight attendant.

Good, says Terence.

The flight attendant gives Terence his toy which looks (to her) more like an oystercatcher than a parrot.

But she has no time to argue.

She has spotted a passenger who is not wearing a mask.

She hurries forward to remonstrate with the passenger.

That was a close one, says Roo-kai.

Shut up, says Terence. You're supposed to be a toy.

Toys can talk, says Roo-kai. 

Yes, they can says Katherine. But you must press a button.

That's true, says the passenger in the window seat, next to Katherine. My grand daughter has a toy bird in a cage  and if you press a button and speak to it, it repeats what you've said in a bird voice.

How clever, says Katherine.

But your grandson's toy is even cleverer, says the passenger. It said 'that was a close one', when neither you nor your grandson had said it.

Err... no, says Katherine. It does sometimes surprise us.

Nor does it look like a parrot, continues the passenger.

We're aware of that, says Katherine. 

No doubt, says the passenger. Does your grandson have many toys?

He isn't my grandson, says Katherine. He is travelling with me back to Adelaide to meet up with his guardian, a Tour de France rider. 

And my frog team, says Terence. They're in it too.

In the Tour de France? says the passenger.

Yes, says Terence. 

And are they real frogs? asks the passenger.

Yes, says Terence. They're called the Romeos.

What about the knowlesi? asks Katherine. He isn't a Romeo.

Romeos-and-Knowlesi, says Terence.

They can't have a funny name like that, says Katherine.

Some of the teams do have funny names though, says the passenger. Take Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matérieux, for example.

You follow it? asks Katherine.

I do, says the passenger. 

My son rides for Team Philosophe, says Katherine.

The skinny one? asks the passenger.

No, the portly one, says Katherine.

And the reliable plodder? says the passenger. 

Gaius isn't in it this year, says Katherine. They have a new rider, N F S Grundtvig.

You don't say? says the passenger.

Katherine and the passenger continue to talk about the Tour and its riders.

Roo-kai feels he can relax.