Nineteen Lost Darts

Terence and Hedley are in trouble.

They have not aimed their darts at the targets attached to the camouflage fencing.

They have aimed at one another.

Which is not allowed.

Furthermore most of their darts have flown over the camouflage fencing and landed outside the arena, no one knows where.

The Dart Blaster guy is insisting they find and return them.

Don't worry, says Hedley's mother. They'll return them.

Hedley and Terence are now searching through the grass.

Arthur has returned with the dried beans from Gaius's kitchen.

Help us, says Terence. We can't find our darts.

What kind of darts are they? asks Arthur.

Shooting ones, says Terence.

Sharp ones? asks Arthur.

No, says Hedley. They're toy ones, made out of of foam.

Nerf darts? says Arthur. Is this one of them?

Yes! says Terence. Now you just have to find twenty more.

Nineteen, says Hedley.

You think you're so good at maths, says Terence.

He probably is, says Arthur. 

Arthur goes up to Gaius, with a brown paper bag which is full of dried beans.

Are these them? asks Arthur.

Of course they are, says Gaius. Well done. Did you lock the front door?

Sure, says Arthur. Now what?

I suppose we'll need to divide them into small packets, says Gaius. Go and see Vello.

Arthur goes over to where Vello is sitting on the upturned ready-made basket.

Beans, says Arthur. 

Nasturtiums, says Vello.

Is this a game? asks Arthur.

No, says Vello. What suits our brand best, beans or nasturtiums?

Arthur likes this kind of question

Well, says Arthur, beans mean business, nasturtiums are showy. So it depends which aspect you want to emphasise.

Hum, says Vello. We'll mix them. Can I trust you to do it? 

How many in each packet? asks Arthur. And where are the packets?

We don't have any packets, says Vello. Use squares cut from the brown paper bag and twisted. Count the number of dried beans and nasturtium seeds we have and divide them equally into ...let's say... a hundred odd packets.

Arthur may have liked the question, but he doesn't like the answer.

Okay, says Arthur.

He heads straight back to Hedley.

You're good at maths, says Arthur. How would you like to help put all these beans and seeds into packets?

What about me? asks Terence.

You can make the packets, says Arthur.

Okay, says Terence. If you find the darts.

How many have you found now? asks Arthur.

Only this one, says Hedley. 

So Arthur has to find nineteen lost darts.

But it's still a good deal.