Not All Marxists

Melbourne. The train stops.

Everyone gets off.

Marx calls a taxi.

It's cramped in the taxi. 

Marx is in the front passenger seat. Gaius, Terence, and Pierre-Louis sit in the back.

Where to? asks the taxi driver.

Medley Hall, says Marx. 

You one of those Marxists? asks the taxi driver.

Yes, comrade, says Marx.

They arrive at the accommodation. Marx pays the taxi driver, who then drives away.

Marx keys in a door code. The door opens. 

They go up the stairs.

Are you sure this is all right? asks Gaius. 

Of course, says Marx. He finds his room. Room fifty three.

He opens the door and goes in.

The room smells of hot chips.

Several comrades are sitting on the floor.

Ho! says Marx. I thought this was my room.

It is, comrade, says one of the comrades. Welcome! We bought you hot chips.

Thank you, comrades, says Marx. But I must ask you to clear out. I have three friends with me.

And Squatty, says Terence.

The comrades stand up. 

Their surprise welcome (with hot chips) for Marx hasn't unfolded as planned.

Want us to leave the hot chips? asks a comrade.

As you wish, says Marx. 

Who's Squatty? asks another comrade. 

Squattu is a fruit bat, says Gaius. 

A real one, says Terence. Not a robot.

Pierre-Louis opens his back pack. 

The comrade looks in.

Sure enough, it contains a wide-awake fruit bat.

Come out, says Terence. You can fly around the room.

We'll be off then, say the comrades.

They leave.

Not all Marxists like bats.

As they go down the stairs they converse.

Beardy: Marx had a bat!

Tufty: It was actually those other guys.

Smoothy: But they're with him.

Beardy: You know, like, how Marx is being reinterpreted?

Tufty : Yeah! Like by that Japanese guy?

Smoothy: Yeah. Like expanding him out.

Tufty: Including more nature. Shit, bats though......

They go out of the door.

Meanwhile Marx is placing his pyjamas on the pillow of the one single bed.

Only one bed, says Marx. One of you will have to kip on that long shelf over there. The other, on the floor. 

We've had worse, says Gaius.

Speak for yourself, says Pierre-Louis.

Help yourselves to hot chips, says Marx, taking a handful.

Can Squatty and me practise with the drone on the stairs? asks Terence.

No! says Gaius. Anything might happen. You and Squattu can sit quietly and work on your drawing.

I'll help you! says Squattu. Are there trees in it?

Posts, says Terence. And blur. And a feather that's going both ways.

I'll do the trees, says Squattu.

Terence is about to say no, there weren't any trees but then he remembers that also, there wasn't a feather.

Not flying outside past the window. 

The feather was found on the train.

Okay, do the trees, says Terence.